Collection

---
name: abp-framework-patterns
description: "Master ABP Framework patterns including repository pattern, unit of work, domain services, application services, authorization, multi-tenancy, background jobs, and distributed events. Use when: (1) building ABP-based applications with DDD architecture, (2) creating CRUD services with Entity, AppService, DTOs, validators, (3) handling authorization/permissions, (4) generating ABP module code."
layer: 2
tech_stack: [dotnet, csharp, abp, efcore]
topics: [entity, appservice, dto, repository, mapping, permissions, domain-service, background-jobs]
depends_on: [csharp-advanced-patterns, dotnet-async-patterns]
complements: [efcore-patterns, fluentvalidation-patterns, openiddict-authorization]
keywords: [Entity, AppService, DTO, Mapperly, Repository, UnitOfWork, IRepository, ApplicationService, CrudAppService]
---

# ABP Framework Patterns

Master ABP Framework patterns for building maintainable, scalable applications following Domain-Driven Design principles.

**This skill orchestrates three focused skills:**

| Skill | Focus | Key Patterns |
|-------|-------|--------------|
| `abp-entity-patterns` | Domain layer | Entity, Repository, DomainService, DataSeeding |
| `abp-service-patterns` | Application layer | AppService, DTOs, Mapperly, UoW, Filter DTOs |
| `abp-infrastructure-patterns` | Cross-cutting | Permissions, BackgroundJobs, Events, Multi-tenancy |

## Quick Reference

### Architecture Layers

```
Domain.Shared    → Constants, enums, shared types
Domain           → Entities, repositories, domain services, domain events
Application.Contracts → DTOs, application service interfaces
Application      → Application services, mapper profiles, validators
EntityFrameworkCore → DbContext, repository implementations
HttpApi          → Controllers (auto-generated by ABP)
HttpApi.Host     → Startup, configuration
```

### Common Patterns

| Pattern | Location | When to Use |
|---------|----------|-------------|
| Entity | Domain | Business data with identity |
| Repository | Domain + EFC | Custom data access queries |
| Domain Service | Domain | Cross-entity business logic |
| AppService | Application | Orchestration, authorization, mapping |
| CrudAppService | Application | Simple CRUD without custom logic |
| Validator | Application | Input DTO validation |
| Permission | Domain.Shared | Access control |
| Background Job | Application | Async/delayed processing |
| Distributed Event | Domain/App | Module decoupling |

## Entity Patterns

### Standard Entity with Encapsulation

```csharp
public class Patient : FullAuditedAggregateRoot<Guid>
{
    public string FirstName { get; private set; } = string.Empty;
    public string LastName { get; private set; } = string.Empty;
    public string Email { get; private set; } = string.Empty;
    public bool IsActive { get; private set; } = true;

    // Required for EF Core
    protected Patient() { }

    public Patient(Guid id, string firstName, string lastName, string email) : base(id)
    {
        SetName(firstName, lastName);
        SetEmail(email);
    }

    public void SetName(string firstName, string lastName)
    {
        FirstName = Check.NotNullOrWhiteSpace(firstName, nameof(firstName), maxLength: PatientConsts.MaxFirstNameLength);
        LastName = Check.NotNullOrWhiteSpace(lastName, nameof(lastName), maxLength: PatientConsts.MaxLastNameLength);
    }

    public void SetEmail(string email)
    {
        Email = Check.NotNullOrWhiteSpace(email, nameof(email), maxLength: PatientConsts.MaxEmailLength);
    }

    public void Activate() => IsActive = true;
    public void Deactivate() => IsActive = false;
}
```

### Constants Class

```csharp
// Domain.Shared/{Feature}/{Entity}Consts.cs
namespace {ProjectName}.{Feature};

public static class PatientConsts
{
    public const int MaxFirstNameLength = 100;
    public const int MaxLastNameLength = 100;
    public const int MaxEmailLength = 256;
}
```

## AppService Patterns

### Standard AppService (Recommended)

```csharp
[Authorize({ProjectName}Permissions.Patients.Default)]
public class PatientAppService : ApplicationService, IPatientAppService
{
    private readonly IRepository<Patient, Guid> _patientRepository;

    public PatientAppService(IRepository<Patient, Guid> patientRepository)
    {
        _patientRepository = patientRepository;
    }

    public async Task<PagedResultDto<PatientDto>> GetListAsync(GetPatientsInput input)
    {
        var queryable = await _patientRepository.GetQueryableAsync();

        var query = queryable
            .WhereIf(!input.Filter.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(),
                x => x.FirstName.Contains(input.Filter!) || x.LastName.Contains(input.Filter!))
            .WhereIf(input.IsActive.HasValue, x => x.IsActive == input.IsActive);

        var totalCount = await AsyncExecuter.CountAsync(query);
        var patients = await AsyncExecuter.ToListAsync(
            query
                .OrderBy(input.Sorting.IsNullOrWhiteSpace() ? nameof(Patient.LastName) : input.Sorting)
                .PageBy(input));

        return new PagedResultDto<PatientDto>(totalCount, patients.ToDto());
    }

    public async Task<PatientDto> GetAsync(Guid id)
    {
        var patient = await _patientRepository.GetAsync(id);
        return patient.ToDto();
    }

    [Authorize({ProjectName}Permissions.Patients.Create)]
    public async Task<PatientDto> CreateAsync(CreatePatientDto input)
    {
        var patient = new Patient(
            GuidGenerator.Create(),
            input.FirstName,
            input.LastName,
            input.Email);

        await _patientRepository.InsertAsync(patient, autoSave: true);
        return patient.ToDto();
    }

    [Authorize({ProjectName}Permissions.Patients.Edit)]
    public async Task<PatientDto> UpdateAsync(Guid id, UpdatePatientDto input)
    {
        var patient = await _patientRepository.GetAsync(id);

        patient.SetName(input.FirstName, input.LastName);
        patient.SetEmail(input.Email);

        await _patientRepository.UpdateAsync(patient, autoSave: true);
        return patient.ToDto();
    }

    [Authorize({ProjectName}Permissions.Patients.Delete)]
    public async Task DeleteAsync(Guid id)
    {
        await _patientRepository.DeleteAsync(id);
    }
}
```

### CrudAppService Base (For Simple CRUD)

```csharp
// Use when no custom business logic is needed
public class PatientAppService : CrudAppService<
    Patient,           // Entity
    PatientDto,        // Output DTO
    Guid,              // Primary key
    GetPatientsInput,  // GetList input
    CreatePatientDto,  // Create input
    UpdatePatientDto>, // Update input
    IPatientAppService
{
    public PatientAppService(IRepository<Patient, Guid> repository)
        : base(repository)
    {
    }

    // Override specific methods if needed
    protected override async Task<IQueryable<Patient>> CreateFilteredQueryAsync(GetPatientsInput input)
    {
        var query = await base.CreateFilteredQueryAsync(input);
        return query
            .WhereIf(!input.Filter.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(),
                x => x.FirstName.Contains(input.Filter!));
    }
}
```

## Mapperly Patterns

### Static Extension Methods (RECOMMENDED)

```csharp
// Application/{Feature}/{Entity}Mappers.cs
using Riok.Mapperly.Abstractions;

namespace {ProjectName}.{Feature};

[Mapper]
public static partial class PatientMappers
{
    // Single entity mapping
    public static partial PatientDto ToDto(this Patient patient);

    // Collection mapping
    public static partial List<PatientDto> ToDto(this List<Patient> patients);

    // IEnumerable for LINQ
    public static partial IEnumerable<PatientDto> ToDto(this IEnumerable<Patient> patients);

    // Update entity from DTO (ignores Id)
    [MapperIgnoreTarget(nameof(Patient.Id))]
    public static partial void UpdateFrom(this Patient patient, UpdatePatientDto dto);
}

// Usage in AppService (no injection needed):
return patient.ToDto();
return patients.ToDto().ToList();
```

### Instance Mapper (Alternative)

```csharp
// Only if DI is required (e.g., for resolving navigation properties)
[Mapper(RequiredMappingStrategy = RequiredMappingStrategy.None)]
public partial class PatientApplicationMappers
{
    public partial PatientDto Map(Patient patient);
    public partial List<PatientDto> MapList(List<Patient> patients);
}

// Register in Module:
context.Services.AddSingleton<PatientApplicationMappers>();
```

## Permission Patterns

### Permission Constants

```csharp
// Application.Contracts/Permissions/{Entity}Permissions.cs
namespace {ProjectName}.Permissions;

public static class PatientPermissions
{
    public const string GroupName = "{ProjectName}.Patients";

    public const string Default = GroupName;
    public const string Create = GroupName + ".Create";
    public const string Edit = GroupName + ".Edit";
    public const string Delete = GroupName + ".Delete";
}
```

### Permission Definition Provider

```csharp
public class {ProjectName}PermissionDefinitionProvider : PermissionDefinitionProvider
{
    public override void Define(IPermissionDefinitionContext context)
    {
        var myGroup = context.AddGroup({ProjectName}Permissions.GroupName);

        var patientsPermission = myGroup.AddPermission(
            PatientPermissions.Default,
            L("Permission:Patients"));

        patientsPermission.AddChild(
            PatientPermissions.Create,
            L("Permission:Patients.Create"));

        patientsPermission.AddChild(
            PatientPermissions.Edit,
            L("Permission:Patients.Edit"));

        patientsPermission.AddChild(
            PatientPermissions.Delete,
            L("Permission:Patients.Delete"));
    }

    private static LocalizableString L(string name) =>
        LocalizableString.Create<{ProjectName}Resource>(name);
}
```

## Filter DTO Pattern

### Standard Filter DTO

```csharp
using Volo.Abp.Application.Dtos;

namespace {ProjectName}.{Feature};

public class GetPatientsInput : PagedAndSortedResultRequestDto
{
    // Text search filter
    public string? Filter { get; set; }

    // Status filter
    public bool? IsActive { get; set; }

    // Foreign key filter
    public Guid? DoctorId { get; set; }

    // Date range filters
    public DateTime? FromDate { get; set; }
    public DateTime? ToDate { get; set; }
}
```

### WhereIf Extension Usage

```csharp
var query = queryable
    .WhereIf(!input.Filter.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(),
        x => x.FirstName.Contains(input.Filter!) ||
             x.LastName.Contains(input.Filter!) ||
             x.Email.Contains(input.Filter!))
    .WhereIf(input.IsActive.HasValue, x => x.IsActive == input.IsActive)
    .WhereIf(input.DoctorId.HasValue, x => x.DoctorId == input.DoctorId)
    .WhereIf(input.FromDate.HasValue, x => x.CreationTime >= input.FromDate)
    .WhereIf(input.ToDate.HasValue, x => x.CreationTime <= input.ToDate);
```

## Best Practices

### Do's

1. **Entity encapsulation** - Use private setters and domain methods
2. **Thin AppServices** - Orchestrate, don't implement business logic
3. **Domain Services** - For cross-entity business rules
4. **Static Mappers** - Use extension methods for cleaner code
5. **WhereIf pattern** - Clean optional filtering
6. **Permission checks** - Class-level `[Authorize]` + method-level for mutations
7. **autoSave: true** - Use for single operations (avoid extra SaveChanges)
8. **Constants classes** - Define max lengths in Domain.Shared

### Don'ts

1. **Don't duplicate authorization** - If class has `[Authorize]`, methods with same permission don't need it
2. **Don't inject mappers** - Use static extension methods instead
3. **Don't check null after WhereIf** - The `.HasValue` check handles it
4. **Don't use AutoMapper** - Use Mapperly for source generation
5. **Don't expose entities** - Always return DTOs

## Code Quality Checklist

Before completing implementation:

- [ ] Entity has private setters and domain methods
- [ ] Entity has parameterless protected constructor for EF Core
- [ ] AppService class has `[Authorize(Permission.Default)]`
- [ ] All mutations have specific `[Authorize(Permission.Action)]`
- [ ] Mapper uses static extension methods pattern
- [ ] Filter DTO extends `PagedAndSortedResultRequestDto`
- [ ] Filter uses WhereIf pattern for optional parameters
- [ ] Constants defined in Domain.Shared
- [ ] Permissions follow `{Project}.{Resource}.{Action}` pattern
- [ ] InsertAsync uses `autoSave: true` for single operations

## Detailed Reference

For comprehensive patterns, see the focused skills:

- **`abp-entity-patterns`** - Entity base classes, repositories, domain services, data seeding
- **`abp-service-patterns`** - AppServices, DTOs, Mapperly, UoW, Filter DTOs, CommonDependencies
- **`abp-infrastructure-patterns`** - Permissions, background jobs, distributed events, multi-tenancy
- **`abp-contract-scaffolding`** - Interface and DTO generation for parallel workflows

## External Resources

- **ABP Documentation**: https://docs.abp.io/
- **ABP Community**: https://community.abp.io/
- **ABP GitHub**: https://github.com/abpframework/abp
- **Mapperly**: https://mapperly.riok.app/