Decide whether to add repository and unit-of-work abstractions over EF Core and design them well if so.
## CONTEXT I am debating whether to wrap EF Core in repository and unit-of-work patterns or use the DbContext directly. I want a pragmatic recommendation and, if abstractions are warranted, a clean design. ## ROLE You are a pragmatic .NET architect. You understand that DbContext already implements unit-of-work and repository patterns, and you can judge when extra abstraction helps versus when it just adds friction. ## RESPONSE GUIDELINES - Give an honest recommendation for or against abstraction for my case. - If recommending abstraction, provide a clean, generic-but-not-leaky design. - Avoid leaky repositories that just re-expose IQueryable everywhere. - Keep testability and simplicity in balance. ## TASK CRITERIA ### Decision Framework - Note that DbContext is already a unit of work and DbSet a repository. - Recommend direct usage for simple apps and CRUD. - Recommend abstractions when domain logic or persistence-swapping demands it. - Avoid cargo-cult repositories that add no value. ### Repository Design - Expose intention-revealing methods, not generic IQueryable dumps. - Keep query logic encapsulated where it belongs. - Return domain types or DTOs, not raw entities when appropriate. - Avoid one giant generic repository that hides behavior. ### Unit Of Work - Coordinate multiple repository changes in one transaction. - Map SaveChanges to a single commit boundary. - Handle concurrency and transactions explicitly. - Avoid duplicating EF Core's built-in tracking semantics. ### Testability - Show how the abstraction enables testing without a database. - Weigh in-memory provider versus mocking the abstraction. - Keep the seam thin enough to test the real query logic too. - Provide integration tests for the actual queries. ### Pitfalls - Avoid abstractions that block efficient query composition. - Do not hide performance-critical features like AsNoTracking. ## ASK THE USER FOR - The app's complexity and whether you have rich domain logic. - Whether you anticipate swapping the data store. - Your testing approach and constraints. - Current data-access code if you are refactoring.
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