HttpClient Demo

1) Overview

This solution demonstrates different approaches to configuring and using HttpClient in .NET 8 applications with custom HTTP message handlers (DelegatingHandlers).

The project showcases three different implementation patterns:

• manual configuration
• Microsoft Dependency Injection
• Autofac dependency injection

Key Concepts Demonstrated

1. HTTP Message Handler Pipeline: Shows how to configure and chained message handlers
2. Dependency Injection Patterns: Compares different DI approaches for HttpClient configuration (including message handlers)

2) Getting Started

1. Clone the repository
2. Open the solution in Visual Studio
3. Start the server application (WebApi)
4. Run one of the client projects (Right click -> Debug -> Start New Instance)

Each client application is:

• adding two custom DelegatingHandlers to the HttpClient instance
• calls the https://localhost:7033/Demo endpoint.

3) Solution Structure

Client Applications

1. Clients.Simple (No Dependency Injection)

• Type: Console Application (.NET 8)
• Purpose: Demonstrates manual HttpClient configuration with message handlers, without dependency injection

2. Clients.WithDependencyInjection

• Type: Console Application (.NET 8)
• Purpose: Shows HttpClient configuration using Microsoft's built-in dependency injection

3. Clients.WithAutofac

• Type: Console Application (.NET 8)
• Purpose: Illustrates HttpClient setup with Autofac dependency injection container

Helper Projects

4. Common

• Type: Class Library (.NET 8)
• Purpose: Provides a class that calls the server API.
• Components:
  • Dummy1Handler: Demonstration handler (part of handler pipeline)
  • Dummy2Handler: Demonstration handler (part of handler pipeline)

5. HttpClientDemo.WebApiAccess

• Type: Class Library (.NET 8)
• Purpose: Provides functionality to access the Web API.

Server Application

6. HttpClientDemo.WebApi

• Type: Web App (.NET 8)
• Purpose: Provides a dummy Web API endpoint:
  • GET /Dummy