Service layer classes in ASP.NET MVC application best practices

Question

Can you provide a code sample with basic architecture guidlines for creating service layer classes (which supposed to be consumed by web front-ends, web api etc.)?

Do you think this is a good tutorial? http://www.asp.net/mvc/tutorials/older-versions/models-(data)/validating-with-a-service-layer-cs

Doesn't matter that you are using MVC 4. It works the same with MVC 3 and MVC 2. The same goes for EF. Just use Google, there are hundreds of threads on this subject here at StackOverflow. — Leon Cullens
– Leon Cullens, Commented Jun 19, 2012 at 14:03
@Lean, yeah there are hundreds of shitty code samples on this subject :) for example, when people without any good reason implement custom repository and unit of work patterns over EF DbContext which already implements these two patterns. — Konstantin Tarkus
– Konstantin Tarkus, Commented Jun 19, 2012 at 20:01

Konstantin Tarkus · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-23 12:41:34Z

4

I personally don't like how that article describes passing errors from a service layer back to the controller (with IValidationDictionary), I would make it work more like this instead:

[Authorize]
public class AccountController : Controller
{
    private readonly IMembershipService membershipService;

    // service initialization is handled by IoC container
    public AccountController(IMembershipService membershipService)
    {
        this.membershipService = membershipService;
    }

    // .. some other stuff ..

    [AllowAnonymous, HttpPost]
    public ActionResult Register(RegisterModel model)
    {
        if (this.ModelSteate.IsValid)
        {
            var result = this.membershipService.CreateUser(
                model.UserName, model.Password, model.Email, isApproved: true
            );

            if (result.Success)
            {
                FormsAuthentication.SetAuthCookie(
                    model.UserName, createPersistentCookie: false
                );

                return this.RedirectToAction("Index", "Home");
            }

            result.Errors.CopyTo(this.ModelState);
        }

        return this.View();
    }
}

Or.. as mikalai mentioned, make the service throw validation exceptions, catch them in a global filter and insert into model state.

edited Jun 23, 2012 at 12:41

answered Jun 19, 2012 at 18:32

Konstantin Tarkus

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1 Comment

mikalai Over a year ago

Or, probably it could make less coding, if service throws exception on error which are handled using filter.

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