In this instructional video by dotnet, learn how to centralize and manage project and service names in .NET Aspire by using constants instead of magic strings—improving maintainability across your system.

.NET Aspire: Project Names and Constants

Presented by: dotnet

Overview

When working with .NET Aspire, it’s common to reference various projects and services using string literals—often referred to as “magic strings”—which can make maintaining and scaling your system challenging. This video explains how to centralize those names using constants, ensuring consistency and reducing the risk of errors when referencing projects throughout your Aspire-managed solution.

Chapters

00:00:40 – Magic Strings and Shared Libraries in AppHost
00:05:39 – Managing Project Names in .NET Aspire
00:07:55 – Wrapup

Key Topics

1. The Problem with Magic Strings

As your .NET Aspire system grows, you’ll find magic strings—literal strings representing project and service names—springing up in multiple places. These can be hard to track and error-prone if names change or are mistyped.

2. Solution: Centralized Naming with Constants

Shared Library Approach:
- Introduce a shared library or a common class in your AppHost project containing all project and service names as constants.
- This reduces duplication and ensures all name references are consistent and easy to update.
Referencing Constants:
- Replace scattered magic strings in your configuration and code with references to these constants.
- Use static classes or enums to organize names logically and improve discoverability.

3. Customizing Naming Strategies

Define a clear naming convention for your system’s projects and services.
Update references across your Aspire system to use the centralized constants.
If a name changes, update it in just one place.

Additional Resources

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Summary

By centralizing service and project names as constants within your .NET Aspire managed system, you ensure your applications are easier to maintain and scale. This practice minimizes the risk of typos and inconsistencies, streamlines updates, and enforces good architectural practices as your system grows.

For more instructional materials, visit the official .NET Aspire documentation and participate in the community for latest updates and discussions.