Parameter Binding in Minimal API apps

Parameter binding is the process of converting request data into strongly typed parameters that are expressed by route handlers. A binding source determines where parameters are bound from. Binding sources can be explicit or inferred based on HTTP method and parameter type.

Supported binding sources:

• Route values
• Query string
• Header
• Body (as JSON)
• Form values
• Services provided by dependency injection
• Custom

The following GET route handler uses some of these parameter binding sources:

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

// Added as service
builder.Services.AddSingleton<Service>();

var app = builder.Build();

app.MapGet("/{id}", (int id,
                     int page,
                     [FromHeader(Name = "X-CUSTOM-HEADER")] string customHeader,
                     Service service) => { });

class Service { }

The following table shows the relationship between the parameters used in the preceding example and the associated binding sources.

Parameter	Binding Source
id	route value
page	query string
customHeader	header
service	Provided by dependency injection

The HTTP methods GET, HEAD, OPTIONS, and DELETE don't implicitly bind from body. To bind from body (as JSON) for these HTTP methods, bind explicitly with [FromBody] or read from the HttpRequest.

The following example POST route handler uses a binding source of body (as JSON) for the person parameter:

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

var app = builder.Build();

app.MapPost("/", (Person person) => { });

record Person(string Name, int Age);

The parameters in the preceding examples are all bound from request data automatically. To demonstrate the convenience that parameter binding provides, the following route handlers show how to read request data directly from the request:

app.MapGet("/{id}", (HttpRequest request) =>
{
    var id = request.RouteValues["id"];
    var page = request.Query["page"];
    var customHeader = request.Headers["X-CUSTOM-HEADER"];

    // ...
});

app.MapPost("/", async (HttpRequest request) =>
{
    var person = await request.ReadFromJsonAsync<Person>();

    // ...
});

Explicit Parameter Binding

Attributes can be used to explicitly declare where parameters are bound from.

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

// Added as service
builder.Services.AddSingleton<Service>();

var app = builder.Build();


app.MapGet("/{id}", ([FromRoute] int id,
                     [FromQuery(Name = "p")] int page,
                     [FromServices] Service service,
                     [FromHeader(Name = "Content-Type")] string contentType) 
                     => {});

class Service { }

record Person(string Name, int Age);

Parameter	Binding Source
id	route value with the name id
page	query string with the name "p"
service	Provided by dependency injection
contentType	header with the name "Content-Type"

Explicit binding from form values

The [FromForm] attribute binds form values:

app.MapPost("/todos", async ([FromForm] string name,
    [FromForm] Visibility visibility, IFormFile? attachment, TodoDb db) =>
{
    var todo = new Todo
    {
        Name = name,
        Visibility = visibility
    };

    if (attachment is not null)
    {
        var attachmentName = Path.GetRandomFileName();

        using var stream = File.Create(Path.Combine("wwwroot", attachmentName));
        await attachment.CopyToAsync(stream);
    }

    db.Todos.Add(todo);
    await db.SaveChangesAsync();

    return Results.Ok();
});

// Remaining code removed for brevity.

An alternative is to use the [AsParameters] attribute with a custom type that has properties annotated with [FromForm]. For example, the following code binds from form values to properties of the NewTodoRequest record struct:

app.MapPost("/ap/todos", async ([AsParameters] NewTodoRequest request, TodoDb db) =>
{
    var todo = new Todo
    {
        Name = request.Name,
        Visibility = request.Visibility
    };

    if (request.Attachment is not null)
    {
        var attachmentName = Path.GetRandomFileName();

        using var stream = File.Create(Path.Combine("wwwroot", attachmentName));
        await request.Attachment.CopyToAsync(stream);

        todo.Attachment = attachmentName;
    }

    db.Todos.Add(todo);
    await db.SaveChangesAsync();

    return Results.Ok();
});

// Remaining code removed for brevity.

public record struct NewTodoRequest([FromForm] string Name,
    [FromForm] Visibility Visibility, IFormFile? Attachment);

For more information, see the section on AsParameters later in this article.

The complete sample code is in the AspNetCore.Docs.Samples repository.

Secure binding from IFormFile and IFormFileCollection

Complex form binding is supported using IFormFile and IFormFileCollection using the [FromForm]:

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Antiforgery;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http.HttpResults;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder();

builder.Services.AddAntiforgery();

var app = builder.Build();
app.UseAntiforgery();

// Generate a form with an anti-forgery token and an /upload endpoint.
app.MapGet("/", (HttpContext context, IAntiforgery antiforgery) =>
{
    var token = antiforgery.GetAndStoreTokens(context);
    var html = MyUtils.GenerateHtmlForm(token.FormFieldName, token.RequestToken!);
    return Results.Content(html, "text/html");
});

app.MapPost("/upload", async Task<Results<Ok<string>, BadRequest<string>>>
    ([FromForm] FileUploadForm fileUploadForm, HttpContext context,
                                                IAntiforgery antiforgery) =>
{
    await MyUtils.SaveFileWithName(fileUploadForm.FileDocument!,
              fileUploadForm.Name!, app.Environment.ContentRootPath);
    return TypedResults.Ok($"Your file with the description:" +
        $" {fileUploadForm.Description} has been uploaded successfully");
});

app.Run();

Parameters bound to the request with [FromForm] include an anti-forgery token. The anti-forgery token is validated when the request is processed. For more information, see Antiforgery with Minimal APIs.

For more information, see Form binding in minimal APIs.

The complete sample code is in the AspNetCore.Docs.Samples repository.

Parameter binding with dependency injection

Parameter binding for minimal APIs binds parameters through dependency injection when the type is configured as a service. It's not necessary to explicitly apply the [FromServices] attribute to a parameter. In the following code, both actions return the time:

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
builder.Services.AddSingleton<IDateTime, SystemDateTime>();

var app = builder.Build();

app.MapGet("/",   (               IDateTime dateTime) => dateTime.Now);
app.MapGet("/fs", ([FromServices] IDateTime dateTime) => dateTime.Now);
app.Run();

Optional parameters

Parameters declared in route handlers are treated as required:

• If a request matches the route, the route handler only runs if all required parameters are provided in the request.
• Failure to provide all required parameters results in an error.

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
var app = builder.Build();

app.MapGet("/products", (int pageNumber) => $"Requesting page {pageNumber}");

app.Run();

URI	result
/products?pageNumber=3	3 returned
/products	BadHttpRequestException: Required parameter "int pageNumber" wasn't provided from query string.
/products/1	HTTP 404 error, no matching route

To make pageNumber optional, define the type as optional or provide a default value:

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
var app = builder.Build();

app.MapGet("/products", (int? pageNumber) => $"Requesting page {pageNumber ?? 1}");

string ListProducts(int pageNumber = 1) => $"Requesting page {pageNumber}";

app.MapGet("/products2", ListProducts);

app.Run();

URI	result
/products?pageNumber=3	3 returned
/products	1 returned
/products2	1 returned

The preceding nullable and default value applies to all sources:

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
var app = builder.Build();

app.MapPost("/products", (Product? product) => { });

app.Run();

The preceding code calls the method with a null product if no request body is sent.

NOTE: If invalid data is provided and the parameter is nullable, the route handler is not run.

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
var app = builder.Build();

app.MapGet("/products", (int? pageNumber) => $"Requesting page {pageNumber ?? 1}");

app.Run();

URI	result
/products?pageNumber=3	3 returned
/products	1 returned
/products?pageNumber=two	BadHttpRequestException: Failed to bind parameter "Nullable<int> pageNumber" from "two".
/products/two	HTTP 404 error, no matching route

See the Binding Failures section for more information.

Special types

The following types are bound without explicit attributes:

• HttpContext: The context which holds all the information about the current HTTP request or response:

  app.MapGet("/", (HttpContext context) => context.Response.WriteAsync("Hello World"));
  

• HttpRequest and HttpResponse: The HTTP request and HTTP response:

  app.MapGet("/", (HttpRequest request, HttpResponse response) =>
      response.WriteAsync($"Hello World {request.Query["name"]}"));
  

• CancellationToken: The cancellation token associated with the current HTTP request:

  app.MapGet("/", async (CancellationToken cancellationToken) => 
      await MakeLongRunningRequestAsync(cancellationToken));
  

• ClaimsPrincipal: The user associated with the request, bound from HttpContext.User:

  app.MapGet("/", (ClaimsPrincipal user) => user.Identity.Name);
  

Bind the request body as a Stream or PipeReader

The request body can bind as a Stream or PipeReader to efficiently support scenarios where the user has to process data and:

• Store the data to blob storage or enqueue the data to a queue provider.
• Process the stored data with a worker process or cloud function.

For example, the data might be enqueued to Azure Queue storage or stored in Azure Blob storage.

The following code implements a background queue:

using System.Text.Json;
using System.Threading.Channels;

namespace BackgroundQueueService;

class BackgroundQueue : BackgroundService
{
    private readonly Channel<ReadOnlyMemory<byte>> _queue;
    private readonly ILogger<BackgroundQueue> _logger;

    public BackgroundQueue(Channel<ReadOnlyMemory<byte>> queue,
                               ILogger<BackgroundQueue> logger)
    {
        _queue = queue;
        _logger = logger;
    }

    protected override async Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
    {
        await foreach (var dataStream in _queue.Reader.ReadAllAsync(stoppingToken))
        {
            try
            {
                var person = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<Person>(dataStream.Span)!;
                _logger.LogInformation($"{person.Name} is {person.Age} " +
                                       $"years and from {person.Country}");
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                _logger.LogError(ex.Message);
            }
        }
    }
}

class Person
{
    public string Name { get; set; } = String.Empty;
    public int Age { get; set; }
    public string Country { get; set; } = String.Empty;
}

The following code binds the request body to a Stream:

app.MapPost("/register", async (HttpRequest req, Stream body,
                                 Channel<ReadOnlyMemory<byte>> queue) =>
{
    if (req.ContentLength is not null && req.ContentLength > maxMessageSize)
    {
        return Results.BadRequest();
    }

    // We're not above the message size and we have a content length, or
    // we're a chunked request and we're going to read up to the maxMessageSize + 1. 
    // We add one to the message size so that we can detect when a chunked request body
    // is bigger than our configured max.
    var readSize = (int?)req.ContentLength ?? (maxMessageSize + 1);

    var buffer = new byte[readSize];

    // Read at least that many bytes from the body.
    var read = await body.ReadAtLeastAsync(buffer, readSize, throwOnEndOfStream: false);

    // We read more than the max, so this is a bad request.
    if (read > maxMessageSize)
    {
        return Results.BadRequest();
    }

    // Attempt to send the buffer to the background queue.
    if (queue.Writer.TryWrite(buffer.AsMemory(0..read)))
    {
        return Results.Accepted();
    }

    // We couldn't accept the message since we're overloaded.
    return Results.StatusCode(StatusCodes.Status429TooManyRequests);
});

The following code shows the complete Program.cs file:

using System.Threading.Channels;
using BackgroundQueueService;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
// The max memory to use for the upload endpoint on this instance.
var maxMemory = 500 * 1024 * 1024;

// The max size of a single message, staying below the default LOH size of 85K.
var maxMessageSize = 80 * 1024;

// The max size of the queue based on those restrictions
var maxQueueSize = maxMemory / maxMessageSize;

// Create a channel to send data to the background queue.
builder.Services.AddSingleton<Channel<ReadOnlyMemory<byte>>>((_) =>
                     Channel.CreateBounded<ReadOnlyMemory<byte>>(maxQueueSize));

// Create a background queue service.
builder.Services.AddHostedService<BackgroundQueue>();
var app = builder.Build();

// curl --request POST 'https://localhost:<port>/register' --header 'Content-Type: application/json' --data-raw '{ "Name":"Samson", "Age": 23, "Country":"Nigeria" }'
// curl --request POST "https://localhost:<port>/register" --header "Content-Type: application/json" --data-raw "{ \"Name\":\"Samson\", \"Age\": 23, \"Country\":\"Nigeria\" }"
app.MapPost("/register", async (HttpRequest req, Stream body,
                                 Channel<ReadOnlyMemory<byte>> queue) =>
{
    if (req.ContentLength is not null && req.ContentLength > maxMessageSize)
    {
        return Results.BadRequest();
    }

    // We're not above the message size and we have a content length, or
    // we're a chunked request and we're going to read up to the maxMessageSize + 1. 
    // We add one to the message size so that we can detect when a chunked request body
    // is bigger than our configured max.
    var readSize = (int?)req.ContentLength ?? (maxMessageSize + 1);

    var buffer = new byte[readSize];

    // Read at least that many bytes from the body.
    var read = await body.ReadAtLeastAsync(buffer, readSize, throwOnEndOfStream: false);

    // We read more than the max, so this is a bad request.
    if (read > maxMessageSize)
    {
        return Results.BadRequest();
    }

    // Attempt to send the buffer to the background queue.
    if (queue.Writer.TryWrite(buffer.AsMemory(0..read)))
    {
        return Results.Accepted();
    }

    // We couldn't accept the message since we're overloaded.
    return Results.StatusCode(StatusCodes.Status429TooManyRequests);
});

app.Run();

• When reading data, the Stream is the same object as HttpRequest.Body.
• The request body isn't buffered by default. After the body is read, it's not rewindable. The stream can't be read multiple times.
• The Stream and PipeReader aren't usable outside of the minimal action handler as the underlying buffers will be disposed or reused.

File uploads using IFormFile and IFormFileCollection

The following code uses IFormFile and IFormFileCollection to upload file:

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
var app = builder.Build();

app.MapGet("/", () => "Hello World!");

app.MapPost("/upload", async (IFormFile file) =>
{
    var tempFile = Path.GetTempFileName();
    app.Logger.LogInformation(tempFile);
    using var stream = File.OpenWrite(tempFile);
    await file.CopyToAsync(stream);
});

app.MapPost("/upload_many", async (IFormFileCollection myFiles) =>
{
    foreach (var file in myFiles)
    {
        var tempFile = Path.GetTempFileName();
        app.Logger.LogInformation(tempFile);
        using var stream = File.OpenWrite(tempFile);
        await file.CopyToAsync(stream);
    }
});

app.Run();

Authenticated file upload requests are supported using an Authorization header, a client certificate, or a cookie header.

Binding to forms with IFormCollection, IFormFile, and IFormFileCollection

Binding from form-based parameters using IFormCollection, IFormFile, and IFormFileCollection is supported. OpenAPI metadata is inferred for form parameters to support integration with Swagger UI.

The following code uploads files using inferred binding from the IFormFile type:

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Antiforgery;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http.HttpResults;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder();

builder.Services.AddAntiforgery();

var app = builder.Build();
app.UseAntiforgery();

string GetOrCreateFilePath(string fileName, string filesDirectory = "uploadFiles")
{
    var directoryPath = Path.Combine(app.Environment.ContentRootPath, filesDirectory);
    Directory.CreateDirectory(directoryPath);
    return Path.Combine(directoryPath, fileName);
}

async Task UploadFileWithName(IFormFile file, string fileSaveName)
{
    var filePath = GetOrCreateFilePath(fileSaveName);
    await using var fileStream = new FileStream(filePath, FileMode.Create);
    await file.CopyToAsync(fileStream);
}

app.MapGet("/", (HttpContext context, IAntiforgery antiforgery) =>
{
    var token = antiforgery.GetAndStoreTokens(context);
    var html = $"""
      <html>
        <body>
          <form action="/upload" method="POST" enctype="multipart/form-data">
            <input name="{token.FormFieldName}" type="hidden" value="{token.RequestToken}"/>
            <input type="file" name="file" placeholder="Upload an image..." accept=".jpg, 
                                                                            .jpeg, .png" />
            <input type="submit" />
          </form> 
        </body>
      </html>
    """;

    return Results.Content(html, "text/html");
});

app.MapPost("/upload", async Task<Results<Ok<string>,
   BadRequest<string>>> (IFormFile file, HttpContext context, IAntiforgery antiforgery) =>
{
    var fileSaveName = Guid.NewGuid().ToString("N") + Path.GetExtension(file.FileName);
    await UploadFileWithName(file, fileSaveName);
    return TypedResults.Ok("File uploaded successfully!");
});

app.Run();

Warning: When implementing forms, the app must prevent Cross-Site Request Forgery (XSRF/CSRF) attacks. In the preceding code, the IAntiforgery service is used to prevent XSRF attacks by generating and validation an anti-forgery token:

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Antiforgery;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http.HttpResults;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder();

builder.Services.AddAntiforgery();

var app = builder.Build();
app.UseAntiforgery();

string GetOrCreateFilePath(string fileName, string filesDirectory = "uploadFiles")
{
    var directoryPath = Path.Combine(app.Environment.ContentRootPath, filesDirectory);
    Directory.CreateDirectory(directoryPath);
    return Path.Combine(directoryPath, fileName);
}

async Task UploadFileWithName(IFormFile file, string fileSaveName)
{
    var filePath = GetOrCreateFilePath(fileSaveName);
    await using var fileStream = new FileStream(filePath, FileMode.Create);
    await file.CopyToAsync(fileStream);
}

app.MapGet("/", (HttpContext context, IAntiforgery antiforgery) =>
{
    var token = antiforgery.GetAndStoreTokens(context);
    var html = $"""
      <html>
        <body>
          <form action="/upload" method="POST" enctype="multipart/form-data">
            <input name="{token.FormFieldName}" type="hidden" value="{token.RequestToken}"/>
            <input type="file" name="file" placeholder="Upload an image..." accept=".jpg, 
                                                                            .jpeg, .png" />
            <input type="submit" />
          </form> 
        </body>
      </html>
    """;

    return Results.Content(html, "text/html");
});

app.MapPost("/upload", async Task<Results<Ok<string>,
   BadRequest<string>>> (IFormFile file, HttpContext context, IAntiforgery antiforgery) =>
{
    var fileSaveName = Guid.NewGuid().ToString("N") + Path.GetExtension(file.FileName);
    await UploadFileWithName(file, fileSaveName);
    return TypedResults.Ok("File uploaded successfully!");
});

app.Run();

For more information on XSRF attacks, see Antiforgery with Minimal APIs

For more information, see Form binding in minimal APIs;

Bind to collections and complex types from forms

Binding is supported for:

• Collections, for example List and Dictionary
• Complex types, for example, Todo or Project

The following code shows:

• A minimal endpoint that binds a multi-part form input to a complex object.
• How to use the anti-forgery services to support the generation and validation of anti-forgery tokens.

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Antiforgery;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http.HttpResults;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

builder.Services.AddAntiforgery();

var app = builder.Build();

app.UseAntiforgery();

app.MapGet("/", (HttpContext context, IAntiforgery antiforgery) =>
{
    var token = antiforgery.GetAndStoreTokens(context);
    var html = $"""
        <html><body>
           <form action="/todo" method="POST" enctype="multipart/form-data">
               <input name="{token.FormFieldName}" 
                                type="hidden" value="{token.RequestToken}" />
               <input type="text" name="name" />
               <input type="date" name="dueDate" />
               <input type="checkbox" name="isCompleted" value="true" />
               <input type="submit" />
               <input name="isCompleted" type="hidden" value="false" /> 
           </form>
        </body></html>
    """;
    return Results.Content(html, "text/html");
});

app.MapPost("/todo", async Task<Results<Ok<Todo>, BadRequest<string>>> 
               ([FromForm] Todo todo, HttpContext context, IAntiforgery antiforgery) =>
{
    try
    {
        await antiforgery.ValidateRequestAsync(context);
        return TypedResults.Ok(todo);
    }
    catch (AntiforgeryValidationException e)
    {
        return TypedResults.BadRequest("Invalid anti-forgery token");
    }
});

app.Run();

class Todo
{
    public string Name { get; set; } = string.Empty;
    public bool IsCompleted { get; set; } = false;
    public DateTime DueDate { get; set; } = DateTime.Now.Add(TimeSpan.FromDays(1));
}

In the preceding code:

• The target parameter must be annotated with the [FromForm] attribute to disambiguate from parameters that should be read from the JSON body.
• Binding from complex or collection types is not supported for minimal APIs that are compiled with the Request Delegate Generator.
• The markup shows an additional hidden input with a name of isCompleted and a value of false. If the isCompleted checkbox is checked when the form is submitted, both values true and false are submitted as values. If the checkbox is unchecked, only the hidden input value false is submitted. The ASP.NET Core model-binding process reads only the first value when binding to a bool value, which results in true for checked checkboxes and false for unchecked checkboxes.

An example of the form data submitted to the preceding endpoint looks as follows:

__RequestVerificationToken: CfDJ8Bveip67DklJm5vI2PF2VOUZ594RC8kcGWpTnVV17zCLZi1yrs-CSz426ZRRrQnEJ0gybB0AD7hTU-0EGJXDU-OaJaktgAtWLIaaEWMOWCkoxYYm-9U9eLV7INSUrQ6yBHqdMEE_aJpD4AI72gYiCqc
name: Walk the dog
dueDate: 2024-04-06
isCompleted: true
isCompleted: false

Bind arrays and string values from headers and query strings

The following code demonstrates binding query strings to an array of primitive types, string arrays, and StringValues:

// Bind query string values to a primitive type array.
// GET  /tags?q=1&q=2&q=3
app.MapGet("/tags", (int[] q) =>
                      $"tag1: {q[0]} , tag2: {q[1]}, tag3: {q[2]}");

// Bind to a string array.
// GET /tags2?names=john&names=jack&names=jane
app.MapGet("/tags2", (string[] names) =>
            $"tag1: {names[0]} , tag2: {names[1]}, tag3: {names[2]}");

// Bind to StringValues.
// GET /tags3?names=john&names=jack&names=jane
app.MapGet("/tags3", (StringValues names) =>
            $"tag1: {names[0]} , tag2: {names[1]}, tag3: {names[2]}");

Binding query strings or header values to an array of complex types is supported when the type has TryParse implemented. The following code binds to a string array and returns all the items with the specified tags:

// GET /todoitems/tags?tags=home&tags=work
app.MapGet("/todoitems/tags", async (Tag[] tags, TodoDb db) =>
{
    return await db.Todos
        .Where(t => tags.Select(i => i.Name).Contains(t.Tag.Name))
        .ToListAsync();
});

The following code shows the model and the required TryParse implementation:

public class Todo
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string? Name { get; set; }
    public bool IsComplete { get; set; }

    // This is an owned entity. 
    public Tag Tag { get; set; } = new();
}

[Owned]
public class Tag
{
    public string? Name { get; set; } = "n/a";

    public static bool TryParse(string? name, out Tag tag)
    {
        if (name is null)
        {
            tag = default!;
            return false;
        }

        tag = new Tag { Name = name };
        return true;
    }
}

The following code binds to an int array:

// GET /todoitems/query-string-ids?ids=1&ids=3
app.MapGet("/todoitems/query-string-ids", async (int[] ids, TodoDb db) =>
{
    return await db.Todos
        .Where(t => ids.Contains(t.Id))
        .ToListAsync();
});

To test the preceding code, add the following endpoint to populate the database with Todo items:

// POST /todoitems/batch
app.MapPost("/todoitems/batch", async (Todo[] todos, TodoDb db) =>
{
    await db.Todos.AddRangeAsync(todos);
    await db.SaveChangesAsync();

    return Results.Ok(todos);
});

Use a tool like HttpRepl to pass the following data to the previous endpoint:

[
    {
        "id": 1,
        "name": "Have Breakfast",
        "isComplete": true,
        "tag": {
            "name": "home"
        }
    },
    {
        "id": 2,
        "name": "Have Lunch",
        "isComplete": true,
        "tag": {
            "name": "work"
        }
    },
    {
        "id": 3,
        "name": "Have Supper",
        "isComplete": true,
        "tag": {
            "name": "home"
        }
    },
    {
        "id": 4,
        "name": "Have Snacks",
        "isComplete": true,
        "tag": {
            "name": "N/A"
        }
    }
]

The following code binds to the header key X-Todo-Id and returns the Todo items with matching Id values:

// GET /todoitems/header-ids
// The keys of the headers should all be X-Todo-Id with different values
app.MapGet("/todoitems/header-ids", async ([FromHeader(Name = "X-Todo-Id")] int[] ids, TodoDb db) =>
{
    return await db.Todos
        .Where(t => ids.Contains(t.Id))
        .ToListAsync();
});

Note

When binding a string[] from a query string, the absence of any matching query string value will result in an empty array instead of a null value.

Parameter binding for argument lists with [AsParameters]

AsParametersAttribute enables simple parameter binding to types and not complex or recursive model binding.

Consider the following code:

using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
using TodoApi.Models;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
builder.Services.AddDatabaseDeveloperPageExceptionFilter();
builder.Services.AddDbContext<TodoDb>(opt => opt.UseInMemoryDatabase("TodoList"));
var app = builder.Build();

app.MapGet("/todoitems", async (TodoDb db) =>
    await db.Todos.Select(x => new TodoItemDTO(x)).ToListAsync());

app.MapGet("/todoitems/{id}",
                             async (int Id, TodoDb Db) =>
    await Db.Todos.FindAsync(Id)
        is Todo todo
            ? Results.Ok(new TodoItemDTO(todo))
            : Results.NotFound());
// Remaining code removed for brevity.

Consider the following GET endpoint:

app.MapGet("/todoitems/{id}",
                             async (int Id, TodoDb Db) =>
    await Db.Todos.FindAsync(Id)
        is Todo todo
            ? Results.Ok(new TodoItemDTO(todo))
            : Results.NotFound());

The following struct can be used to replace the preceding highlighted parameters:

struct TodoItemRequest
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public TodoDb Db { get; set; }
}

The refactored GET endpoint uses the preceding struct with the AsParameters attribute:

app.MapGet("/ap/todoitems/{id}",
                                async ([AsParameters] TodoItemRequest request) =>
    await request.Db.Todos.FindAsync(request.Id)
        is Todo todo
            ? Results.Ok(new TodoItemDTO(todo))
            : Results.NotFound());

The following code shows additional endpoints in the app:

app.MapPost("/todoitems", async (TodoItemDTO Dto, TodoDb Db) =>
{
    var todoItem = new Todo
    {
        IsComplete = Dto.IsComplete,
        Name = Dto.Name
    };

    Db.Todos.Add(todoItem);
    await Db.SaveChangesAsync();

    return Results.Created($"/todoitems/{todoItem.Id}", new TodoItemDTO(todoItem));
});

app.MapPut("/todoitems/{id}", async (int Id, TodoItemDTO Dto, TodoDb Db) =>
{
    var todo = await Db.Todos.FindAsync(Id);

    if (todo is null) return Results.NotFound();

    todo.Name = Dto.Name;
    todo.IsComplete = Dto.IsComplete;

    await Db.SaveChangesAsync();

    return Results.NoContent();
});

app.MapDelete("/todoitems/{id}", async (int Id, TodoDb Db) =>
{
    if (await Db.Todos.FindAsync(Id) is Todo todo)
    {
        Db.Todos.Remove(todo);
        await Db.SaveChangesAsync();
        return Results.Ok(new TodoItemDTO(todo));
    }

    return Results.NotFound();
});

The following classes are used to refactor the parameter lists:

class CreateTodoItemRequest
{
    public TodoItemDTO Dto { get; set; } = default!;
    public TodoDb Db { get; set; } = default!;
}

class EditTodoItemRequest
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public TodoItemDTO Dto { get; set; } = default!;
    public TodoDb Db { get; set; } = default!;
}

The following code shows the refactored endpoints using AsParameters and the preceding struct and classes:

app.MapPost("/ap/todoitems", async ([AsParameters] CreateTodoItemRequest request) =>
{
    var todoItem = new Todo
    {
        IsComplete = request.Dto.IsComplete,
        Name = request.Dto.Name
    };

    request.Db.Todos.Add(todoItem);
    await request.Db.SaveChangesAsync();

    return Results.Created($"/todoitems/{todoItem.Id}", new TodoItemDTO(todoItem));
});

app.MapPut("/ap/todoitems/{id}", async ([AsParameters] EditTodoItemRequest request) =>
{
    var todo = await request.Db.Todos.FindAsync(request.Id);

    if (todo is null) return Results.NotFound();

    todo.Name = request.Dto.Name;
    todo.IsComplete = request.Dto.IsComplete;

    await request.Db.SaveChangesAsync();

    return Results.NoContent();
});

app.MapDelete("/ap/todoitems/{id}", async ([AsParameters] TodoItemRequest request) =>
{
    if (await request.Db.Todos.FindAsync(request.Id) is Todo todo)
    {
        request.Db.Todos.Remove(todo);
        await request.Db.SaveChangesAsync();
        return Results.Ok(new TodoItemDTO(todo));
    }

    return Results.NotFound();
});

The following record types can be used to replace the preceding parameters:

record TodoItemRequest(int Id, TodoDb Db);
record CreateTodoItemRequest(TodoItemDTO Dto, TodoDb Db);
record EditTodoItemRequest(int Id, TodoItemDTO Dto, TodoDb Db);

Using a struct with AsParameters can be more performant than using a record type.

The complete sample code in the AspNetCore.Docs.Samples repository.

Custom Binding

There are two ways to customize parameter binding:

1. For route, query, and header binding sources, bind custom types by adding a static TryParse method for the type.
2. Control the binding process by implementing a BindAsync method on a type.

TryParse

TryParse has two APIs:

public static bool TryParse(string value, out T result);
public static bool TryParse(string value, IFormatProvider provider, out T result);

The following code displays Point: 12.3, 10.1 with the URI /map?Point=12.3,10.1:

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
var app = builder.Build();

// GET /map?Point=12.3,10.1
app.MapGet("/map", (Point point) => $"Point: {point.X}, {point.Y}");

app.Run();

public class Point
{
    public double X { get; set; }
    public double Y { get; set; }

    public static bool TryParse(string? value, IFormatProvider? provider,
                                out Point? point)
    {
        // Format is "(12.3,10.1)"
        var trimmedValue = value?.TrimStart('(').TrimEnd(')');
        var segments = trimmedValue?.Split(',',
                StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries | StringSplitOptions.TrimEntries);
        if (segments?.Length == 2
            && double.TryParse(segments[0], out var x)
            && double.TryParse(segments[1], out var y))
        {
            point = new Point { X = x, Y = y };
            return true;
        }

        point = null;
        return false;
    }
}

BindAsync

BindAsync has the following APIs:

public static ValueTask<T?> BindAsync(HttpContext context, ParameterInfo parameter);
public static ValueTask<T?> BindAsync(HttpContext context);

The following code displays SortBy:xyz, SortDirection:Desc, CurrentPage:99 with the URI /products?SortBy=xyz&SortDir=Desc&Page=99:

using System.Reflection;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
var app = builder.Build();

// GET /products?SortBy=xyz&SortDir=Desc&Page=99
app.MapGet("/products", (PagingData pageData) => $"SortBy:{pageData.SortBy}, " +
       $"SortDirection:{pageData.SortDirection}, CurrentPage:{pageData.CurrentPage}");

app.Run();

public class PagingData
{
    public string? SortBy { get; init; }
    public SortDirection SortDirection { get; init; }
    public int CurrentPage { get; init; } = 1;

    public static ValueTask<PagingData?> BindAsync(HttpContext context,
                                                   ParameterInfo parameter)
    {
        const string sortByKey = "sortBy";
        const string sortDirectionKey = "sortDir";
        const string currentPageKey = "page";

        Enum.TryParse<SortDirection>(context.Request.Query[sortDirectionKey],
                                     ignoreCase: true, out var sortDirection);
        int.TryParse(context.Request.Query[currentPageKey], out var page);
        page = page == 0 ? 1 : page;

        var result = new PagingData
        {
            SortBy = context.Request.Query[sortByKey],
            SortDirection = sortDirection,
            CurrentPage = page
        };

        return ValueTask.FromResult<PagingData?>(result);
    }
}

public enum SortDirection
{
    Default,
    Asc,
    Desc
}

Binding failures

When binding fails, the framework logs a debug message and returns various status codes to the client depending on the failure mode.

Failure mode	Nullable Parameter Type	Binding Source	Status code
{ParameterType}.TryParse returns false	yes	route/query/header	400
{ParameterType}.BindAsync returns null	yes	custom	400
{ParameterType}.BindAsync throws	doesn't matter	custom	500
Failure to deserialize JSON body	doesn't matter	body	400
Wrong content type (not application/json)	doesn't matter	body	415

Binding Precedence

The rules for determining a binding source from a parameter:

1. Explicit attribute defined on parameter (From* attributes) in the following order:
   1. Route values: [FromRoute]
   2. Query string: [FromQuery]
   3. Header: [FromHeader]
   4. Body: [FromBody]
   5. Form: [FromForm]
   6. Service: [FromServices]
   7. Parameter values: [AsParameters]
2. Special types
   1. HttpContext
   2. HttpRequest (HttpContext.Request)
   3. HttpResponse (HttpContext.Response)
   4. ClaimsPrincipal (HttpContext.User)
   5. CancellationToken (HttpContext.RequestAborted)
   6. IFormCollection (HttpContext.Request.Form)
   7. IFormFileCollection (HttpContext.Request.Form.Files)
   8. IFormFile (HttpContext.Request.Form.Files[paramName])
   9. Stream (HttpContext.Request.Body)
   10. PipeReader (HttpContext.Request.BodyReader)
3. Parameter type has a valid static BindAsync method.
4. Parameter type is a string or has a valid static TryParse method.
   1. If the parameter name exists in the route template for example, app.Map("/todo/{id}", (int id) => {});, then it's bound from the route.
   2. Bound from the query string.
5. If the parameter type is a service provided by dependency injection, it uses that service as the source.
6. The parameter is from the body.

Configure JSON deserialization options for body binding

The body binding source uses System.Text.Json for deserialization. It is not possible to change this default, but JSON serialization and deserialization options can be configured.

Configure JSON deserialization options globally

Options that apply globally for an app can be configured by invoking ConfigureHttpJsonOptions. The following example includes public fields and formats JSON output.

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

builder.Services.ConfigureHttpJsonOptions(options => {
    options.SerializerOptions.WriteIndented = true;
    options.SerializerOptions.IncludeFields = true;
});

var app = builder.Build();

app.MapPost("/", (Todo todo) => {
    if (todo is not null) {
        todo.Name = todo.NameField;
    }
    return todo;
});

app.Run();

class Todo {
    public string? Name { get; set; }
    public string? NameField;
    public bool IsComplete { get; set; }
}
// If the request body contains the following JSON:
//
// {"nameField":"Walk dog", "isComplete":false}
//
// The endpoint returns the following JSON:
//
// {
//    "name":"Walk dog",
//    "nameField":"Walk dog",
//    "isComplete":false
// }

Since the sample code configures both serialization and deserialization, it can read NameField and include NameField in the output JSON.

Configure JSON deserialization options for an endpoint

ReadFromJsonAsync has overloads that accept a JsonSerializerOptions object. The following example includes public fields and formats JSON output.

using System.Text.Json;

var app = WebApplication.Create();

var options = new JsonSerializerOptions(JsonSerializerDefaults.Web) { 
    IncludeFields = true, 
    WriteIndented = true
};

app.MapPost("/", async (HttpContext context) => {
    if (context.Request.HasJsonContentType()) {
        var todo = await context.Request.ReadFromJsonAsync<Todo>(options);
        if (todo is not null) {
            todo.Name = todo.NameField;
        }
        return Results.Ok(todo);
    }
    else {
        return Results.BadRequest();
    }
});

app.Run();

class Todo
{
    public string? Name { get; set; }
    public string? NameField;
    public bool IsComplete { get; set; }
}
// If the request body contains the following JSON:
//
// {"nameField":"Walk dog", "isComplete":false}
//
// The endpoint returns the following JSON:
//
// {
//    "name":"Walk dog",
//    "isComplete":false
// }

Since the preceding code applies the customized options only to deserialization, the output JSON excludes NameField.

Read the request body

Read the request body directly using a HttpContext or HttpRequest parameter:

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
var app = builder.Build();

app.MapPost("/uploadstream", async (IConfiguration config, HttpRequest request) =>
{
    var filePath = Path.Combine(config["StoredFilesPath"], Path.GetRandomFileName());

    await using var writeStream = File.Create(filePath);
    await request.BodyReader.CopyToAsync(writeStream);
});

app.Run();

The preceding code:

• Accesses the request body using HttpRequest.BodyReader.
• Copies the request body to a local file.