RA.Utilities.Core.Constants

A centralized and consistent set of core constants for the RA Utilities ecosystem. This package helps streamline development, improve code readability, and reduce "magic strings" and "magic numbers" by providing a single source of truth for common values.

Getting started

You can install the package via the .NET CLI:

dotnet add package RA.Utilities.Core.Constants

Or through the NuGet Package Manager in Visual Studio.

---

✨ Available Constants

The package currently provides the following static classes:

BaseResponseCode

Contains integer constants for common HTTP status codes, aligning with standard web practices. This class was previously named HttpStatusCodes.

Constant Name	Value	Category
Success	200	Success (2xx)
BadRequest	400	Client Error (4xx)
Unauthorized	401	Client Error (4xx)
Forbidden	403	Client Error (4xx)
NotFound	404	Client Error (4xx)
Conflict	409	Client Error (4xx)
InternalServerError	500	Server Error (5xx)

BaseResponseMessages

Contains default string messages for common API responses. This helps maintain a consistent tone and messaging for your API consumers.

Constant Name	Message	Category
Success	"Operation completed successfully."	Success
Created	"Resource created successfully."	Success
Updated	"Resource updated successfully."	Success
Deleted	"Resource deleted successfully."	Success
BadRequest	"The request is invalid."	Error
Unauthorized	"Authentication failed or is missing."	Error
Forbidden	"You do not have permission to access this resource."	Error
NotFound	"The requested resource was not found."	Error
Conflict	"A conflict occurred with the current state of the resource."	Error
InternalServerError	"An unexpected error occurred on the server."	Error

HeaderParameters

Contains constant strings for common HTTP header names.

Constant Name	Value	Description
XRequestId	"x-request-id"	Used for request correlation and tracing.
TraceId	"trace-id"	Used for internal tracing.
Location	"location"	Used in responses to redirect or indicate the location of a new resource.
Authorization	"Authorization"	Used for sending authentication credentials.

ResponseType (enum)

This enum provides a standardized, machine-readable vocabulary for the outcome of an API operation. It is used within the JSON response body to give clients a specific, semantic context that is more detailed than an HTTP status code.

Enum Member	Description	Typical HTTP Status
Success	The operation was successful.	200 OK
Validation	The request failed due to invalid input data.	400 Bad Request
Problem	An unexpected problem occurred, often used for RFC 7807 problem details.	500 Internal Server
NotFound	The requested resource was not found.	404 Not Found
Conflict	The request conflicts with the current state of the resource.	409 Conflict
Unauthorized	The request requires user authentication.	401 Unauthorized
Error	A general, non-specific error occurred during the operation.	500 Internal Server
BadRequest	The request was malformed or could not be processed for reasons other than validation.	400 Bad Request

Example JSON Response

{ "responseCode": 404, "responseType": "NotFound", // From the ResponseType enum "responseMessage": "Product with value '99' not found." }

---

🚀 Usage Examples

Here’s how you can use these constants within an ASP.NET Core controller to create clean and consistent API endpoints.

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc; using RA.Utilities.Core.Constants; // Import the constants [ApiController] [Route("api/[controller]")] public class ProductsController : ControllerBase { [HttpGet("{id}")] public IActionResult GetProduct(int id) { var product = _productService.GetById(id); if (product == null) { // Use constants for both the status code and the response message return NotFound(BaseResponseMessages.NotFound); } return Ok(product); } [HttpPost] public IActionResult CreateProduct([FromBody] Product newProduct) { if (!ModelState.IsValid) { // Use constants for a bad request return BadRequest(BaseResponseMessages.BadRequest); } var createdProduct = _productService.Create(newProduct); // Use constants for a 'Created' response return StatusCode(201, createdProduct); // Or a custom constant like BaseResponseCode.Created if added } }

Additional documentation

For more information on how this package fits into the larger RA.Utilities ecosystem, please see the main repository documentation.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you have a suggestion or find a bug, please open an issue to discuss it.

Pull Request Process

1. Fork the Repository: Start by forking the RA.Utilities repository.
2. Create a Branch: Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix from the main branch. Please use a descriptive name (e.g., feature/add-result-extensions or fix/readme-typo).
3. Make Your Changes: Write your code, ensuring it adheres to the existing coding style. Add or update XML documentation for any new public APIs.
4. Update README: If you are adding new functionality, please update the README.md file accordingly.
5. Submit a Pull Request: Push your branch to your fork and open a pull request to the main branch of the original repository. Provide a clear description of the changes you have made.

Coding Standards

• Follow the existing coding style and conventions used in the project.
• Ensure all public members are documented with clear XML comments.
• Keep changes focused. A pull request should address a single feature or bug.

Thank you for contributing!