Dapper is a simple object mapper for .NET that simplifies accessing data stored in a database. It is a lightweight, fast, and easy-to-use alternative to Entity Framework and other ORMs (Object Relational Mappers).
One of the main advantages of Dapper is its performance. It is designed to be very fast and efficient, and can often execute queries faster than other ORMs. This makes it a good choice for applications where performance is critical, such as in high-traffic websites or applications that require real-time processing.
In addition to its performance, Dapper is also easy to use. It has a simple API that allows you to execute SQL queries and map the results to .NET objects with just a few lines of code. It also supports async/awaits for asynchronous programming.
More: Integrating C# with databases using ADO.NET
Overall, Dapper is a powerful and flexible tool that can be a great addition to any .NET project that needs to access a database.
Dapper Integration
To use Dapper in a C# project, you will need to install the Dapper NuGet package. You can do this using the following steps:
- In your Visual Studio project, open the “Package Manager Console” from the “Tools” menu.
- In the Package Manager Console window, type the following command and press Enter:
Install-Package Dapper - This will install the Dapper package and all of its dependencies into your project.
Once the Dapper package is installed, you can use it in your C# code by including the following using statement at the top of your file:
using Dapper;
You can then use the extension methods provided by Dapper to execute queries and map the results to your objects. For example, you can use the Query method to execute a SELECT query and map the results to a list of objects:
using (IDbConnection connection = new SqlConnection(connectionString))
{
var users = connection.Query<User>("SELECT * FROM Users WHERE Age > @Age", new { Age = 18 }).ToList();
}
This example uses the Query method to execute a SELECT query and map the results to a list of User objects. The @Age parameter in the query is replaced with the value of the Age property in the anonymous object passed as the second argument.
You can also use Dapper to execute INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements, as well as stored procedures.
Dapper Core Components
There are several core components to Dapper that you should be familiar with if you want to use them in your .NET project. These components include:
- IDbConnection: This interface represents a connection to a database. You can use an IDbConnection to open a connection to a database, execute queries, and close the connection when you are finished.
- Dapper Extensions: Dapper provides a set of extension methods for .NET that you can use to execute queries and map the results to your objects. These extension methods are added to the
IDbConnectioninterface and can be called using a syntax similar to LINQ. Some of the most commonly used extension methods includeQuery,Execute,QueryFirst, andQueryFirstOrDefault. - Dynamic Parameters: Dapper allows you to pass dynamic parameters to your queries using an
IDynamicParametersobject. This can be useful if you want to pass a variable number of parameters to your query, or if you want to pass parameters that have names that are not known at compile time. - Multi-Mapping: Dapper allows you to map the results of a query to multiple objects using multi-mapping. This can be useful if you want to map a single row of data to multiple objects, or if you want to map a result set to a list of objects that contains nested lists of objects.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions about using Dapper in C#. For more information, you can check out the Dapper documentation: https://dapper-tutorial.net/