Getting Started

ZibStack.NET is a collection of source generators for .NET. Each package is independent — install only what you need. Start at Tier 1 (drop-in, zero architectural buy-in) and move deeper only if it fits your project — see the Three tiers overview for orientation.

Quick Install

Logging

dotnet add package ZibStack.NET.Log

AOP + [Trace]

dotnet add package ZibStack.NET.Aop

Validation

dotnet add package ZibStack.NET.Validation

CRUD API

dotnet add package ZibStack.NET.Dto
dotnet add package ZibStack.NET.Validation
dotnet add package ZibStack.NET.EntityFramework
dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Sqlite

Tier 1 — Minimal drop-in example

Add one attribute to get structured logging, OpenTelemetry tracing, or both — no architectural changes.

Program.cs

using ZibStack.NET.Aop;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
builder.Services.AddAop();                     // registers built-in [Trace] handler

var app = builder.Build();
app.Services.UseAop();                          // bridges DI into the aspect runtime
app.Run();

Services/OrderService.cs

using ZibStack.NET.Aop;

public class OrderService
{
    [Log]                                       // structured entry/exit/exception logging
    [Trace]                                     // OpenTelemetry span with parameter tags
    public async Task<Order> GetOrderAsync(int id)
    {
        // ... your code unchanged
    }

    // Or, for the whole class:
    // [Log] [Trace] public class OrderService { ... }
}

You now have compile-time structured logging and OpenTelemetry spans with zero boilerplate. Wire an exporter (AddOpenTelemetry().WithTracing().AddOtlpExporter()) and you’re done.

Tier 3 — Minimal CRUD API example

If you want the full-stack scaffold: define a model, add one attribute, and get a full REST API with database persistence. Note this moves a lot of code out of your hands — best for solo or small-team projects.

Models/Player.cs

using ZibStack.NET.Dto;
using ZibStack.NET.Validation;

[CrudApi]
[ZValidate]
public partial class Player
{
    [DtoIgnore] public int Id { get; set; }
    [ZRequired] [ZMinLength(2)]
    public required string Name { get; set; }
    [ZRange(1, 100)]
    public int Level { get; set; }
    [ZEmail]
    public string? Email { get; set; }
}

AppDbContext.cs

using ZibStack.NET.EntityFramework;

[GenerateCrudStores]
public class AppDbContext : DbContext
{
    public DbSet<Player> Players => Set<Player>();
    public AppDbContext(DbContextOptions<AppDbContext> options) : base(options) { }
}

Program.cs

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
builder.Services.AddDbContext<AppDbContext>(o => o.UseSqlite("Data Source=app.db"));
builder.Services.AddAppDbContextCrudStores();   // auto-generated
builder.Services.ConfigureHttpJsonOptions(o =>
    o.SerializerOptions.Converters.Add(new PatchFieldJsonConverterFactory()));

var app = builder.Build();
using (var scope = app.Services.CreateScope())
    scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<AppDbContext>().Database.EnsureCreated();

app.MapPlayerEndpoints();  // auto-generated: GET, POST, PATCH, DELETE
app.Run();

That’s it. You now have:

Endpoint	Method	Description
/api/players	GET	List with pagination
/api/players/{id}	GET	Get by ID
/api/players	POST	Create with validation
/api/players/{id}	PATCH	Partial update
/api/players/{id}	DELETE	Delete

All responses use ProblemDetails (RFC 9110) for errors, and PatchField for true partial updates.

What are Source Generators?

Source generators run at compile time and emit C# code into your project. No reflection, no runtime overhead, full IntelliSense support. The generated code is visible in obj/ — you can inspect exactly what’s produced.

Next Steps

• Dto — CRUD API & DTOs — the full reference
• Full CRUD with SQLite Guide — step-by-step tutorial
• EntityFramework — auto-generated stores
• Log — zero-allocation logging