unit-of-work

To enforce a single SaveChanges per HTTP request, apply the Unit of Work pattern by having the controller define the transaction boundary and call SaveAndReturn, while services handle business logic and repositories manage data access without committing.

The best way to separate transaction commits from business logic is using the Unit of Work pattern: services execute domain logic and return entities, while the controller validates input, maps entities to DTOs, and performs a single SaveAndReturn to commit.

SaveAndReturn handles persistence errors by translating common EF Core database issues into appropriate HTTP status codes, such as NotFound or NameConflict, directly within the controller transaction boundary.

You need the Unit of Work pattern for ASP.NET Core endpoints that modify data (POST, PUT, DELETE) and require a coordinated single commit across multiple repositories and services, ensuring data consistency within a single HTTP request.

Yes, you can use EF Core repositories without direct SaveChanges calls by delegating the commit responsibility to the controller via the Unit of Work pattern, where a single SaveAndReturn action handles the transaction boundary for the entire request.

Controllers should map entities to DTOs to maintain a clear separation of concerns: services focus on domain logic and return entities to the controller, which then translates them into DTOs to return to the client after the transaction commit.