---
title: "GitHub Copilot C# .NET Core"
description: "Configures GitHub Copilot for C# .NET Core development with Web APIs, Entity Framework, and Azure integration."
category: "configuration"
tags: ["github-copilot", "csharp", "dotnet-core", "web-api", "entity-framework", "azure"]
tech_stack: ["csharp", "dotnet", "entity-framework", "azure", "sql-server", "blazor"]
---

This guide will help you set up GitHub Copilot for C# .NET Core development, specifically focusing on Web APIs, Entity Framework, and Azure integration.

### Configuration Overview
With this setup, you're ready to dive into efficient C# .NET Core development using GitHub Copilot. Your main focus will be on creating Web APIs, utilizing Entity Framework ORM, and integrating with Azure services.

### Prerequisites
Before you start, make sure you have the following:
- **.NET SDK**: Version 6.0 or higher
- **Visual Studio**: Version 2022 or higher with the GitHub Copilot extension installed
- **SQL Server**: Either a local instance or an Azure SQL Database
- **Azure Account**: Needed for cloud service integration

### Installation & Setup
Let’s get everything set up step by step:

1. **Install .NET SDK**: Head over to [Microsoft's .NET Download page](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download) to download and install the SDK.
2. **Install Visual Studio**: Make sure you have the latest version of Visual Studio, complete with the GitHub Copilot extension enabled.
3. **Create a New Project**: Open your terminal and run:
   ```bash
   dotnet new webapi -n MyApiProject
   cd MyApiProject
   ```
4. **Add Entity Framework Core**: Install the necessary packages by running:
   ```bash
   dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer
   dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools
   ```
5. **Configure Database Context**: Create a new file named `AppDbContext.cs` and add the following code:
   ```csharp
   using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;

   public class AppDbContext : DbContext
   {
       public AppDbContext(DbContextOptions<AppDbContext> options) : base(options) { }
       public DbSet<MyEntity> MyEntities { get; set; }
   }
   ```
6. **Set Up Dependency Injection**: Open `Startup.cs` and include this code in the `ConfigureServices` method:
   ```csharp
   services.AddDbContext<AppDbContext>(options =>
       options.UseSqlServer(Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection")));
   ```
7. **Configure Connection String**: Update `appsettings.json` to include your connection string:
   ```json
   "ConnectionStrings": {
       "DefaultConnection": "Server=(localdb)\\mssqllocaldb;Database=MyApiDb;Trusted_Connection=True;"
   }
   ```
8. **Run Migrations**: Execute these commands to set up your database:
   ```bash
   dotnet ef migrations add InitialCreate
   dotnet ef database update
   ```
9. **Deploy to Azure**: Use the Azure CLI to create a new web app and deploy it:
   ```bash
   az webapp create --resource-group MyResourceGroup --plan MyAppServicePlan --name MyUniqueAppName --runtime "DOTNETCORE|6.0"
   ```

### File Structure
Here’s how your project structure should look:
```
MyApiProject/
├── Controllers/
│   └── MyEntityController.cs
├── Models/
│   └── MyEntity.cs
├── Data/
│   └── AppDbContext.cs
├── Migrations/
├── Properties/
├── appsettings.json
├── MyApiProject.csproj
└── Startup.cs
```

### Key Configuration Files
- **`appsettings.json`**: This file holds your application configuration settings.
- **`Startup.cs`**: Here’s where you configure your services and middleware.
- **`MyEntityController.cs`**: This is the API controller responsible for handling requests.

### Advanced Options
If you want to expand your functionality, consider the following:

- **Enable CORS**: In `Startup.cs`, add this code:
   ```csharp
   services.AddCors(options =>
   {
       options.AddPolicy("AllowAllOrigins", builder =>
           builder.AllowAnyOrigin().AllowAnyMethod().AllowAnyHeader());
   });
   ```
- **Logging Configuration**: Improve your logging in `appsettings.json`:
   ```json
   "Logging": {
       "LogLevel": {
           "Default": "Information",
           "Microsoft": "Warning",
           "Microsoft.Hosting.Lifetime": "Information"
       }
   }
   ```

### Troubleshooting
Here are some common issues and how to fix them:

- **Database Connection Errors**: Ensure your SQL Server is running and that your connection string is correct.
- **Migrations Fail**: Check for any pending migrations and make sure your database is accessible.
- **CORS Issues**: Double-check that CORS is set up correctly in `Startup.cs`.

### Best Practices
To keep your API clean and maintainable, consider these tips:

- **Use DTOs**: Implement Data Transfer Objects to separate your API from the database model.
- **Version Your API**: Incorporate versioning in your API routes to manage updates smoothly.
- **Automate Testing**: Write unit and integration tests to maintain code quality.

### Performance Tuning and Workflow Optimization Tips
Here are some strategies to enhance your coding experience:

- **Use Asynchronous Programming**: Implement `async` methods in your controllers to improve scalability.
- **Optimize Database Queries**: Use `Include` for related data to avoid N+1 query problems.
- **Leverage GitHub Copilot**: Take advantage of Copilot to generate boilerplate code and speed up your development.