I am happy to announce a new series of blog posts dedicated to Specflow. In the first article, I am going to introduce to you the Specflow framework. You will be able to write and execute business-readable specification after 10 minutes. Keep reading! 

Install-Package Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.HelpPage

@Html.ActionLink("API", "Index", "Help", new { area = "" }, null)

protected void Application_Start()
{
    // Add this code, if not present.
    AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas();

    // ...
}

config.SetDocumentationProvider(new XmlDocumentationProvider(
    HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath("~/App_Data/XmlDocument.xml")));

/// <summary>
/// Gets some very important data from the server.
/// </summary>
public IEnumerable<string> Get()
{
    return new string[] { "value1", "value2" };
}

/// <summary>
/// Looks up some data by ID.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="id">The ID of the data.</param>
public string Get(int id)
{
    return "value";
}

[ApiExplorerSettings(IgnoreApi=true)]
public HttpResponseMessage Get(int id) {  }

OWASP’s Top 10 Risk List is an important tool for security engineers and compliance analysts. It describes the 10 worst security problems that are found in web and mobile applications today. But, on its own, it’s not much help to developers, so OWASP has come up with a list of 10 things that you can do as a developer to make sure that your code is safe and secure. 

PM> Install-Package Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.Samples -Pre

public partial class Startup
{
    public void ConfigureAuth(IAppBuilder app)
    {
        // Enable the application to use a cookie to 
        // store information for the signed in user
        app.UseCookieAuthentication(new CookieAuthenticationOptions
        {
            AuthenticationType = DefaultAuthenticationTypes.ApplicationCookie,
            LoginPath = new PathString("/Account/Login")
        });

        // Use a cookie to temporarily store information about a 
        // user logging in with a third party login provider
        app.UseExternalSignInCookie(DefaultAuthenticationTypes.ExternalCookie);

        // Uncomment the following lines to enable logging 
        // in with third party login providers
        //app.UseMicrosoftAccountAuthentication(
        //    clientId: "",
        //    clientSecret: "");

        //app.UseTwitterAuthentication(
        //   consumerKey: "",
        //   consumerSecret: "");
 
        //app.UseFacebookAuthentication(
        //   appId: "",
        //   appSecret: "");

        //app.UseGoogleAuthentication();
    }
}

public partial class Startup {
    public void ConfigureAuth(IAppBuilder app) {
        // Configure the db context, user manager and role 
        // manager to use a single instance per request
        app.CreatePerOwinContext(ApplicationDbContext.Create);
        app.CreatePerOwinContext<ApplicationUserManager>(ApplicationUserManager.Create);
        app.CreatePerOwinContext<ApplicationRoleManager>(ApplicationRoleManager.Create);

        // Enable the application to use a cookie to store information for the 
        // signed in user and to use a cookie to temporarily store information 
        // about a user logging in with a third party login provider 
        // Configure the sign in cookie
        app.UseCookieAuthentication(new CookieAuthenticationOptions {
            AuthenticationType = DefaultAuthenticationTypes.ApplicationCookie,
            LoginPath = new PathString("/Account/Login"),
            Provider = new CookieAuthenticationProvider {
                // Enables the application to validate the security stamp when the user 
                // logs in. This is a security feature which is used when you 
                // change a password or add an external login to your account.  
                OnValidateIdentity = SecurityStampValidator
                    .OnValidateIdentity<ApplicationUserManager, ApplicationUser>(
                    validateInterval: TimeSpan.FromMinutes(30),
                    regenerateIdentity: (manager, user) 
                    => user.GenerateUserIdentityAsync(manager))
            }
        });

        app.UseExternalSignInCookie(DefaultAuthenticationTypes.ExternalCookie);

        // Enables the application to temporarily store user information when 
        // they are verifying the second factor in the two-factor authentication process.
        app.UseTwoFactorSignInCookie(
            DefaultAuthenticationTypes.TwoFactorCookie, 
            TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5));

        // Enables the application to remember the second login verification factor such 
        // as phone or email. Once you check this option, your second step of 
        // verification during the login process will be remembered on the device where 
        // you logged in from. This is similar to the RememberMe option when you log in.
        app.UseTwoFactorRememberBrowserCookie(
            DefaultAuthenticationTypes.TwoFactorRememberBrowserCookie);

        // Uncomment the following lines to enable logging in 
        // with third party login providers
        //app.UseMicrosoftAccountAuthentication(
        //    clientId: "",
        //    clientSecret: "");

        //app.UseTwitterAuthentication(
        //   consumerKey: "",
        //   consumerSecret: "");

        //app.UseFacebookAuthentication(
        //   appId: "",
        //   appSecret: "");

        //app.UseGoogleAuthentication();
    }
}

public class IdentityUser : IUser
{
    public IdentityUser();
    public IdentityUser(string userName);

    public virtual string Id { get; set; }
    public virtual string UserName { get; set; }

    public virtual ICollection<IdentityUserRole> Roles { get; }
    public virtual ICollection<IdentityUserClaim> Claims { get; }
    public virtual ICollection<IdentityUserLogin> Logins { get; }

    public virtual string PasswordHash { get; set; }
    public virtual string SecurityStamp { get; set; }
}

public class ApplicationUser : IdentityUser {
    public async Task<ClaimsIdentity> GenerateUserIdentityAsync(
        UserManager<ApplicationUser> manager) {
        // Note the authenticationType must match the one 
        // defined in CookieAuthenticationOptions.AuthenticationType
        var userIdentity = 
            await manager.CreateIdentityAsync(this, 
                DefaultAuthenticationTypes.ApplicationCookie);

        // Add custom user claims here
        return userIdentity;
    }
}

public class IdentityUser<TKey, TLogin, TRole, TClaim> : IUser<TKey>
    where TLogin : Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.EntityFramework.IdentityUserLogin<TKey>
    where TRole : Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.EntityFramework.IdentityUserRole<TKey>
    where TClaim : Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.EntityFramework.IdentityUserClaim<TKey>
{
    public IdentityUser();

    // Used to record failures for the purposes of lockout
    public virtual int AccessFailedCount { get; set; }
    // Navigation property for user claims
    public virtual ICollection<TClaim> Claims { get; }
    // Email
    public virtual string Email { get; set; }
    // True if the email is confirmed, default is false
    public virtual bool EmailConfirmed { get; set; }
    // User ID (Primary Key)
    public virtual TKey Id { get; set; }
    // Is lockout enabled for this user
    public virtual bool LockoutEnabled { get; set; }
    // DateTime in UTC when lockout ends, any 
    // time in the past is considered not locked out.
    public virtual DateTime? LockoutEndDateUtc { get; set; }

    // Navigation property for user logins
    public virtual ICollection<TLogin> Logins { get; }
    // The salted/hashed form of the user password
    public virtual string PasswordHash { get; set; }
    // PhoneNumber for the user
    public virtual string PhoneNumber { get; set; }
    // True if the phone number is confirmed, default is false
    public virtual bool PhoneNumberConfirmed { get; set; }
    // Navigation property for user roles
    public virtual ICollection<TRole> Roles { get; }

    // A random value that should change whenever a users 
    // credentials have changed (password changed, login removed)
    public virtual string SecurityStamp { get; set; }
    // Is two factor enabled for the user
    public virtual bool TwoFactorEnabled { get; set; }
    // User name
    public virtual string UserName { get; set; }
}

public class IdentityUser<TKey, TLogin, TRole, TClaim> : IUser<TKey>
    where TLogin : Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.EntityFramework.IdentityUserLogin<TKey>
    where TRole : Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.EntityFramework.IdentityUserRole<TKey>
    where TClaim : Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.EntityFramework.IdentityUserClaim<TKey>

public virtual TKey Id { get; set; }

public virtual ICollection<TRole> Roles { get; }

public class IdentityUserRole 
{
      public IdentityUserRole();
      public virtual IdentityRole Role { get; set; }
      public virtual string RoleId { get; set; }
      public virtual IdentityUser User { get; set; }
      public virtual string UserId { get; set; }
}

public class IdentityUserRole<TKey> 
{
    public IdentityUserRole();
    public virtual TKey RoleId { get; set; }
    public virtual TKey UserId { get; set; }
}

public class ApplicationUserManager : UserManager<ApplicationUser>
{
    public ApplicationUserManager(IUserStore<ApplicationUser> store)
        : base(store)
    {
    }

    public static ApplicationUserManager Create(
        IdentityFactoryOptions<ApplicationUserManager> options, 
        IOwinContext context)
    {
        var manager = new ApplicationUserManager(
            new UserStore<ApplicationUser>(
                context.Get<ApplicationDbContext>()));

        // Configure validation logic for usernames
        manager.UserValidator = 
            new UserValidator<ApplicationUser>(manager)
        {
            AllowOnlyAlphanumericUserNames = false,
            RequireUniqueEmail = true
        };

        // Configure validation logic for passwords
        manager.PasswordValidator = new PasswordValidator
        {
            RequiredLength = 6, 
            RequireNonLetterOrDigit = true,
            RequireDigit = true,
            RequireLowercase = true,
            RequireUppercase = true,
        };

        // Configure user lockout defaults
        manager.UserLockoutEnabledByDefault = true;
        manager.DefaultAccountLockoutTimeSpan = TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5);
        manager.MaxFailedAccessAttemptsBeforeLockout = 5;

        // Register two factor authentication providers. This application uses 
        // Phone and Emails as a step of receiving a code for verifying 
        // the user You can write your own provider and plug in here.
        manager.RegisterTwoFactorProvider("PhoneCode", 
            new PhoneNumberTokenProvider<ApplicationUser>
        {
            MessageFormat = "Your security code is: {0}"
        });

        manager.RegisterTwoFactorProvider("EmailCode", 
            new EmailTokenProvider<ApplicationUser>
        {
            Subject = "SecurityCode",
            BodyFormat = "Your security code is {0}"
        });

        manager.EmailService = new EmailService();
        manager.SmsService = new SmsService();

        var dataProtectionProvider = options.DataProtectionProvider;

        if (dataProtectionProvider != null)
        {
            manager.UserTokenProvider = 
                new DataProtectorTokenProvider<ApplicationUser>(
                    dataProtectionProvider.Create("ASP.NET Identity"));
        }

        return manager;
    }

    public virtual async Task<IdentityResult> AddUserToRolesAsync(
        string userId, IList<string> roles)
    {
        var userRoleStore = (IUserRoleStore<ApplicationUser, string>)Store;
        var user = await FindByIdAsync(userId).ConfigureAwait(false);

        if (user == null)
        {
            throw new InvalidOperationException("Invalid user Id");
        }

        var userRoles = await userRoleStore
            .GetRolesAsync(user)
            .ConfigureAwait(false);

        // Add user to each role using UserRoleStore
        foreach (var role in roles.Where(role => !userRoles.Contains(role)))
        {
            await userRoleStore.AddToRoleAsync(user, role).ConfigureAwait(false);
        }

        // Call update once when all roles are added
        return await UpdateAsync(user).ConfigureAwait(false);
    }

    public virtual async Task<IdentityResult> RemoveUserFromRolesAsync(
        string userId, IList<string> roles)
    {
        var userRoleStore = (IUserRoleStore<ApplicationUser, string>) Store;
        var user = await FindByIdAsync(userId).ConfigureAwait(false);

        if (user == null)
        {
            throw new InvalidOperationException("Invalid user Id");
        }

        var userRoles = await userRoleStore
            .GetRolesAsync(user)
            .ConfigureAwait(false);

        // Remove user to each role using UserRoleStore
        foreach (var role in roles.Where(userRoles.Contains))
        {
            await userRoleStore
                .RemoveFromRoleAsync(user, role)
                .ConfigureAwait(false);
        }

        // Call update once when all roles are removed
        return await UpdateAsync(user).ConfigureAwait(false);
    }
}

public class ApplicationRoleManager : RoleManager<IdentityRole>
{
    public ApplicationRoleManager(IRoleStore<IdentityRole,string> roleStore)
        : base(roleStore)
    {
    }

    public static ApplicationRoleManager Create(
        IdentityFactoryOptions<ApplicationRoleManager> options, 
        IOwinContext context)
    {
        var manager = new ApplicationRoleManager(
            new RoleStore<IdentityRole>(
                context.Get<ApplicationDbContext>()));

        return manager;
    }
}

public class EmailService : IIdentityMessageService
{
    public Task SendAsync(IdentityMessage message)
    {
        // Plug in your email service here to send an email.
        return Task.FromResult(0);
    }
}

public class SmsService : IIdentityMessageService
{
    public Task SendAsync(IdentityMessage message)
    {
        // Plug in your sms service here to send a text message.
        return Task.FromResult(0);
    }
}

// Register two factor authentication providers. This application uses 
// Phone and Emails as a step of receiving a code for verifying 
// the user You can write your own provider and plug in here.
manager.RegisterTwoFactorProvider("PhoneCode", 
    new PhoneNumberTokenProvider<ApplicationUser>
{
    MessageFormat = "Your security code is: {0}"
});

manager.RegisterTwoFactorProvider("EmailCode", 
    new EmailTokenProvider<ApplicationUser>
{
    Subject = "SecurityCode",
    BodyFormat = "Your security code is {0}"
});

manager.EmailService = new EmailService();
manager.SmsService = new SmsService();

public class SignInHelper
{
    public SignInHelper(
        ApplicationUserManager userManager, 
        IAuthenticationManager authManager)
    {
        UserManager = userManager;
        AuthenticationManager = authManager;
    }

    public ApplicationUserManager UserManager { get; private set; }
    public IAuthenticationManager AuthenticationManager { get; private set; }

    public async Task SignInAsync(
        ApplicationUser user, 
        bool isPersistent, 
        bool rememberBrowser)
    {
        // Clear any partial cookies from external or two factor partial sign ins
        AuthenticationManager.SignOut(
            DefaultAuthenticationTypes.ExternalCookie, 
            DefaultAuthenticationTypes.TwoFactorCookie);

        var userIdentity = await user.GenerateUserIdentityAsync(UserManager);

        if (rememberBrowser)
        {
            var rememberBrowserIdentity = 
                AuthenticationManager.CreateTwoFactorRememberBrowserIdentity(user.Id);

            AuthenticationManager.SignIn(
                new AuthenticationProperties { IsPersistent = isPersistent }, 
                userIdentity, 
                rememberBrowserIdentity);
        }
        else
        {
            AuthenticationManager.SignIn(
                new AuthenticationProperties { IsPersistent = isPersistent }, 
                userIdentity);
        }
    }

    public async Task<bool> SendTwoFactorCode(string provider)
    {
        var userId = await GetVerifiedUserIdAsync();

        if (userId == null)
        {
            return false;
        }

        var token = await UserManager.GenerateTwoFactorTokenAsync(userId, provider);

        // See IdentityConfig.cs to plug in Email/SMS services to actually send the code
        await UserManager.NotifyTwoFactorTokenAsync(userId, provider, token);

        return true;
    }

    public async Task<string> GetVerifiedUserIdAsync()
    {
        var result = await AuthenticationManager.AuthenticateAsync(
            DefaultAuthenticationTypes.TwoFactorCookie);

        if (result != null && result.Identity != null 
            && !String.IsNullOrEmpty(result.Identity.GetUserId()))
        {
            return result.Identity.GetUserId();
        }

        return null;
    }

    public async Task<bool> HasBeenVerified()
    {
        return await GetVerifiedUserIdAsync() != null;
    }

    public async Task<SignInStatus> TwoFactorSignIn(
        string provider, 
        string code, 
        bool isPersistent, 
        bool rememberBrowser)
    {
        var userId = await GetVerifiedUserIdAsync();

        if (userId == null)
        {
            return SignInStatus.Failure;
        }

        var user = await UserManager.FindByIdAsync(userId);

        if (user == null)
        {
            return SignInStatus.Failure;
        }

        if (await UserManager.IsLockedOutAsync(user.Id))
        {
            return SignInStatus.LockedOut;
        }

        if (await UserManager.VerifyTwoFactorTokenAsync(user.Id, provider, code))
        {
            // When token is verified correctly, clear the access failed 
            // count used for lockout
            await UserManager.ResetAccessFailedCountAsync(user.Id);
            await SignInAsync(user, isPersistent, rememberBrowser);

            return SignInStatus.Success;
        }

        // If the token is incorrect, record the failure which 
        // also may cause the user to be locked out
        await UserManager.AccessFailedAsync(user.Id);

        return SignInStatus.Failure;
    }

    public async Task<SignInStatus> ExternalSignIn(
        ExternalLoginInfo loginInfo, 
        bool isPersistent)
    {
        var user = await UserManager.FindAsync(loginInfo.Login);

        if (user == null)
        {
            return SignInStatus.Failure;
        }

        if (await UserManager.IsLockedOutAsync(user.Id))
        {
            return SignInStatus.LockedOut;
        }

        return await SignInOrTwoFactor(user, isPersistent);
    }

    private async Task<SignInStatus> SignInOrTwoFactor(
        ApplicationUser user, 
        bool isPersistent)
    {
        if (await UserManager.GetTwoFactorEnabledAsync(user.Id) &&
            !await AuthenticationManager.TwoFactorBrowserRememberedAsync(user.Id))
        {
            var identity = new ClaimsIdentity(DefaultAuthenticationTypes.TwoFactorCookie);
            identity.AddClaim(new Claim(ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier, user.Id));

            AuthenticationManager.SignIn(identity);
            return SignInStatus.RequiresTwoFactorAuthentication;
        }

        await SignInAsync(user, isPersistent, false);
        return SignInStatus.Success;
    }

    public async Task<SignInStatus> PasswordSignIn(
        string userName, 
        string password, 
        bool isPersistent, 
        bool shouldLockout)
    {
        var user = await UserManager.FindByNameAsync(userName);

        if (user == null)
        {
            return SignInStatus.Failure;
        }

        if (await UserManager.IsLockedOutAsync(user.Id))
        {
            return SignInStatus.LockedOut;
        }

        if (await UserManager.CheckPasswordAsync(user, password))
        {
            return await SignInOrTwoFactor(user, isPersistent);
        }

        if (shouldLockout)
        {
            // If lockout is requested, increment access failed 
            // count which might lock out the user
            await UserManager.AccessFailedAsync(user.Id);

            if (await UserManager.IsLockedOutAsync(user.Id))
            {
                return SignInStatus.LockedOut;
            }
        }

        return SignInStatus.Failure;
    }
}

[HttpPost]
[AllowAnonymous]
[ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
public async Task<ActionResult> Login(LoginViewModel model, string returnUrl)
{
    if (!ModelState.IsValid)
    {
        return View(model);
    }

    // This doen't count login failures towards lockout only two factor authentication
    // To enable password failures to trigger lockout, change to shouldLockout: true
    var result = await SignInHelper.PasswordSignIn(
        model.Email, 
        model.Password, 
        model.RememberMe, 
        shouldLockout: false);

    switch (result)
    {
        case SignInStatus.Success:
            return RedirectToLocal(returnUrl);
        case SignInStatus.LockedOut:
            return View("Lockout");
        case SignInStatus.RequiresTwoFactorAuthentication:
            return RedirectToAction("SendCode", new { ReturnUrl = returnUrl });
        case SignInStatus.Failure:
        default:
            ModelState.AddModelError("", "Invalid login attempt.");

            return View(model);
    }
}

[HttpPost]
[AllowAnonymous]
[ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
public async Task<ActionResult> Login(LoginViewModel model, string returnUrl)
{
    if (ModelState.IsValid)
    {
        var user = await UserManager.FindAsync(model.UserName, model.Password);

        if (user != null)
        {
            await SignInAsync(user, model.RememberMe);
            return RedirectToLocal(returnUrl);
        }
        else
        {
            ModelState.AddModelError("", "Invalid username or password.");
        }
    }

    // If we got this far, something failed, redisplay form
    return View(model);
}

private async Task SignInAsync(ApplicationUser user, bool isPersistent)
{
    AuthenticationManager.SignOut(
        DefaultAuthenticationTypes.ExternalCookie);

    var identity = await UserManager.CreateIdentityAsync(
        user, DefaultAuthenticationTypes.ApplicationCookie);

    AuthenticationManager.SignIn(
        new AuthenticationProperties() { IsPersistent = isPersistent }, identity);
}

public class ApplicationDbContext : IdentityDbContext<ApplicationUser> {
    public ApplicationDbContext()
        : base("DefaultConnection", throwIfV1Schema: false) {
    }

    static ApplicationDbContext() {
        // Set the database intializer which is run once during application start
        // This seeds the database with admin user credentials and admin role
        Database.SetInitializer<ApplicationDbContext>(new ApplicationDbInitializer());
    }

    public static ApplicationDbContext Create() {
        return new ApplicationDbContext();
    }
}

public class ApplicationDbInitializer 
    : DropCreateDatabaseIfModelChanges<ApplicationDbContext> 
{
    protected override void Seed(ApplicationDbContext context) 
    {
        InitializeIdentityForEF(context);
        base.Seed(context);
    }

    public static void InitializeIdentityForEF(ApplicationDbContext db) 
    {
        var userManager = HttpContext
            .Current.GetOwinContext()
            .GetUserManager<ApplicationUserManager>();

        var roleManager = HttpContext.Current
            .GetOwinContext()
            .Get<ApplicationRoleManager>();

        const string name = "admin@admin.com";
        const string password = "Admin@123456";
        const string roleName = "Admin";

        //Create Role Admin if it does not exist
        var role = roleManager.FindByName(roleName);

        if (role == null) 
        {
            role = new IdentityRole(roleName);
            var roleresult = roleManager.Create(role);
        }

        var user = userManager.FindByName(name);

        if (user == null) 
        {
            user = new ApplicationUser { UserName = name, Email = name };

            var result = userManager.Create(user, password);
            result = userManager.SetLockoutEnabled(user.Id, false);
        }

        // Add user admin to Role Admin if not already added
        var rolesForUser = userManager.GetRoles(user.Id);

        if (!rolesForUser.Contains(role.Name)) 
        {
            var result = userManager.AddToRole(user.Id, role.Name);
        }
    }
}

The previews of EF Core 5.0 require .NET Standard 2.1. This means:

• EF Core 5.0 runs on .NET Core 3.1; it does not require .NET 5.
  • This may change in future previews depending on how the plan for .NET 5 evolves.
• EF Core 5.0 runs on other platforms that support .NET Standard 2.1.
• EF Core 5.0 will not run on .NET Standard 2.0 platforms, including .NET Framework. 

- Reduce start up time by loading finished code first models from a persistent cache
- Fluent API to define indexes
- DbFunctions.Like() to enable writing LINQ queries that translate to LIKE in SQL
- Migrate.exe should support -script option
- EF6 does not work with primary key from sequence
- Update error numbers for SQL Azure Execution Strategy
- Bug: Retrying queries or SQL commands fails with “The SqlParameter is already contained by another SqlParameterCollection”
- Bug: Evaluation of DbQuery.ToString() frequently times out in the debugger

In this post I look at the various different version numbers you can set for a .NET Core project, such as Version, VersionSuffix, and PackageVersion. For each one I'll describe the format it can take, provide some examples, and what it's for. 

The lost art of writing SQL queries
I noticed that most (junior) developers no longer are able to write anything but the most trivial SQL queries.  Time to fix that!