Get started with Data API Builder

⭐ Community Toolkit

Data API Builder (DAB) generates REST and GraphQL endpoints from a database schema and a declarative configuration file. The Aspire hosting integration runs DAB as a container, passes database connections to it, and exposes its HTTP endpoint to consuming apps.

Why use Data API Builder with Aspire

• One application model. Model DAB, its databases, and its consuming apps in the same AppHost.
• Configuration-file mounting. Aspire mounts one or more DAB configuration files into the container.
• Database reference injection. Referenced database resources provide the connection strings that DAB reads from its configuration.
• Service discovery. Consuming apps can resolve the DAB HTTP endpoint by resource name or read its endpoint environment variable.
• Language-neutral APIs. C#, TypeScript, Python, and Go apps can use any standard HTTP or GraphQL client.

How the pieces fit together

architecture-beta

  group apphost(server)[AppHost]
  group consumer(server)[Consuming app]

  service database(database)[Database] in apphost
  service dab(server)[Data API Builder] in apphost
  service app(server)[Application] in consumer

  database:R --> L:dab
  dab:R --> L:app

1. Model Data API Builder in the AppHost

   Add the hosting integration, provide a DAB configuration file, and reference each database that the API exposes.

   Set up Data API Builder

2. Connect from an app

   Reference DAB from the consuming app, then call its REST or GraphQL endpoint with the HTTP client for your language.

   Connect to Data API Builder

See also

• Data API Builder documentation
• Data API Builder GitHub repository
• Aspire Community Toolkit
• Aspire integrations overview