URL Shortener

This is a simple URL Shortener built with .NET 8 and Entity Framework Core (EF Core). The application allows users to shorten URLs via a single-page web interface and stores the mappings in an SQLite database.

Features

• Shorten URLs and generate unique short codes.
• Redirect from short codes to the original URLs.
• Persistent storage using SQLite.
• Simple SPA frontend using Pico.css.

Requirements

• .NET 8 SDK (Download here)
• SQLite (installed with .NET dependencies, no manual installation required)

Setup Instructions

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/rleer/url-shortener.git
cd url-shortener/src/UrlShortener.API

2. Install Dependencies

Ensure you have all required .NET dependencies:

dotnet restore

3. Apply Database Migrations

This will create an urls.db SQLite database and apply the necessary schema:

dotnet ef migrations add InitialCreate
dotnet ef database update

4. Run the Application

Start the API service:

dotnet run

The application will be accessible at:

http://localhost:5062/

API Endpoints

1. Shorten a URL

POST /shorten

{
  "url": "https://example.com"
}

Response:

{
  "shortenedUrl": "http://localhost:5000/abc123"
}

2. Redirect to the Original URL

GET /{shortCode}

• Redirects the user to the stored original URL.
• Returns 404 Not Found if the code is not found in the database.

Technologies Used

• .NET 8 (Minimal API)
• Entity Framework Core (SQLite database)
• Pico.css (Lightweight CSS framework)
• JavaScript Fetch API (Frontend AJAX calls)

Notes

• If you encounter issues with the database, try deleting urls.db and rerunning migrations:

  rm urls.db
  dotnet ef database update

• The frontend automatically updates the page with the shortened URL without refreshing.

Future Enhancements

• Implement more sophisticated URL shortening algorithm
• Implement URL validation and sanitization
• Improve error handling
• Implement analytics (click tracking)
• Add user authentication for managing links
• Use a cloud database instead of SQLite

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Now you can run and test the URL shortener! 🚀