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Morteza Jangjoo
Morteza Jangjoo

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Domain-Driven Design (DDD)

#domainderivendesing #designpatterns #ddd #dotnetcore

Domain-Driven Design (DDD): A Practical Guide for Real-World .NET Developers

Domain-Driven Design (DDD) remains one of the most effective approaches for building complex, long-living software systems. While frameworks and technologies change, business complexity never goes away — and DDD is exactly designed to manage that complexity.

This article gives you a clear, practical, modern introduction to DDD, focusing on how real teams use it today, especially with .NET, Clean Architecture, and Microservices.

What Is Domain-Driven Design?

DDD is an approach to software development that focuses on:

  • Understanding the core business domain
  • Building a shared language between developers and domain experts
  • Structuring the system around domain models, not frameworks
  • Managing complexity by breaking the system into Bounded Contexts

DDD is not a framework. It is a way of thinking.

Why DDD Still Matters in 2025

1. Business complexity is growing

Systems today involve automation, real-time interactions, regulations, analytics, multi-team development — and DDD helps model this complexity.

2. Perfect fit for Microservices & Event-Driven Systems

Modern architectures such as:

  • Microservices
  • Clean Architecture
  • Event Sourcing
  • Message-driven workflows

… all originate from DDD principles.

3. Helps avoid “Big Ball of Mud”

Without DDD:

  • Entities become fat
  • Business rules distribute everywhere
  • Services depend heavily on each other
  • The domain becomes unmaintainable

DDD prevents this.

Key Building Blocks of DDD

** Entities**

Objects with identity, such as:
Order, User, Trade, Portfolio

public class Order
{
    public Guid Id { get; private set; }
    public decimal Amount { get; private set; }

    public void UpdateAmount(decimal amount)
    {
        if (amount <= 0) throw new Exception("Invalid amount");
        Amount = amount;
    }
}
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** Value Objects**

Immutable objects defined only by value, not identity:
Money, Email, Range, Price

public record Money(decimal Value, string Currency);
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** Aggregates**

Transactional consistency boundaries.
Example: Order aggregate contains items, payment rules, and domain logic.

** Repositories**

Abstract persistence layer:

public interface IOrderRepository
{
    Task<Order?> GetByIdAsync(Guid id);
    Task AddAsync(Order order);
}
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** Domain Events**

Explicit events describing something meaningful in the domain:

public record OrderCreated(Guid OrderId) : IDomainEvent;
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** Bounded Contexts**

Each sub-domain has its own model, logic, database, and language.

Examples:

  • Billing Context
  • Trading Context
  • Inventory Context

Bounded Contexts = the backbone of microservices.

When Should You Use DDD?

Use DDD if your project has:

✔ Complex business rules
✔ Multiple teams
✔ Long-term maintenance
✔ Highly dynamic domain
✔ Need for scalability and separation

Typical domains:

  • Finance & Trading
  • Banking
  • Insurance
  • Logistics
  • Healthcare
  • ERP systems

When NOT to Use DDD

If your app is:

  • Simple CRUD
  • A small website
  • A blog/CMS
  • Prototype or MVP
  • A simple admin panel

Then DDD adds unnecessary complexity.

DDD + Clean Architecture in .NET (Modern Approach)

Most .NET teams today apply DDD inside Clean Architecture:

/Domain
  Entities
  ValueObjects
  Events
/Application
  UseCases
  DTOs
  Interfaces
/Infrastructure
  EF Repositories
  DbContext
/API
  Controllers
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Benefits:

  • Independent domain logic
  • Infrastructure replaceable
  • Testable business rules
  • Clear boundaries

Real-World Sample Project (Download)

The following ZIP is a complete DDD sample with:

  • Aggregates
  • Value Objects
  • Domain Events
  • Repositories
  • Clean Architecture structure
  • EF Core implementation

Download the sample project
ddd_sample.zip

You can open it directly in Rider/Visual Studio.

Final Thoughts

DDD is not about building “perfect layered code.”
It’s about:

  • Understanding the business
  • Modeling the domain
  • Creating clarity and boundaries
  • Keeping complexity under control

DDD is still one of the best ways to design enterprise-grade software — particularly in .NET systems that live for years and evolve with new features.

Top comments (1)

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aarongibbs profile image
Aaron Gibbs •

For deeper patterns (e.g., Sagas, CQRS, Event Sourcing), check Vaughn Vernon and Greg Young's material.