.NET Full Stack Interview Questions in Kolkata

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Since EF Core 5, you can define collection navigations on both sides, such as Student.Courses and Course.Students, and EF Core creates a hidden join table automatically. If the join needs extra data, like EnrolledOn or Grade, create an explicit join entity Enrollment with two foreign keys and configure it with UsingEntity or two one-to-many relationships. Querying works naturally with Include or projections through the navigations.

What does the lock keyword do?

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lock ensures that only one thread at a time executes a block of code for a given lock object, preventing race conditions on shared data. It compiles to Monitor.Enter and Monitor.Exit inside try-finally. Lock on a private readonly object, never on this or a string. Since .NET 9 there is a dedicated System.Threading.Lock type that is faster. You cannot await inside a lock; use SemaphoreSlim for async code.

Why should you avoid async void methods?

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An async void method cannot be awaited, so the caller does not know when it finishes. Exceptions thrown inside it cannot be caught by the caller; they go to the synchronization context and can crash the process. It is also hard to unit test. Use async Task instead. The only accepted use of async void is for event handlers, such as button click handlers in desktop apps, where the signature is fixed.

A job matches 2 lakh uploaded records against 2 lakh existing IDs using list.Where(x => existingIds.Contains(x.Id)) and takes minutes. What is wrong?

Async Programming and MultithreadingHard

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existingIds is a List, so Contains is O(n) and the whole operation becomes O(n x m), around 40 billion comparisons. Convert the IDs to a HashSet<int> first, making each lookup O(1) and the job run in milliseconds. If you also need associated data, build a Dictionary keyed by ID. Always check data structure complexity before parallelising or adding hardware.

How are exceptions handled in async code, and what is AggregateException?

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When you await a faulted task, the original exception is rethrown, so normal try-catch works. If you block with .Wait() or .Result, the exception is wrapped in AggregateException. With Task.WhenAll, await throws only the first exception, but the returned task's Exception property holds all of them in an AggregateException. Unobserved exceptions from fire-and-forget tasks are silently lost, so always await or log them.

What is the difference between const, readonly and static readonly?

C# FundamentalsMedium

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const is a compile-time constant, implicitly static, and its value is copied into calling assemblies, so changing it requires recompiling them. readonly fields are set at declaration or in the constructor and can differ per instance. static readonly is set once per type at runtime, so it can hold values like DateTime.Now or a new object. Use const only for values that will never change, such as Math.PI.

What are nullable value types and nullable reference types?

C# FundamentalsMedium

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Nullable value types like int? wrap a struct so it can hold null, with HasValue and Value properties. Nullable reference types, enabled by <Nullable>enable</Nullable>, are a compile-time feature: string means non-null and string? means may be null, and the compiler warns when you dereference a possible null. They do not change runtime behaviour but catch many NullReferenceException bugs before deployment.

Write a thread-safe singleton in C#.

OOP in C#Hard

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public sealed class AppConfig { private static readonly Lazy<AppConfig> _instance = new(() => new AppConfig()); public static AppConfig Instance => _instance.Value; private AppConfig() { // load settings once } } Lazy<T> is thread-safe by default and creates the object only on first access. The private constructor and sealed class prevent other instances. In ASP.NET Core, prefer AddSingleton.

A read-only product listing endpoint in EF Core uses a lot of memory and CPU. What simple change helps, and why?

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By default, EF Core tracks every entity it loads so it can detect changes on SaveChanges, which costs memory and CPU. AsNoTracking tells EF Core not to track the results, making read-only queries faster and lighter. Use it for lists, reports and GET endpoints where you will not update the data. AsNoTrackingWithIdentityResolution avoids duplicate instances of the same entity in results while still skipping tracking.

What are useMemo and useCallback used for in React?

Angular and React Front EndMedium

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useMemo caches the result of an expensive calculation and recalculates only when its dependencies change, such as filtering 10,000 rows. useCallback caches a function reference so that a child wrapped in React.memo does not re-render just because a new function was created. Both are optimisations and add complexity, so use them where profiling shows a problem. The React Compiler, stable since late 2025, can apply much of this memoisation automatically.

Where should you store secrets like connection strings and API keys in an ASP.NET Core app?

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Never commit them in appsettings.json. During development use the Secret Manager (dotnet user-secrets), which stores them outside the project folder. In production use environment variables or, better, a vault such as Azure Key Vault or AWS Secrets Manager, loaded through a configuration provider and accessed with managed identity so no credential sits in code. Rotate secrets regularly and restrict who can read them.

What is the difference between JIT compilation and Native AOT in .NET?

C# FundamentalsHard

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With JIT, the app ships as IL and the runtime compiles methods to machine code when first called; tiered compilation later recompiles hot methods with better optimisation. Native AOT compiles everything ahead of time into a single native executable, giving very fast startup and lower memory, which suits containers and serverless. The trade-off is limited reflection and dynamic code generation, so some libraries need source generators to work.

What is the difference between temporary tables and table variables?

SQL Server and T-SQLMedium

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Temporary tables (#Temp) live in tempdb, support indexes and statistics, and are visible to nested procedures, so they suit larger intermediate results. Table variables (@T) also use tempdb but have limited statistics, which made old optimisers estimate one row; SQL Server 2019 improved this with deferred compilation. Table variables are not affected by transaction rollback. Use table variables for small sets and temp tables for large ones.

Your multi-tenant SaaS app keeps all tenants in one database. How do you make sure EF Core queries never return another tenant's data?

Entity Framework CoreHard

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Add a TenantId column to every tenant-owned entity and a global query filter such as HasQueryFilter(e => e.TenantId == _tenantId), where the tenant ID comes from a scoped provider that reads the authenticated user's claim. Set TenantId automatically in SaveChanges for new rows. Index TenantId, write integration tests that try cross-tenant access, audit every IgnoreQueryFilters call, and consider SQL Server row-level security as a second layer of defence.

Which design patterns do you commonly see in ASP.NET Core projects?

OOP in C#Medium

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Dependency Injection is built in. The Repository and Unit of Work patterns wrap data access, although DbContext already implements them. Factory creates objects by type, for example IHttpClientFactory. Strategy swaps algorithms, such as different tax or discount rules, behind one interface. Options pattern binds configuration to classes. Middleware is a Chain of Responsibility, and Mediator libraries implement CQRS by sending commands to handlers.

Write a switch expression using pattern matching to calculate shipping cost.

C# FundamentalsMedium

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decimal Shipping(Order o) => o switch { { Total: >= 1000 } => 0m, { Country: "IN", Weight: < 2 } => 49m, { Country: "IN" } => 99m, { Weight: > 20 } => throw new ArgumentException("Too heavy"), _ => 499m }; Property and relational patterns replace long if-else chains, and the compiler warns if cases are not exhaustive.

A page listing 100 orders with customer names runs 101 SQL queries. What is the problem and how do you fix it?

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This is the N+1 problem: one query loads the orders, then lazy loading fires a separate query for each order's Customer. Fix it by loading everything in one query, either with Include(o => o.Customer) or better with a projection: Select(o => new OrderListDto(o.Id, o.Total, o.Customer.Name)), which fetches only needed columns via a join. Turn on EF Core logging to spot such patterns early.

Show how yield return works with an example.

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static IEnumerable<int> EvenNumbers(int max) { for (int i = 0; i <= max; i += 2) { yield return i; // pause here, resume on next MoveNext } } foreach (var n in EvenNumbers(10).Take(3)) Console.WriteLine(n); // 0 2 4 The compiler builds a state machine, so values are produced lazily one at a time. Only three values are generated here, which saves memory for large or infinite sequences.

Write a LINQ query that joins orders with customers and returns customer name and order total.

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var result = orders .Join(customers, o => o.CustomerId, c => c.Id, (o, c) => new { c.Name, o.Total }) .ToList(); // query syntax var result2 = (from o in orders join c in customers on o.CustomerId equals c.Id select new { c.Name, o.Total }).ToList(); Join is an inner join. For a left join use GroupJoin with DefaultIfEmpty, or the LeftJoin operator added in .NET 10.

Which HTTP status codes and methods should a REST API use, and what is the difference between PUT and PATCH?

ASP.NET Core Web APIEasy

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GET reads, POST creates, PUT replaces, PATCH partially updates and DELETE removes. Return 200 OK for success with a body, 201 Created with a Location header after POST, 204 No Content after delete, 400 for invalid input, 401 unauthenticated, 403 forbidden, 404 not found, 409 conflict and 500 for server errors. PUT sends the full resource and is idempotent; PATCH sends only changed fields.

What is the difference between a stored procedure and a user-defined function?

SQL Server and T-SQLMedium

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A stored procedure can perform inserts, updates and deletes, use transactions and TRY-CATCH, return multiple result sets and output parameters, and is called with EXEC. A function must return a value or table, cannot modify database state, and can be used inside SELECT, WHERE and JOIN. Scalar functions used row by row can hurt performance, although SQL Server 2019 and later can inline many of them.

What is the difference between controllers and Minimal APIs?

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Controllers group actions into classes with attributes for routing, filters and model binding, which suits large APIs with many conventions. Minimal APIs map endpoints directly with app.MapGet and lambdas, with less ceremony and slightly better performance, ideal for microservices and small APIs. Since .NET 7 they support filters, route groups and OpenAPI, and .NET 10 adds built-in validation, so both are production-ready choices.

Show how to stream data with IAsyncEnumerable.

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public async IAsyncEnumerable<Order> GetOrdersAsync( [EnumeratorCancellation] CancellationToken ct = default) { await foreach (var o in _db.Orders.AsNoTracking().AsAsyncEnumerable().WithCancellation(ct)) yield return o; } // consumer await foreach (var order in service.GetOrdersAsync()) Console.WriteLine(order.Id); Items are produced and consumed one at a time asynchronously. ASP.NET Core can stream an IAsyncEnumerable result as JSON without buffering the whole list.

What is a delegate in C#?

OOP in C#Medium

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A delegate is a type-safe reference to a method with a specific signature, similar to a function pointer but checked by the compiler. You can pass methods as parameters, store them and call them later. Delegates can be multicast, holding several methods that run in order. Lambdas, LINQ, events and callbacks are all built on delegates, and the built-in Func and Action types cover most needs.

Tell me about a disagreement with the front-end team over an API contract and how you resolved it.

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On a dashboard feature (Situation) the React team wanted one endpoint returning everything, while I worried about payload size. My task was to agree a design quickly. I set up a short call, we listed exact screen needs, and I proposed one aggregated endpoint with paging and optional fields. We wrote the OpenAPI spec together. Result: payload dropped by half, the UI got one call, and the spec became our template for later features.

An API creates a new HttpClient inside a using block for every outgoing call, and under load you see socket exhaustion errors. How do you fix it?

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Disposing HttpClient does not immediately free the underlying socket; connections stay in TIME_WAIT, so thousands of short-lived clients exhaust ports. A single static client fixes that but misses DNS changes. The recommended fix is IHttpClientFactory: register builder.Services.AddHttpClient<PaymentClient>() and inject the typed client. The factory pools and rotates handlers, and you can add resilience with Microsoft.Extensions.Http.Resilience for retries and timeouts.

What is the difference between a Task and a Thread?

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A Thread is an OS-level execution unit with its own stack, costly to create. A Task is a higher-level promise of work that may or may not use a thread; I/O tasks often use no thread while waiting, and CPU tasks run on pooled threads. Tasks support return values, continuations, cancellation, exceptions and composition with WhenAll. In modern .NET you almost always use Tasks rather than creating threads manually.

Configure a one-to-many relationship between Customer and Order using the Fluent API.

Async Programming and MultithreadingEasy

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public class Customer { public int Id { get; set; } public List<Order> Orders { get; set; } = []; } public class Order { public int Id { get; set; } public int CustomerId { get; set; } public Customer Customer { get; set; } = null!; } protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder mb) { mb.Entity<Order>() .HasOne(o => o.Customer) .WithMany(c => c.Orders) .HasForeignKey(o => o.CustomerId) .OnDelete(DeleteBehavior.Restrict); mb.Entity<Order>().Property(o => o.Total).HasPrecision(18, 2); } Restrict prevents deleting a customer who still has orders.

What is the difference between concurrency and parallelism?

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Concurrency means dealing with many tasks at once by interleaving them, for example a web server handling thousands of requests that mostly wait on I/O. Parallelism means doing many computations at the same instant on multiple cores, such as processing an image in four chunks. async/await gives concurrency; Parallel.For and PLINQ give parallelism. A program can be concurrent on a single core but parallel only with multiple cores.

What is the difference between Select and SelectMany?

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Select projects each element to one result, so a list of customers mapped to their orders gives a list of lists. SelectMany projects each element to a sequence and flattens all sequences into one, so customers.SelectMany(c => c.Orders) gives a single list of all orders. In EF Core, SelectMany over a navigation collection translates to a SQL join, which is handy for reports.

How does change tracking work and what are entity states?

Entity Framework CoreHard

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The change tracker keeps a snapshot of each tracked entity and compares it on SaveChanges. Each entity has a state: Added (insert), Modified (update), Deleted (delete), Unchanged (no action) and Detached (not tracked). Calling Add, Update or Remove sets states, and changing a property of a tracked entity marks it Modified. SaveChanges then generates SQL only for changed columns, all inside one transaction.

What is the CLR and what does it do?

C# FundamentalsEasy

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The Common Language Runtime is the execution engine of .NET. It loads compiled IL code, converts it to machine code with the JIT compiler, manages memory through the garbage collector, enforces type safety, handles exceptions and manages threads. Because every .NET language compiles to the same IL, C#, F# and VB.NET code can run on the same CLR and call each other.

What are generic constraints? Give examples.

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Constraints restrict which types can be used for a type parameter so the generic code can rely on certain members. Examples: where T : class (reference type), where T : struct, where T : new() (has a parameterless constructor), where T : BaseEntity (inherits a class), where T : IComparable<T>, and where T : notnull. A repository might use where T : class, IEntity so it can read the Id property safely.

Explain the access modifiers in C#, including protected internal and private protected.

OOP in C#Medium

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public is accessible everywhere, private only inside the type, protected inside the type and derived types, and internal anywhere in the same assembly. protected internal means accessible from the same assembly or from derived types in any assembly. private protected is stricter: only derived types inside the same assembly. Class members default to private and top-level types default to internal. Use the narrowest modifier that works.

Show how to bind configuration from appsettings.json using the Options pattern.

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// appsettings.json // "Smtp": { "Host": "smtp.example.com", "Port": 587 } public class SmtpOptions { public string Host { get; set; } = ""; public int Port { get; set; } } builder.Services.Configure<SmtpOptions>(builder.Configuration.GetSection("Smtp")); public class EmailService(IOptions<SmtpOptions> options) { private readonly SmtpOptions _smtp = options.Value; } appsettings.{Environment}.json and environment variables override base values. Use IOptionsMonitor to pick up changes without restart.

Your code builds a LINQ query over a database, then calls Count() and later loops over it, and the logs show two SQL queries. Why, and how do you fix it?