Implementing the repository pattern

By definition, a repository is a central storage area for data or items. In the context of database development, we use the word repository to label a widely used and convenient development pattern. This pattern helps us to extend the default interfaces and code given to us by our ORM, making it reusable and even more specific for certain operations.

One side effect of this pattern is that we end up with more code and files, but the general benefit is that we can centralize our core operations. As a result, we abstract our business logic and database operations away from our controllers and eliminate repeating database access logic throughout our application. It helps us to maintain the single responsibility principle in our code base as we seek to author clean code.

In any application, we need to carry out four main operations against any database table. We need to create, read, update, and delete data. In the context of an API, we need a...