Shortener Service

This is a URL shortener service implemented in ASP.NET Core and MongoDB. It allows users to shorten long URLs into shorter, more manageable ones.

Features

• Shorten long URLs into unique, shortcodes
• Redirect users from short URLs to original long URLs
• MongoDB database for persisting data
• RESTful API for easy integration with other applications
• Metrics

Technologies Used

• ASP.NET Core
• MongoDB
• C#
• Minimal APIs
• InMemory Cache
• Open Telemetry
• Prometheus

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/thisisnabi/Shortener.git

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Getting Started

To start with the URL shortener service, follow the installation instructions in the Installation section above. Once the service is up and running, you can begin using the API endpoints to shorten URLs, track statistics, and manage your shortened links.

Problem

The primary problem with long URLs is their lack of user-friendliness and practicality in various contexts. Long URLs can be cumbersome to manually input, difficult to remember, and can exceed character limitations imposed by certain platforms, such as social media posts or text messages.

This can result in broken links, truncated URLs, or user frustration when attempting to share or access lengthy URLs in constrained environments.

Solution

To address the problem of long URLs and make them more manageable for users, a URL shortener service provides an effective solution. By condensing lengthy URLs into shorter, more concise forms, users can easily share and access links across various platforms and communication channels.

Shortening URLs

Implement a URL shortening algorithm to generate unique, shortcodes or aliases for long URLs. This algorithm should produce compact shortcodes that are unlikely to collide with existing codes in the system.

public async Task<string> GenerateShortenUrlAsync(string destination, CancellationToken cancellation)
{
    var shortenCode = GenerateCode(destinationUrl);

    var link = new Link
    {
        CreatedOn = DateTime.UtcNow,
        DestinationUrl = destinationUrl,
        ShortenCode = shortenCode
    };

    await _dbContext.Links.AddAsync(link, cancellation);
    await _dbContext.SaveChangesAsync(cancellation);

    return $"{_appSettings.BaseUrl}/{shortenCode}";
}

Redirection Mechanism

Set up a redirection mechanism that maps incoming requests for shortened URLs to their corresponding long URLs. When a user accesses a shortened URL.

app.MapGet("/{short_code}", async (
    [FromRoute(Name = "short_code")] string ShortCode,
    ShortenUrlService shortenService,
    CancellationToken cancellationToken)
=> {
    var destinationUrl = await shortenService.GetDestinationUrlAsync(ShortCode, cancellationToken);

    return Results.Redirect(destinationUrl);
});

The service should redirect them seamlessly to the original destination URL without any noticeable delay.

Metrics

By systematically capturing and analyzing these metrics, marketing teams can gain insights into the effectiveness of their campaigns, identify potential issues, and optimize their strategies to enhance user engagement and achieve better outcomes.

public sealed class ShortenDiagnostic
{
    public const string MeterName = "ThisIsNabi.Shorten";

    public const string RedirectionMetricName = "ThisIsNabi.Shorten.Redirection";
    public const string FailedRedirectionMetricName = "ThisIsNabi.Shorten.Redirection.Failed";

    private readonly Counter<long> _redirectionCounter;
    private readonly Counter<long> _failedRedirectionCounter;

    public ShortenDiagnostic(IMeterFactory meterFactory)
    {
        var meter = meterFactory.Create(MeterName);
        _redirectionCounter = meter.CreateCounter<long>(RedirectionMetricName);
        _failedRedirectionCounter = meter.CreateCounter<long>(FailedRedirectionMetricName);
    }

    private const string RedirectionTagName = "Label";
    public void AddRedirection(string title)
        => _redirectionCounter.Add(1, new KeyValuePair<string, object?>(RedirectionTagName, title));

    public void AddFailedRedirection()
        => _failedRedirectionCounter.Add(1);
}

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License: MIT License.

Stay Connected

Feel free to raise any questions or suggestions through GitHub issues.