Understand vertical slicing architecture
🔍 Definition— Vertical slicing architecture is a software design approach that organizes code around specific functions or use cases rather than technology layers.
📏 Structure— Each feature is implemented in all layers of the software, from the user interface to the database, creating a cohesive and independent module.
🔄 Compare — Unlike traditional layered architectures that separate concerns through technical layers, vertical slicing architectures focus on business capabilities and reduce the need for cross-layer changes.
⚙️ Implementation— This architecture is particularly useful in environments that require rapid development and deployment, as it allows functionality to be developed independently.
📈 Benefits— It provides high cohesion within each feature, minimizes dependencies between features, and aligns well with agile methodologies.
Key concepts
📚 Function-centric— The vertical slicing architecture organizes code according to business functions or user scenarios, ensuring that all necessary components of the function are grouped together.
🔗 High cohesion— Each slice is an independent module that includes controllers, services, data models, and repositories, improving cohesion.
🔄 Loose coupling — By focusing on individual functions, this architecture minimizes dependencies between different parts of the application.
🗂️Project structure— Typically, projects are organized into feature folders, each containing all the components required for that feature.
🧩 Domain-driven design— The vertical slicing architecture is very consistent with domain-driven design principles and focuses on business capabilities.
Implementation example
🛠️API development— Vertical slicing architecture is commonly used in API projects, where each feature is implemented as a separate slice.
📂 Function folder— For example, in a C# project, features such as UserAuthentication or FlightBooking are organized into folders that contain all related components.
🔄 Microservices— This architecture is ideal for microservices, where each service can represent a vertical slice of functionality.
🖥️ UI integration— Although mainly used for back-end development, some teams integrate UI elements into the same functional slice.
🔍 Example Tools— Libraries like MediatR and Automapper are often used to facilitate the implementation of vertical slicing architectures.
Benefits and challenges
✅ High cohesion— The vertical slicing architecture ensures that all elements related to a function are grouped together, thus improving maintainability.
🚀 Agile Alignment — It supports agile development by allowing teams to focus on delivering complete, testable functionality in each sprint.
🔄 Independent — Each feature can be developed, tested, and deployed independently, reducing the risk of impacting other parts of the application.
⚠️ Code duplication— One potential challenge is the duplication of common functionality between different slices.
📈 Learning Curve— Teams accustomed to layered architectures may need time to adapt to this new approach.