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In-Memory Provider

The In-Memory provider implements IPersistenceProvider for unit testing and local development. It stores data in memory with optional transaction support, allowing tests to run without external database dependencies.

Before You Start​

Installation​

dotnet add package Excalibur.Data.InMemory

Dependencies: Excalibur.Data.Abstractions

Quick Start​

using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;

// Configure options and register in-memory provider for testing
services.Configure<InMemoryProviderOptions>(options => options.Name = "test");
services.AddSingleton<IPersistenceProvider, InMemoryPersistenceProvider>();

Use Cases​

ScenarioBenefit
Unit testsNo database infrastructure required
Integration testsFast, isolated test execution
Local developmentQuick startup without Docker
CI/CD pipelinesNo external service dependencies

Testing Pattern​

public class OrderServiceTests
{
    private readonly IServiceProvider _services;

    public OrderServiceTests()
    {
        var collection = new ServiceCollection();
        collection.Configure<InMemoryProviderOptions>(options => options.Name = "test");
        collection.AddSingleton<IPersistenceProvider, InMemoryPersistenceProvider>();
        collection.AddTransient<OrderService>();
        _services = collection.BuildServiceProvider();
    }

    [Fact]
    public async Task CreateOrder_ShouldPersist()
    {
        var service = _services.GetRequiredService<OrderService>();
        var order = await service.CreateOrderAsync(new CreateOrderCommand("item-1"), CancellationToken.None);
        order.ShouldNotBeNull();
    }
}

Limitations​

  • Data is lost when the process exits
  • No query optimization or indexing
  • Single-process only (no distributed scenarios)
  • Not suitable for performance testing

See Also​