Introduction

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What is Microsoft Graph .NET SDK?

• Type-safe API access - Strongly typed models for all Microsoft Graph resources
• Fluent request builders - Intuitive API that mirrors the Microsoft Graph REST endpoints
• Modern authentication - Native support for Azure.Identity TokenCredential classes
• Automatic serialization - JSON serialization/deserialization handled automatically
• Error handling - Comprehensive exception handling for service errors
• Paging support - Built-in support for large result sets and pagination

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Why Use the .NET SDK?

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Key Capabilities

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Access Microsoft 365 Data

• Users and Groups - Manage Azure AD users, groups, and organizational structures
• Email and Calendars - Read, send, and manage Outlook email and calendar events
• Files and Documents - Access OneDrive and SharePoint files with rich metadata
• Teams and Collaboration - Interact with Microsoft Teams channels, chats, and meetings
• Security and Compliance - Access security alerts, policies, and compliance data

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Unified API Surface

// Get current user
var user = await graphClient.Me.GetAsync();

// Get user's messages
var messages = await graphClient.Me.Messages.GetAsync();

// Get user's calendar events
var events = await graphClient.Me.Events.GetAsync();

// Get user's OneDrive files
var drive = await graphClient.Me.Drive.GetAsync();

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Flexible Authentication

• Interactive browser authentication for user sign-in
• Client credentials for service-to-service scenarios
• Device code flow for devices with limited input
• Username/password for legacy scenarios
• Certificate-based authentication for enhanced security

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Current Version: v5.x

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What’s New in v5

• Kiota-based generation - Modern code generator for better consistency
• Namespace organization - Types organized by usage rather than a flat structure
• Simplified API - Removed Request() method from fluent chains
• Backing store support - Efficient change tracking for PATCH operations
• OData cast support - Type-specific collection filtering built into request builders
• Enhanced $count support - First-class support for count operations

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Target Framework Support

• .NET Standard 2.0 - Compatible with .NET Framework 4.6.1+ and .NET Core 2.0+
• .NET Standard 2.1 - Enhanced performance for .NET Core 3.0+
• .NET 5.0+ - Full support for modern .NET including .NET 6, 7, and 8

• ASP.NET Core web applications
• Console applications
• Windows desktop applications (WPF, WinForms)
• Azure Functions
• Blazor applications
• Xamarin mobile applications
• Unity game development

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Architecture Overview

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Quick Example

using Azure.Identity;
using Microsoft.Graph;
using Microsoft.Graph.Models;

// Create authentication provider
var credential = new ClientSecretCredential(
    tenantId: "YOUR_TENANT_ID",
    clientId: "YOUR_CLIENT_ID",
    clientSecret: "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET"
);

// Create Graph client
var graphClient = new GraphServiceClient(credential);

// Get user information
var user = await graphClient.Me.GetAsync();
Console.WriteLine($"Hello, {user.DisplayName}!");

// Get user's messages
var messages = await graphClient.Me.Messages.GetAsync();
foreach (var message in messages.Value)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Subject: {message.Subject}");
}

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Package Dependencies

• Microsoft.Graph.Core (v3.x) - Core abstractions and HTTP middleware
• Azure.Identity (optional) - For TokenCredential-based authentication
• System.Text.Json - For JSON serialization (built into .NET)

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Community and Support

• GitHub Repository - microsoftgraph/msgraph-sdk-dotnet
• NuGet Package - Microsoft.Graph
• Issue Tracking - Report bugs and request features on GitHub
• API Documentation - Microsoft Graph API Reference

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Next Steps