# Glossary

Terminology for the Mango.Nop Libraries. Read this before working on unfamiliar areas.

## Entity & DTO System

| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| **BaseEntity** | nopCommerce root entity base with `int Id`. Mirror copy in `NopDependencies/`. |
| **MgEntityBase** | Custom entity base — inherits `BaseEntity`, implements `IEntityInt` (AyCode). Used for domain-specific entities (e.g., `MgStockTaking`). |
| **ModelDtoBase\<T\>** | Abstract DTO base with bidirectional mapping: `CopyEntityValuesToDto()` reads from entity, `CreateMainEntity()` creates entity from DTO. |
| **NopDependencies** | Mirror copies of nopCommerce entity classes in `Mango.Nop.Core`. Same namespaces as originals. Eliminates full nopCommerce dependency for consumers that only need types. |
| **GenericAttribute** | nopCommerce polymorphic key-value store. `KeyGroup` = owner type name, `EntityId` = owner ID, `Key` = attribute name, `Value` = string value. |

## Data Access

| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| **MgDbTableBase\<T\>** | Repository base wrapping nopCommerce `EntityRepository<T>`. Adds `GetAll()`, automatic timestamp management, event publishing. |
| **MgDtoDbTableBase** | DTO-aware repository — handles DTO ↔ entity mapping on top of `MgDbTableBase`. |
| **MgDbContextBase** | EF Core `DbContext` base for custom (non-nopCommerce) tables. |
| **MgDalBase** | Data Access Layer orchestrator — coordinates multiple repositories. |

## Services

| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| **MgBackgroundServiceBase** | Base for hosted background services within nopCommerce. |
| **MgSessionServiceBase** | Session state management — tracks user sessions. |
| **MgEventConsumerBase** | Base for nopCommerce entity event consumers (insert/update/delete notifications). |
| **MgLockServiceBase** | Distributed lock service — prevents concurrent operations on shared resources. |
| **NopLogWriter** | Logging bridge — writes to nopCommerce's built-in log system. |