ZeroAlloc.ValueObjects — Documentation

Zero-allocation, source-generated value object equality for existing .NET domain types.

Same performance as record — without forcing the record keyword on your domain model.

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Contents

Page	Description
Why this library?	The problem with CFE, why not just use record
Installation	NuGet install, requirements
Getting Started	Step-by-step quickstart with core concepts
Attribute Reference	[ValueObject], [ValueObjectFactory], [EqualityMember], [IgnoreEqualityMember]
Member Selection	How properties are chosen for equality
What Gets Generated	Exact code the generator emits
Struct vs. Class	When to use each, ForceClass
Nullable Properties	Null-safe comparison generation
Usage Patterns	Dictionary keys, HashSets, LINQ, EF Core, pattern matching
Migration Guide	From CFE ValueObject, from manual equality
Performance	Benchmark results and how to run them
Design & Limitations	Trade-offs, things not generated
Troubleshooting	Common errors and fixes
Diagnostics	ZAVO001–ZAVO003 reference
Testing	Testing value objects — equality, hash codes, serialization
Examples
E-Commerce	ProductId, Money, ShippingAddress, Discount
Finance	Iban, CurrencyPair, AccountNumber
HR / Identity	EmailAddress, EmployeeId, FullName
Geospatial	Coordinates, GeoRegion
Scheduling	DateRange, TimeSlot

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Typed Identifiers

[TypedId] is the companion attribute for strongly-typed IDs — OrderId, UserId, MessageId. Built-in ULID / UUIDv7 / Snowflake / Sequential strategies, JSON, minimal API, and EF Core support out of the box.

Page	Description
Typed Identifiers overview	When to use [TypedId] vs [ValueObject], section contents
Getting started	Install, declare, use — five-minute introduction
Strategies	ULID, UUIDv7, Snowflake, Sequential — formats and trade-offs
Snowflake configuration	Worker-ID setup via DI, env var, or factory, plus the ZeroAlloc.ValueObjects.Hosting overload
JSON serialization	System.Text.Json integration, AOT safety
ASP.NET minimal API binding	Route and query binding via IParsable<T>
EF Core integration	ZeroAlloc.ValueObjects.EfCore conventions
Diagnostics	ZATI001–ZATI010 reference
Production checklist	Operational caveats and audit questions
Internals	Generator pipeline and zero-allocation techniques

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Quick Example

using ZeroAlloc.ValueObjects;

[ValueObject]
public partial class Money
{
    public decimal Amount { get; }
    public string Currency { get; }

    public Money(decimal amount, string currency)
    {
        Amount = amount;
        Currency = currency;
    }
}

var a = new Money(100m, "USD");
var b = new Money(100m, "USD");

a == b                  // true
a.GetHashCode()         // same as b — safe as dict key
a.ToString()            // "Money { Amount = 100, Currency = USD }"

Zero allocations. No record keyword. No base class required.