Routing in ASP .NET Web API

Question

I created a web service using WEB API.

I'm using this routing configuration

config.Routes.MapHttpRoute(
    name: "DefaultApi",
    routeTemplate: "api/{controller}/{id}",
    defaults: new { id = RouteParameter.Optional }
);

And my solution include two controller (ProductController and DetailController)

So when I want to call a WS that refers to the GetDetails method(is located inside DetailController) I have to use a URL like this:

http://localhost/api/Details/GetDetails/?id=4

Is there a way for use, for the same request, this URL instead:

http://localhost/api/Product/GetDetails/?id=4

letting the GetDetails method inside the DetailController?

Darin Dimitrov · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-20 16:39:16Z

4

Actually your urls should be:

http://localhost/api/Details/4
http://localhost/api/Products/4

and your controllers:

public class DetailsController: ApiController
{
    public HttpResponseMessage Get(int id)
    {
        ...
    }
}

and:

public class ProductsController: ApiController
{
    public HttpResponseMessage Get(int id)
    {
        ...
    }
}

Now that's RESTful.

answered Feb 20, 2014 at 16:39

Darin Dimitrov

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4 Comments

Simon Belanger Over a year ago

Can you explain the reasoning behind using query parameter instead of the url itself to represent the resource (ie http://localhost/api/Details/4). It doesn't seem "RESTful".

Darin Dimitrov Over a year ago

You are right. It's prettier to have /{id} in this case. But this doesn't mean at all that query string parameters are not RESTful. Usually when I have optional parameters I pass them as query string parameters. This usually makes sense in GET requests which need to take multiple parameters. But I agree with you that the identifier which identifies the resource is better to be passed in the path portion.

Simon Belanger Over a year ago

No, I understand the use case for query parameter. It just seemed like the id (in this case) was meant to represent a resource uniquely.

Darin Dimitrov Over a year ago

Completely agree with you. I have updated my answer to take your remark into account.

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