Problems (retroactively) adding Web API to asp.net MVC project

Question

I'm taking my first steps with asp.net mvc in Visual Studio 2013 and I've run into a weird problem.

I started my Project as MVC and did NOT check the "Web API" box to include the core references. However now I want to use the Web API functionality. I created a new "somethingController" controller, selected API controller (empty) and Visual Studio did it's magic, creating a routing file, etc.

However when trying to access the URL /api/something/ I geta 404. I believe the routing doesn't work or there is some other problem I haven'T thought about yet...

It works just fine if I create a new Project and checkt the "Web API" box. But if you have a larger project and want to add Web API functionality there must be an easy way to reliable add it to the project, right?

Could anybody please explain

a) Where the problem lies (routing? Missing references? something else?)

and

b) How can one reliably add the Web API stuff to a project that wasn't started with the checkbox checked.

Thank you very much.

Answer 1

Ok, seems I got it working. When you add your first API controller to a project that does not have the Web API checked, a readme file pops up with some additional information:

I tried adding

WebApiConfig.Register(GlobalConfiguration.Configuration);

to the global.asax and it did not work. the readme show the following code

GlobalConfiguration.Configure(WebApiConfig.Register);

that DOES work, although it seems (to me) that both lines do exactly the same thing??

Answer 2

Have you added WebApi.Config file

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

add this in your global.asax

WebApiConfig.Register(GlobalConfiguration.Configuration);