Same url for overloaded controller methods

Question

In my web api application, I want to enable clients to make requests, using the same path, but pass different type of parameters.

For example:

public class MyController : ApiController
{
   [HttpDelete]
   public IHttpActionResult Delete(int id) {..}

   [HttpDelete]
   public IHttpActionResult Delete2(Guid id) {..}

   [HttpDelete]
   public IHttpActionResult Delete3(string id) {..}

}

I want the url for each method to be similar, for example:

api/MyController/1
api/MyController/abc etc..

Is this possible? Iv'e tried alot of combinations with ActionName attribute and Routing configuration, but nothing seemed to work.

Thanks

If they are all doing the same thing, I suggest creating a custom class (object) to hold each of these (nullable) properties, and using 1 route. — Mark C., May 25 '16 at 12:25

Nasreddine · Accepted Answer · 2016-05-25T12:34:38.533

5

You can use attribute routing for this. For example:

[RoutePrefix("MyController")]
public class MyController : ApiController
{
   [HttpDelete]
   [Route("delete/{id:int}")]
   public IHttpActionResult Delete(int id) {..}

   [HttpDelete]
   [Route("delete/{id:guid}")]
   public IHttpActionResult Delete2(Guid id) {..}

   [HttpDelete]
   [Route("delete/{id:alpha}")]
   public IHttpActionResult       Delete3(string id) {..}

}

If you do this then the request url will be:

http://yoursever/mycontroller/delete/123
http://yoursever/mycontroller/delete/abc
http://yoursever/mycontroller/delete/91c74f8f-d981-4ee1-ba36-3e9416bba202

edited May 25 '16 at 12:34

answered May 25 '16 at 12:20

Nasreddine

36,610
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1

Is this one a valid case : *api/MyController/"abc"* ?? – SamGhatak May 25 '16 at 12:28
You don't need put the string in quotes – Nasreddine May 25 '16 at 12:29
1

yes thats why I am confused about, seems that OP wants to differentiate `string` and `int` by *api/MyController/"1"* and *api/MyController/1* .... – SamGhatak May 25 '16 at 12:31
@SamGhatak in that case you can add the `Order` for each route to determine priority. (It's in the link I put in the question). Thank you for mentioning that BTW. – Nasreddine May 25 '16 at 12:32
Also, if you use `{id:alpha}` number will not be matched and your API will return a 404 since it can't find a matching route. – Nasreddine May 25 '16 at 12:37
That's what I thought, calling api with "1" to indicate 1 as a string is not the way.... – SamGhatak May 25 '16 at 12:43

Federico Dipuma · Answer 2 · 2016-05-25T12:46:27.327

You need to provide a Route with different parameter types for each of your methods:

[RoutePrefix("api/MyController")]
public class MyController : ApiController
{
   [HttpDelete]
   [Route("{id:int}", Order = 1)]
   public IHttpActionResult Delete(int id) {..}

   [HttpDelete]
   [Route("{id:guid}", Order = 2)]
   public IHttpActionResult Delete2(Guid id) {..}

   [HttpDelete]
   [Route("{id}", Order = 3)]
   public IHttpActionResult Delete3(string id) {..}

}

Of course you have to enable attribute routing if you haven't already.
The Order property for the Route attribute ensures that the route templates are checked in the correct order so that an int value will not match the string route.

Beshoy Hanna · Answer 3 · 2016-05-25T12:26:18.630

0

Yes, this is possible. Try setting the route as a decoration.

example:

        [Route("DeleteThis/{id}")]
        [HttpDelete]
        public IHttpActionResult DeleteThis(int id)
        {
            return Ok();
        }

        [Route("NowDeleteThis/{name}")]
        [HttpDelete]
        public IHttpActionResult DeleteThis(string name)
        {
            return Ok();
        }

edited May 25 '16 at 12:26

answered May 25 '16 at 12:21

Beshoy Hanna

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Won't that change the URL? – Ilya Chernomordik May 25 '16 at 12:22
Yes, however it wont change the method name. – Beshoy Hanna May 25 '16 at 12:25
1

What's up with the forward slash at the end of the route? – Mark C. May 25 '16 at 12:26

Same url for overloaded controller methods

3 Answers3