RoutePrefix different than Controller name doesn't work

Question

In my WebApiConfig.cs file I have :

public static class WebApiConfig
{
    public static void Register(HttpConfiguration config)
    {
        // Web API configuration and services

        // Web API routes
        config.MapHttpAttributeRoutes();

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

        var jsonFormatter = config.Formatters.OfType<JsonMediaTypeFormatter>().First();
        jsonFormatter.SerializerSettings.ContractResolver = new CamelCasePropertyNamesContractResolver();
    }
}

I have a OrderController

[RoutePrefix("api/Orders")]
public class OrderController : ApiController
{
    [Authorize]
    [Route("")]
    public IHttpActionResult Get()
    {
        return Ok(Order.CreateOrders());
    }

As expected, the above code works with url - http://localhost:15660/api/Orders

I got another CustomerController :

[Authorize]
[RoutePrefix("api/Customers")]
public class CustomerController : ApiController
{
    // GET api/customers/search
    [HttpGet]
    [Route("search/{location}/{customerName}/{phoneNumber}/{email}")]
    public IHttpActionResult SearchCustomers(string location = null, string customerName = null, string phoneNumber = null, string email = null)
    {
        return Ok(GetCustomersSearchResults(location, customerName, phoneNumber, email));
    }

Here, I want to call as /api/Customers/search - but this gives error for no match controller name found. If I rename the prefix to

[RoutePrefix("api/Customer")]

then it works perfectly well.

In Ordercontroller, api/Orders works perfectly well. In CustomerController, why api/customersdoesn't work at all and gives error. I googled a lot, found the syntax is correct, but can't figure where am I going wrong that is restricting CustomerController to map with /api/Customers/search

Can anyone please help me know how to map CustomerController the way I want to using [RoutePrefix].

Thanks a lot.

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 11 '18 at 04:59

4

The issue is not that the RoutePrefix is different from your controller name (you could set RoutePrefix("abcdefg") if you wanted), but that you have specified location, customerName, phoneNumber and email as required paths in your URL so only a URL such as this would work in your current setup: /api/Customers/search/EU/cust1/1234/email.

What you probably want is a query string, not values in your URL. For example: /api/Customers/search?location=EU&customerName=cust1&phoneNumber=123. So simply change your route to [Route("search")] and such a URL will work!

Tring to pass multiple optional values in through the URL just won't work, what if you pass a URL such as api/Customers/search/value. How will the server know if value is supposed to be location or customerName?

Here's a question regarding URL parameters and query strings: What is the difference between URL parameters and query strings?

answered Nov 11 '18 at 04:59

obl

1,799
12
38

thanks for your response. URL with NO or Any # or All parameters is working on the above code. With the code, **`/api/Customers/search`** gives error for no matching controller name. **`/api/Customer/search`** works perfectly. how to make **`/api/Customers/search`** work. – Terry Nov 12 '18 at 16:37
@TruptiDalia I am not able to reproduce... when I change to `[RoutePrefix("api/Customer")]` it gives me `No action was found on the controller 'Customer' that matches the request.`. Regardless, my point is that you should not be using the URL to pass parameters anyways. – obl Nov 12 '18 at 17:00
hmm, strange. When I use `api/Customers` it produces error and is fine with `api/customer`. Reg URL params, I read the link you shared; couldn't get what I should do to implement in this code. I think you are asking to remove params from the `[Route]`. I had tried adding in function params as `SearchCustomers(string? location = null, string? customerName = null, string? phoneNumber = null, string? email = null)`. Adding **?** to string gives error (as string is non-nullable object). I tried with just `string? location`, but no success. Can you guide what should I do to implement the same. – Terry Nov 12 '18 at 17:09
No need to change any code other than the route, read the 2nd paragraph in my answer – obl Nov 12 '18 at 17:12

RoutePrefix different than Controller name doesn't work

1 Answers1