How to add Web API to an existing ASP.NET MVC 4 Web Application project?

user_265261 0
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I wish to add an ASP.NET Web API to an ASP.NET MVC 4 Web Application project, developed in Visual Studio 2012. Which steps must I perform to add a functioning Web API to the project? I'm aware that I need a controller deriving from ApiController, but that's about all I know.

Let me know if I need to provide more details.

asp.net-mvc-4 visual-studio-2012 asp.net-web-api asp.net-mvc
9 Answers

NOTE : this is just an abbreviation of this answer above

  1. Open NuGet Package manager console and run

    PM> Install-Package Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi

  2. Add references to System.Web.Routing, System.Web.Net and System.Net.Http dlls if not there already

  3. Add the following class

    public static class WebApiConfig
{
     public static void Register(HttpConfiguration config)
     {
         // Web API routes
         config.MapHttpAttributeRoutes();

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

  4. Add Application_Start method if not there already (in global.asax.cs file)

    protected void Application_Start()
{
    //this should be line #1 in this method
    GlobalConfiguration.Configure(WebApiConfig.Register);
}

  5. Right click controllers folder > add new item > web > Add Web API controller

    namespace <Your.NameSpace.Here>
{
    public class VSController : ApiController
    {
        // GET api/<controller>   : url to use => api/vs
        public string Get()
        {
            return "Hi from web api controller";
        }  
    }
}
user_43901330

I had same problem, the solution was so easy

Right click on solotion install Microsoft.ASP.NET.WebApi from "Manage Nuget Package for Sulotion"

boom that's it ;)

user_60339460
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