ASP.Net Web API 2 Setup for MVC 4

Quick note adding Web API to existing application. Within Visual Studio, I’m starting from an empty MVC 4.0 application.

1. Add references:

• NewtonSoft.Json
• System.Net.Http
• System.Net.Formatting
• System.Web.Http
• System.Web.Http.WebHost

PM> Install-Package Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.WebHost
Attempting to resolve dependency 'Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.Core (≥ 5.1.2 && < 5.2.0)'.
Attempting to resolve dependency 'Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.Client (≥ 5.1.2)'.
Attempting to resolve dependency 'Newtonsoft.Json (≥ 4.5.11)'.
Installing 'Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.WebHost 5.1.2'.
Successfully installed 'Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.WebHost 5.1.2'.
Adding 'Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.Client 5.1.2' to .
Successfully added 'Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.Client 5.1.2' to .
Adding 'Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.Core 5.1.2' to .
Successfully added 'Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.Core 5.1.2' to .
Adding 'Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.WebHost 5.1.2' to .
Successfully added 'Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.WebHost 5.1.2' to .

2. Within App_Start folder add WebApiConfig class:

public class WebApiConfig
{
    public static void Register(HttpConfiguration config)
    {
        config.MapHttpAttributeRoutes();

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

3. Add to Global.asax.cs file:

using System.Web.Http;
public class MvcApplication : System.Web.HttpApplication
{
    protected void Application_Start()
    {
        GlobalConfiguration.Configure(WebApiConfig.Register);
        RouteConfig.RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes);
    }
}

**Note: Must register WebApiConfig before RouteTable. Registering RouteTable before WebApiConfig will throw 404.

This post is for the purpose of my notes only.

“I invented nothing new. I simply assembled the discoveries of other men behind whom were centuries of work. Had I worked fifty or ten or even five years before, I would have failed. So it is with every new thing. Progress happens when all the factors that make for it are ready and then it is inevitable. To teach that a comparatively few men are responsible for the greatest forward steps of mankind is the worst sort of nonsense.”
Henry Ford