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

Question

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

User · Answer

UPDATE 11 22 2013 - this is the latest WebApi package   Install-Package Microsoft AspNet WebApi   Original answer  this is an older WebApi package   Install-Package AspNetWebApi   More details

User · Answer

The above solution works perfectly  I prefer to choose Web API option while selecting the project template as shown in the picture below  Note  The solution works with Visual Studio 2013 or higher  The original question was asked in 2012 and it is 2016  therefore adding a solution Visual Studio 2013 or higher

User · Answer

You can install from nuget as the the below image     Or  run the below command line on Package Manager Console   Install-Package Microsoft AspNet WebApi

User · Answer

To add WebAPI in my MVC 5 project    Open NuGet Package manager console and run  PM gt  Install-Package Microsoft AspNet WebApi  Add references to System Web Routing  System Web Net and System Net Http dlls if not there already Right click controllers folder   add new item   web   Add Web API controller Web config will be modified accordingly by VS Add Application Start method if not there already  protected void Application Start           this should be line  1 in this method     GlobalConfiguration Configure WebApiConfig Register      Add the following class  I added in global asax cs file   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                          Modify web api method accordingly  namespace  lt Your NameSpace Here gt        public class VSController   ApiController                  GET api  lt controller gt      url to use   gt  api vs         public string Get                         return  Hi from web api controller                         GET api  lt controller gt  5     url to use   gt  api vs 5         public string Get int id                        return  id   1  ToString                       Rebuild and test Build a simple html page   lt html xmlns  http   www w3 org 1999 xhtml  gt   lt head gt       lt title gt  lt  title gt           lt script src      lt path to jquery gt  jquery-1 9 1 min js  gt  lt  script gt       lt script type  text javascript  gt          var uri     api vs             document  ready function                    getJSON uri               done function  data                    alert  got      data                                  ajax                   url    api vs 5                   async  true                  success  function  data                        alert  seccess1                        var res   parseInt data                       alert  got res     res                                                      lt  script gt   lt  head gt   lt body gt        lt  body gt   lt  html gt

User · Answer

As soon as you add a  WebApi Controller  under controllers folder  Visual Studio takes care of dependencies automatically      Visual Studio has added the full set of dependencies for ASP NET Web   API 2 to project  MyTestProject         The Global asax cs file in the project may require additional changes   to enable ASP NET Web API          Add the following namespace references       using System Web Http    using System Web Routing    If the code does not already define an Application Start method  add the following method       protected void Application Start             Add the following lines to the beginning of the Application Start method       GlobalConfiguration Configure WebApiConfig Register

User · Answer

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 · Answer

NOTE   this is just an abbreviation of this answer above   Open NuGet Package manager console and run  PM gt  Install-Package Microsoft AspNet WebApi  Add references to System Web Routing  System Web Net and System Net Http dlls if not there already 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                          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      Right click controllers folder   add new item   web   Add Web API controller  namespace  lt Your NameSpace Here gt        public class VSController   ApiController                  GET api  lt controller gt      url to use   gt  api vs         public string Get                         return  Hi from web api controller

User · Answer

Before you start merging MVC and Web API projects I would suggest to read about cons and pros to separate these as different projects  One very important thing  my own  is authentication systems  which is totally different   IF you need to use authenticated requests on both MVC and Web API  you need to remember that Web API is RESTful  don t need to keep session  simple HTTP requests  etc    but MVC is not   To look on the differences of implementations simply create 2 different projects in Visual Studio 2013 from Templates  one for MVC and one for Web API  don t forget to turn On  Individual Authentication  during creation   You will see a lot of difference in AuthencationControllers   So  be aware

User · Answer

The steps I needed to perform were    Add reference to System Web Http WebHost  Add App Start WebApiConfig cs  see code snippet below   Import namespace System Web Http in Global asax cs  Call WebApiConfig Register GlobalConfiguration Configuration  in MvcApplication Application Start    in file Global asax cs   before registering the default Web Application route as that would otherwise take precedence  Add a controller deriving from System Web Http ApiController    I could then learn enough from the tutorial  Your First ASP NET Web API  to define my API controller   App Start WebApiConfig cs   using System Web Http   class WebApiConfig       public static void Register HttpConfiguration configuration                configuration Routes MapHttpRoute  API Default    api  controller   id                new   id   RouteParameter Optional               Global asax cs   using System Web Http        protected void Application Start         AreaRegistration RegisterAllAreas         RegisterGlobalFilters GlobalFilters Filters       WebApiConfig Register GlobalConfiguration Configuration       RegisterRoutes RouteTable Routes       BundleConfig RegisterBundles BundleTable Bundles       Update 10 16 2015   Word has it  the NuGet package Microsoft AspNet WebApi must be installed for the above to work

[asp.net-mvc] How to add Web API to an existing ASP.NET MVC 4 Web Application project?

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