Calling an ASP.Net web api from a ASP.Net MVC web app. MVC web client is not building the URL properly so getting not found - asp.net-mvc

Question

When I run my web api method using Postman passing in my URL, it works fine - it returns the value of '5' which I expect since the call returns just a single integer. Also at the very bottom I include another method of my web api that I run using Postman and it too works just fine.
http://localhost:56224/api/profileandblog/validatelogin/DemoUser1/DemoUser1Password/169.254.102.60/
However, in the client - an Asp.Net MVC method, when building the URL, it is DROPPING the "/api/profileandblog" part. Note: I'm using "attribute routing" in the web api.
Here is the Asp.Net MVC method to call the web api:
I stop it on this line so I can see the error details: if (result1.IsSuccessStatusCode)
It's INCORRECTLY building the URL as: http://localhost:56224/validatelogin/DemoUser1/DemoUser1Password/169.254.102.60/
It's dropping the: "/api/profileandblog" part that should follow 56224.
So it give's me the Not found.
Why does it drop it? It has the localhost:56224 correct.
[HttpPost]
[ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
public ActionResult SignIn(SignInViewModel signInViewModel)
{
int returnedApiValue = 0;
User returnedApiUser = new User();
DateTime currentDateTime = DateTime.Now;
string hostName = Dns.GetHostName();
string myIpAddress = Dns.GetHostEntry(hostName).AddressList[2].ToString();
try
{
if (!this.IsCaptchaValid("Captcha is not valid"))
{
ViewBag.errormessage = "Error: captcha entered is not valid.";
}
else
{
if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(signInViewModel.Username) && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(signInViewModel.Password))
{
using (var client = new HttpClient())
{
client.BaseAddress = new Uri("http://localhost:56224/api/profileandblog");
string restOfUrl = "/validatelogin/" + signInViewModel.Username + "/" + signInViewModel.Password + "/" + myIpAddress + "/";
// Call the web api to validate the sign in.
// Sends back a -1(failure), -2(validation issue) or the UserId(success) via an OUTPUT parameter.
var responseTask1 = client.GetAsync(restOfUrl);
responseTask1.Wait();
var result1 = responseTask1.Result;
if (result1.IsSuccessStatusCode)
{
var readTask1 = result1.Content.ReadAsAsync<string>();
readTask1.Wait();
returnedApiValue = Convert.ToInt32(readTask1.Result);
if (returnedApiValue == -2)
{
ViewBag.errormessage = "You entered an invalid user name and/or password";
}
else
{
// I have the 'user id'.
// Continue processing...
}
}
else
{
ModelState.AddModelError(string.Empty, "Server error on signing in. 'validatelogin'. Please contact the administrator.");
}
}
}
}
return View(signInViewModel);
}
catch (Exception)
{
throw;
}
}
Per the suggestion about not having headers, I used another tutorial (https://www.c-sharpcorner.com/article/consuming-asp-net-web-api-rest-service-in-asp-net-mvc-using-http-client/) and it has the code for defining the headers. But it is coded slightly different - using async Task<> on the method definition. I was not using async in my prior version.
[HttpPost]
[ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
public async Task<ActionResult> SignIn(SignInViewModel signInViewModel)
{
int returnedApiValue = 0;
User returnedApiUser = new User();
DateTime currentDateTime = DateTime.Now;
string hostName = Dns.GetHostName();
string myIpAddress = Dns.GetHostEntry(hostName).AddressList[2].ToString();
try
{
if (!this.IsCaptchaValid("Captcha is not valid"))
{
ViewBag.errormessage = "Error: captcha entered is not valid.";
}
else
{
if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(signInViewModel.Username) && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(signInViewModel.Password))
{
using (var client = new HttpClient())
{
client.BaseAddress = new Uri("http://localhost:56224/api/profileandblog");
string restOfUrl = "/validatelogin/" + signInViewModel.Username + "/" + signInViewModel.Password + "/" + myIpAddress + "/";
client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Clear();
client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Accept.Add(new MediaTypeWithQualityHeaderValue("application/json"));
// Call the web api to validate the sign in.
// Sends back a -1(failure), -2(validation issue) or the UserId(success) via an OUTPUT parameter.
HttpResponseMessage result1 = await client.GetAsync(restOfUrl);
if (result1.IsSuccessStatusCode)
{
var readTask1 = result1.Content.ReadAsAsync<string>();
readTask1.Wait();
returnedApiValue = Convert.ToInt32(readTask1.Result);
if (returnedApiValue == -2)
{
ViewBag.errormessage = "You entered an invalid user name and/or password";
}
else
{
// I have the 'user id'.
// Do other processing....
}
}
else
{
ModelState.AddModelError(string.Empty, "Server error on signing in. 'validatelogin'. Please contact the administrator.");
}
}
}
}
return View(signInViewModel);
}
catch (Exception)
{
throw;
}
}
It now has a header but still NOT building the URL properly as it is not including the "/api/profileandblog" part.
Here is the web api and the method being called:
namespace GbngWebApi2.Controllers
{
[RoutePrefix("api/profileandblog")]
public class WebApi2Controller : ApiController
{
[HttpGet]
[Route("validatelogin/{userName}/{userPassword}/{ipAddress}/")]
public IHttpActionResult ValidateLogin(string userName, string userPassword, string ipAddress)
{
try
{
IHttpActionResult httpActionResult;
HttpResponseMessage httpResponseMessage;
int returnValue = 0;
// Will either be a valid 'user id" or a -2 indicating a validation issue.
returnValue = dataaccesslayer.ValidateLogin(userName, userPassword, ipAddress);
httpResponseMessage = Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.OK, returnValue);
httpActionResult = ResponseMessage(httpResponseMessage);
return httpActionResult;
}
catch (Exception)
{
throw;
}
}
}
}
Here's the network tab of the client browser before I hit the button to fire of the Asp.Net MVC method.
The network tab of the client browser after I hit the button to fire of the Asp.Net MVC method and it fails.
Here's another example of Postman executing another method of my api just fine.

Answer 1

I got it to work by setting this as: client.BaseAddress = new Uri("localhost:56224"); and setting the string restOfUrl = "/api/profileandblog/validatesignin/" + signInViewModel.Username + "/" + signInViewModel.Password + "/" + myIpAddress + "/";