mvc custom route configuration - asp.net-mvc

Question

Suppose that we want to transform an old version of asp.net web forms into mvc architecture.
But some users have bookmarked our urls or they have link it on other sites.
Now we don't want to loose that urls.instead we want to create a custom route that manages the old-typed urls.
This class gets the old url from user and creates a new route and redirects the user to the new page.
This is my custom route class:
public class LegacyRoute:RouteBase
{
private string[] urls;
public LegacyRoute(params string[] targetUrls)
{
urls = targetUrls;
}
public override RouteData GetRouteData(HttpContextBase httpContext)
{
RouteData result = null;
string requestedURL =
httpContext.Request.AppRelativeCurrentExecutionFilePath;
if (urls.Contains(requestedURL,StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
{
result = new RouteData(this, new MvcRouteHandler());
result.Values.Add("controller", "Legacy");
result.Values.Add("action", "GetLegacyUrl");
result.Values.Add("legacyUrl", requestedURL);
}
return result;
}
public override VirtualPathData GetVirtualPath(RequestContext requestContext, RouteValueDictionary values)
{
return null;
}
}
and this is my RegisterRoutes function:
public static void RegisterRoutes(RouteCollection routes)
{
// routes.IgnoreRoute("{resource}.axd/{*pathInfo}");
routes.Add(new LegacyRoute("~/articles/windows_3.1_Overview.html", "~/old/.NET_1.0_Class_Library"));
routes.MapRoute(null, "{controller}/{action}/{id}", new { controller = "Home", action = "Index", id = UrlParameter.Optional });
}
I have also created "Legacy" controller and "GetLegacyUrl" action.
But when I run the website and type
"localhost:14786/articles/windows_3.1_Overview.html"
in my browser I get the 404 Not Found error.
Where is the problem? Why I get this error?

Answer 1

I solved this problem (in Restful Routing) by creating a global attribute that looks at the route and then executes a redirect if it realizes the route is a "redirect route". In your case it would be a LegacyRoute.
public class RedirectFilterAttribute : ActionFilterAttribute
{
public override void OnActionExecuting(ActionExecutingContext filterContext)
{
if (filterContext.IsChildAction)
return;
var redirect = filterContext.RouteData.Route as RedirectRoute;
if (redirect != null)
{
var helper = new UrlHelper(filterContext.RequestContext);
var values = new RouteValueDictionary(filterContext.RequestContext.RouteData.Values);
var merged = new RouteValueDictionary(redirect.DataTokens["new_path"] as RouteValueDictionary);
// keep the values we specified, and add the other routeValues
// that we we didn't have overrides for.
foreach (var key in values.Keys.Where(key => !merged.ContainsKey(key)))
merged.Add(key, filterContext.RouteData.Values[key]);
var url = helper.RouteUrl(filterContext.RouteData.Values);
filterContext.Result = new RedirectResult(url, redirect.IsPermanent);
}
}
}

Answer 2

I know this is like a month old, but in your post, you did not mention the view. What view do you expect the user to arrive at? What is the view that the controller is returning as a result of GetLegacyUrl? If there is view being retured by GetLegacyUrl, then you will not get a 404. The original code you posted is fine.