I saw that ASP.Net MVC4 WebApi exposes services as a Rest ones.
But what is actually the difference between normal Rest and ASP.Net MVC4 WebApi?
I'm not sure what you mean by normal Rest.
REST is a paradigm.
HTTP is a protocol that follows that paradigm.
ASP.NET Web API allows developers to write ASP.NET applications that can be accessed via HTTP and adhere to the REST paradigm. While you could create a REST API without Web API, Web API provides a ton of features that will remove a lot of the pain associated with creating a truly RESTful API in ASP.NET.
apigee has many great resources for REST API best practicies.
Are you asking about the general REST standard or the way that REST has been done traditionally on the Microsoft platform prior to the MVC4 Web API? I am thinking you are approaching this as the second one.
The updated approach in MVC4 gives you more REST capabilities without the WCF model. Here is a recent post on the subject: http://mattmilner.com/Milner/Blog/post/2012/02/28/WebAPI-or-WCF.aspx.
Related
I am an MVC.NET developer but never used API web service before in an MVC project.
I just want to know like for WCF services we use different project in the application usually. Likewise, what is best practice likewise for web API services and how they work with proxy design patterns extra?
In my current application I am using WCF services but I am keen to learn if API web service can replace it and how?
yes , you can replace with API service.
For your project structure , you can refer below link content.
Implement ASP.Net Web API in ASP.Net MVC 5
http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/4b0136/implement-Asp-Net-web-api-2-in-Asp-Net-mvc-5/
I have a MVC web application and I make some ajax calls from the client to get back json data. Right now I just use MVC Action methods to return this data. I was wondering if I should be using the ASP.Net Web Api for these.
I understand that if I was building a REST solution I should be using it.
But in this case would it be justified to add the extra complexity? Is there any speed gain? I don't really need the Content Negotiation feature or the OData Support.
According to the post here (and the benchmark it references), Web API is a bit faster. Web api performance?
ASP.net Web api support both JSON and xml. Web Api is for implement rest web service on top of MVC application. It would add extra complexity for the application but you implement web api related method in separate controller.
Rest web services are usually faster than Normal SOAP web services.
In your case if your clients are just a web client no need to implement web services. But If you need to share service for different client (widows applications, windows services, third party applications) implement rest service using web API
I developed a website in ASP.NET MVC 4 using NHibernate, now I need to perform an integration with the site using Windows Forms.
How can I perform authentication system using the same users?
What technology should I use? Web API, SOAP or Rest?
Thanks!
Small clarification of terms : REST is an architectural style, SOAP is a protocol for exchanging information, and Web API is a framework to build HTTP Services.
The stock answer for questions like this is "It depends"
Before you continue with a technology selection, currently is your method for authenticating users separated properly from your business/presentation logic?
If that is the case, being that you are using MVC 4, Web API may be the path of least resistance, you can put all of the functionality that requires authentication behind Web API calls. And your controllers will call them. Once that is done, a Windows forms app can consume the data in a similar way.
What is the difference between making calls to mvc controller methods and WCF WEB API Rest Service Calls?
I can create an mvc controller post method that will allow me to execute any code i need.
I can also create a WCF Web API REST Service with MVC.
What is the difference between these two approaches to accessing data ?
More specifically what are the advantages of utilizing WCF in this scenario ?
WCF Web API handles XML and JSON out of the box whereas you'll have to create your XML and JSON "by hand" (read: using the Serializers) when using MVC - this is only one of the benefits of WCF Web API over MVC.
Another one is the level of separation WCF Web API offers e.g. implementing your service logic vs. content negotiation.
Yet you can easily use IoC containers and unit test your APIs being created using WCF Web API.
WCF Web API mainly has been created to build ReSTful API's whereas MVC just allows it to create them too - thus with WCF Web API you'll feel more comfortable creating ReST APIs.
If you're planning to start a project from scratch as an Web (ReST) Api, you should start with WCF Web API.
If you're planning to start with a Website that also offers ReSTful Services, you should suggest MVC.
You should also regard this tweet from Glenn Block.
You could accomplish a typical REST API with either one.
Usually the issue boils down to (1) what specific features you need and (2) what technology you are more familiar with.
There are some features of WCF that are really neat and not available in MVC (like binary serializations, the ability to host without IIS, et cetera) but those are not typically requirements in a REST API.
Overall I would say:
If you have an WCF implementation already in place and want to expose it as a REST API go for it with WCF.
If you already have an MVC site and want to expose it as a REST API stick with MVC.
A Guide to Designing and Building RESTful Web Services with WCF 3.5, this article explains the foundations of REST and how it relates to WCF. MVC uses REST as the architectural model. I am guessing one can use the .NET MVC to create web applications that have both a front end and an API point, but I am not sure if the safe way of building the API is to build it with WCF and then use it in the MVC as a controller.
Please comment if the question is not clear, I will add or modify the text.
Theres actually a third option, ADO.NET Data Servies. Anyway, here how I see them.
MVC REST: Gives you full control over how to expose your data, you have to write all the code to get it up an running tho, e.g. serialization, deserialization, all the CRUD methods etc etc. Worht metioning that this being an MVC site means you are limited to exposing your service via IIS over HTTP(S)
WCF REST: More automation than MVC, a much more solid frameowkr than MVC REST, i.e. caching, security, error handling etc (basically all the stff you'd have to write yourself using plain MVC). Being WCF, you can host this in a variety of ways (e.g WS-, TCP) etc.
ADO.NET DATA SERVICES: The quickest way to get up an running with everthing ready to use, all you need todo is configure the global.asax, however you have to use an Entity Data Model, which you many not want to.
Personally, I would use either ADO.NET DATA SERVICES or WCF REST to build an API, consue that API in MVC site and then expose that API either directly, or by passing it through another layer.
ASP.NET MVC can serve as a REST endpoint for light services work, so I guess the answer to your question depends on how you define "safe."
Clearly WCF is designed specifically for creating REST endpoints, with all of the security implications that are implied thereof, whereas ASP.NET MVC is designed to create REST endpoints which can be used by ASP.NET MVC itself.
The following article shows how to create a web service using an ASP.NET MVC controller:
Create REST API using ASP.NET MVC that speaks both Json and plain Xml
http://msmvps.com/blogs/omar/archive/2008/10/03/create-rest-api-using-asp-net-mvc-that-speaks-both-json-and-plain-xml.aspx
See also the following article from Phil Haack, which discusses an SDK the WCF team put together for users of ASP.NET MVC:
Rest For ASP.NET MVC SDK and Sample
http://haacked.com/archive/2009/08/17/rest-for-mvc.aspx
They are two different sets of technologies, only related by being built on .net
MVC is used to create websites and provides a model where URLs are routed to controllers and controllers deliver views to the user as the user interface.
WCF is a set of libraries in .net that are used to abstract the type of service (is it hosted in a windows service, as a webservice in IIS etc.) as well as the protocol (HTTP, TCP, MSMQ etc.) from the client and server which are communicating.
An MVC website may use WCF to connect to a web service, but that is just one of many options.