我可以在生产环境中使用webapi吗？

Question

Recently I was researching the ability to use the new Web Api framework from Microsoft for REST http services in a client's project. However, I believe the API is only in beta and not fully released. My application is currently running on .net 4.0 and using MVC3. Couple questions I have on this:

Does it work with MVC3, .Net 4.0?

What are the license implications of using WebApi in production? My client has in the past been concerned with using beta products in production so I will need to be able convince them that there is no risk or problems with using this.

I hope to use Web Api as it seems to do exactly what I want. Alternatively I will have to consider WCF Data Services. Or is there another alternative to produce REST services.

Answer 1

1. It does work with .NET 4.0.
2. Web API is part of MVC4. Although I think it could work in a MVC3 application, I don't think it's officially supported.
3. The beta release has a "go live" license, which means that it can be used in production - but it's a beta release, so it's not officially supported. Also, the final framework will definitely change, so a code which works in Beta may not work in the final release. The project is open sourced now, so you can look at the latest bits at http://aspnetwebstack.codeplex.com .
4. There are many other alternatives for creating REST services. Plain-old WCF works, WCF Data Services are interesting if you want mostly expose DB-backed data, and there are some non-Microsoft stacks as well.

Answer 2

See the EULA at %ProgramFiles(x86)%\\Microsoft ASP.NET\\ASP.NET MVC 4\\eula.rtf

It says this:

If you comply with the rest of these license terms, you may also distribute to third parties or deploy for third parties to access over the Internet the ASP.NET programs that you develop using the software, provided that...

So basically that's a yes.