How to implement Web API controller (mvc 4) with multiple HttpPost actions?

Question

How to implement Web API in MVC 4 with multiple [HttpPost] actions?

Somehow it is not allowing to do so.

Following is my code :

public class DataOperationController : ApiController
{
    DataOperationManager dalManager = new DataOperationManager();

    [HttpPost]
    public User AddUser(User user)
    {
        User newUser = new NBFTestModels.Models.User();
        newUser = dalManager.AddUser(user);
        return newUser;
    }

    [HttpPost]
    public Device AddDevice(Device device)
    {
        Device newDevice = new NBFTestModels.Models.Device();
        newDevice = dalManager.AddDevice(device);
        return newDevice;
    }
}

WebAPI Config:

public static class WebApiConfig
{
    public static void Register(HttpConfiguration config)
    {
        config.Routes.MapHttpRoute(
            name: "DefaultApi",
            routeTemplate: "api/{controller}/{id}",
            defaults: new { id = RouteParameter.Optional }
        );

        config.Routes.MapHttpRoute(
            name: "ControllerAndAction",
            routeTemplate: "api/{controller}/{action}"
        );

        config.Formatters.JsonFormatter.SerializerSettings.ReferenceLoopHandling = Newtonsoft.Json.ReferenceLoopHandling.Serialize;
        config.Formatters.JsonFormatter.SerializerSettings.PreserveReferencesHandling = Newtonsoft.Json.PreserveReferencesHandling.Objects;
        config.EnableSystemDiagnosticsTracing();
    }
}

I checked in Web API2 there is Route attribute which resolves this issue. But as per the client limitations we have to user mvc4. MVC 4 does not support Route attribute. Any suggestions ?

Answer 1

In your startUp class configure attribute routing.

//in your startup class
public void Configuration(IAppBuilder app)
{
    app.UseCors(CorsOptions.AllowAll);

    var configuration = new HttpConfiguration();

    //for route attributes on controllers
    configuration.MapHttpAttributeRoutes();
}

public class DataOperationController : ApiController
{
        DataOperationManager dalManager = new DataOperationManager();
        [HttpPost, Route("api/users/add")]
        public User AddUser(User user)
        {
            User newUser = new NBFTestModels.Models.User();
            newUser = dalManager.AddUser(user);
            return newUser;
        }

        [HttpPost, Route("api/devices/add")]
        public Device AddDevice(Device device)
        {
            Device newDevice = new NBFTestModels.Models.Device();
            newDevice = dalManager.AddDevice(device);
            return newDevice;
        }
}