ASP.NET API routing

Question

I'm working on an ASP.NET 5 API and understand that, in order to make the API as "restful" as possible, we use Http verbs as method names.

My question is what happens if I have multiple methods that do different things and all have to be HttpPost?

Say, I have a method that I may call to update a user's first name and may have another method that I use to update the user's city. In both cases, the input parameters will be user ID (GUID) and value which is a string.

[HttpPost("id")]
public void Post([FromRoute]id, [FromBody]firstName)
{
   // Change user's first name
}

[HttpPost("id")]
public void Post([FromRoute]id, [FromBody]city)
{
   // Change user's city
}

How do I name my methods in this case?

2 methods are fine, just use attribute routes to specify different urls. Are they the same URL? — davidfowl
– davidfowl, Commented Jan 18, 2016 at 5:36
They can be but they don't have to be. I'm trying to understand the best way to handle it. — Sam
– Sam, Commented Jan 18, 2016 at 15:38

garethb · Accepted Answer · 2016-01-18 01:50:50Z

5

To have 2 post methods that do different things, use the "ActionName" attribute.

[HttpPost("id")]
[ActionName("FirstNamePost")]
public void FirstNamePost([FromRoute]id, [FromBody]firstName)
{
   // Change user's first name
}

[HttpPost("id")]
[ActionName("CityPost")]
public void CityPost([FromRoute]id, [FromBody]city)
{
   // Change user's city
}

So you would call "www.mysite.com/api/citypost/1" or "www.mysite.com/api/FirstNamePost/1"

Another option would be to only have one post method and add a 3rd parameter to distinguish between a name update or city update.

answered Jan 18, 2016 at 1:50

garethb

4,0516 gold badges37 silver badges56 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

2 Comments

Alexei Levenkov Over a year ago

Side note: for naming you'd be looking for /api/city/name (GET/POST) rather than include "post" in a url...

garethb Over a year ago

@AlexeiLevenkov Agreed!

marc_s · Accepted Answer · 2019-12-30 22:09:26Z

-1

You can give the controller a route prefix

[RoutePrefix("Note")]
public class NoteController

then give a specific route to whatever action

[Route("", Name = "Note")]
[HttpGet]
public async Task<IHttpActionResult> Get (string tenantName, [FromBody] TagTdo entity)

[Route("", Name = "CreateNote")]
[HttpPost]        
public async Task<IHttpActionResult> Post (string tenantName, [FromBody] NoteDto entity)

[Route("Update\{id}", Name = "UpdateNote")]
[HttpPut]        
public async Task<IHttpActionResult> Put(string tenantName, [FromBody] NoteDto entity)

Then the route will be:

\Note [GET]
\Note [POST]
\Note\Update\4 [PUT]

Also as a naming convention DON'T use long name in the route, break into several words with slash and http verb

Don't use GetUserContacts, use User\Contacts [GET].

edited Dec 30, 2019 at 22:09

marc_s

760k186 gold badges1.4k silver badges1.5k bronze badges

answered Nov 23, 2016 at 13:41

michael berezin

1,2968 silver badges8 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

ASP.NET API routing

2 Answers 2

2 Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

2 Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related