MvcMailer Web API 2

Question

I am trying to use MvcMailer on a web API and I am stuck! I am getting the following error. I think it has something to do with the routing between usermailer and view. I seen it can't find the view, but i could be wrong. Any help would be appreciate.

Error:

Value cannot be null.Parameter name: routeData

StackTrace:

at System.Web.Routing.RequestContext..ctor(HttpContextBase httpContext, RouteData routeData)
   at System.Web.Mvc.ControllerContext..ctor(HttpContextBase httpContext, RouteData routeData, ControllerBase controller)
   at Mvc.Mailer.MailerBase.CreateControllerContext()
   at Mvc.Mailer.MailerBase.ViewExists(String viewName, String masterName)
   at Mvc.Mailer.MailerBase.TextViewExists(String viewName, String masterName)
   at Mvc.Mailer.MailerBase.PopulateBody(MailMessage mailMessage, String viewName, String masterName, Dictionary`2 linkedResources)
   at Mvc.Mailer.MailerBase.Populate(Action`1 action)
   at App.Api.Mailers.UserMailer.NewCandidate() in e:\VS2013 Projects\App.Api\Mailers\UserMailer.cs:line 15
   at App.Api.Controllers.CandidatesController.Get() in e:\VS2013 Projects\App.Api\Controllers\CandidatesController.cs:line 31

controller:

private readonly UserMailer _mailer = new UserMailer();      

[Authorize]
[Route("")]
[HttpPost]
// POST api/requests
public HttpResponseMessage Post(Candidate candidate)
{
    _repository.CandidateRepository.Insert(candidate);
    _repository.Save();
    _mailer.NewCandidate().Send();
    return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.OK, candidate);
    
}

UserMailer Class:

public class UserMailer : MailerBase, IUserMailer   
{
    public UserMailer()
    {
        MasterName="_Layout";
    }
    
    public virtual MvcMailMessage NewCandidate()
    {
        //ViewBag.Data = someObject;
        return Populate(x =>
        {
            x.Subject = "NewCandidate";
            x.ViewName = "NewCandidate";
            x.To.Add("test@test.test");
        });
    }
}

Folder Structure:

Answer 1

I have also hit this issue with a mail being sent form a WebAPI2 project - that also has the MVC references, but only with a specific mailer in one of my API controllers. I have another mailer in a different API controller that has no problems at all.

but I simply added :

    this.ControllerContext = new System.Web.Mvc.ControllerContext(this.CurrentHttpContext, new System.Web.Routing.RouteData(), this);

into the mailer constructor and it all works fine now. I presume in this particular instance that the context/routedata is getting lost - possibly because of the format of my attribute routing on this particular method - as the API methods that work (with sending mails) have a slightly different uri. but i may be way off the mark there

maybe someone could explain what is really going on ..

EDIT: I slightly altered the route and low and behold the method worked fine. was [RoutePrefix("api/bookings")] on the controller and then

[Route("{ref}/sendmail")]
public async Task<IHttpActionResult> SendMail(string ref)

on the method which didn't work

but if i remove the parameter from the route and do

[Route("sendmail")]
public async Task<IHttpActionResult> SendMail(string ref)

getting the param from a querystring value - it works fine

Answer 2

I don't think its the view being not found. I use this successfully and whilst your code is slightly different to mine, the difference I see is in your controller.

At the top declaration I have:

    private IUserMailer _UserMailer = new UserMailer();
    public IUserMailer UserMailer
    {
        get { return _UserMailer; }
        set { _UserMailer = value; }
    }

I have updated this to reflect your mailer name. Hope this helps.