CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#asp.net-mvcasp.net-web-apiasp.net-web-api2asp.net-apicontroller
cool breeze
cool breeze

Reputation: 4811

How to return JSON in an ApiController for a single method?

Currently, my ApiControllers are returning XML as a response, but for a single method, I want to return JSON. i.e. I can't make a global change to force responses as JSON.

public class CarController : ApiController
{  
    [System.Web.Mvc.Route("api/Player/videos")]
    public HttpResponseMessage GetVideoMappings()
    {
        var model = new MyCarModel();    
        return model;
    }
}

I tried doing this, but can't seem to convert my model to a JSON string correctly:

var jsonString = Json(model).ToString();    
var response = this.Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.OK);
response.Content = new StringContent(jsonString, Encoding.UTF8, "application/json");
return response;

Upvotes: 48

Views: 125748

Answers (5)

Ashiquzzaman
Ashiquzzaman

Reputation: 5284

If you can't make a global change to force responses as JSON, then try:

[Route("api/Player/videos")]
public HttpResponseMessage GetVideoMappings()
{
    var model = new MyCarModel();
    return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.OK,model,Configuration.Formatters.JsonFormatter);
}

OR

[Route("api/Player/videos")]
public IHttpActionResult GetVideoMappings()
{
    var model = new MyCarModel();
    return Json(model);    
}

If you want to change globally, then first go to YourProject/App_Start/WebApiConfig.cs and add:

config.Formatters.XmlFormatter.SupportedMediaTypes.Remove(
config.Formatters.XmlFormatter.SupportedMediaTypes.FirstOrDefault(t => t.MediaType == "application/xml"));

at the bottom of the Register method.

Then try:

[Route("api/Player/videos")]
public IHttpActionResult GetVideoMappings()
{
    var model = new MyCarModel();
    return Ok(model);    
}

Upvotes: 81

Mohammad Ali
Mohammad Ali

Reputation: 561

Try this ApiController.Ok.

You just do return Ok(model) and change the return type to IHttpActionResult.

Example:

public class CarController : ApiController
{
    [System.Web.Mvc.Route("api/Player/videos")]
    public IHttpActionResult GetVideoMappings()
    {
        var model = new MyCarModel();
        return Ok(model);
    }
}

Upvotes: 4

animalito maquina
animalito maquina

Reputation: 2414

The XML is returned instead JSON because the caller is requesting XML. The returned format can be forced to JSON using a filter that adds the header you need and lets MVC resolve the JSON.

public class AcceptHeaderJsonAttribute : ActionFilterAttribute
{
    public override void OnActionExecuting(System.Web.Http.Controllers.HttpActionContext actionContext)
    {
        actionContext.Request.Headers.Accept.Add(new MediaTypeWithQualityHeaderValue("application/json"));    
    }
}

So you can decorate the method you want to force a JSON response with this attribute and keep the same global JSON configuration and serialization as any other method.

Upvotes: 7

Brian from state farm
Brian from state farm

Reputation: 2896

For API controllers it is up to the caller to determine how the response is created. Unless you specifically add code to force only one type of response. Here is a simple example of an API method and what happens when called requesting XML, or JSON.

public class XmlEampleController : ApiController
{
    [HttpPost]
    [ActionName("MyOrderAction")]
    public HttpResponseMessage MyOrder([FromBody]MyOder order)
    {
        if (order != null)
        {
            return Request.CreateResponse<MyOder>(HttpStatusCode.Created, order);
        }
        return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.BadRequest);
    }

[Serializable]
public partial class MyOder
{
    private string dataField;
    public string MyData
    {
        get
        {
            return this.dataField;
        }
        set
        {
            this.dataField = value;
        }
    }
}

}

Sample:Help page display

Upvotes: 3

zetawars
zetawars

Reputation: 1071

Maybe the issue is with WebApiConfig file. At the end of the file add these 2 lines

var appXmlType = config.Formatters.XmlFormatter.SupportedMediaTypes.FirstOrDefault(t => t.MediaType == "application/xml");
config.Formatters.XmlFormatter.SupportedMediaTypes.Remove(appXmlType);

It is in Project/App_Start/WebApiConfig.cs For asp.net MVC

Upvotes: 0

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