.NET Web API HttpResponseMessage Pattern?
.net, asp.net, asp.net-web-api
Solution
See this and this SO questions.
The response will be the same (`HttpResponseMessage`) in both cases.
`HttpResponseMessage` allows you to work with HTTP protocol (e.g., via `Headers` property) and unifies your return type.
Returning CLR types can be more readable, but you loose flexibility to return different types with different status codes unless you use `dynamic` or `object` which defeats the purpose of returning a specific type.
Personally, I prefer to use `IHttpActionResult` (added in v2) and to specify a `ResponseTypeAttribute` on controller actions for the expected return type to improve readability.
[HttpGet]
[ResponseType(typeof(Portfolio))]
public IHttpActionResult GetPortfolio([FromUri] long id)
{
// get portfolio
return Ok(portfolio);
}
You can easily manipulate response messages (in a RESTful way) using default `IHttpActionResult` implementations (see `OkResult` above). Avoiding constructing `HttpResponseMessage` yourself also keeps code clean. Here is an official article on `IHttpActionResult` and here is an interesting SO conversation on `HttpResponseMessage` vs `IHttpActionResult`.
Problem
So I've seen the Web API 2 Controllers return `HttpResponse` and the actual object. Example: ``` public HttpResponseMessage Get(string id) { var app = apps.Single(c => c.Id == id); return new HttpResponseMessage(HttpStatusCode.OK) { Content = new ObjectContent<object>(app, Configuration.Formatters.JsonFormatter) }; } ``` or ``` public Application Get(string id) { return apps.Single(c => c.Id == id); } ``` My question which is the 'right' way? #2 is much shorter but is it better to do #1 or does #2 do #1 automatically ... ?