Adding Web API to Our Project

[MUSIC] 0:00 Now that we've been introduced to REST APIs and the WEB API framework, 0:04 we're ready to work on our API. 0:09 Let's get started. 0:11 There are two options for getting started with the WEB API framework. 0:13 Creating a new project with the necessary dependencies and configuration. 0:17 We're adding those things to an existing project. 0:21 When creating a new ASP.NET project, you actually have two options. 0:28 The first option, is to use the empty project template and 0:33 select to add the Web API folders and core references to your project. 0:37 Your project won't contain any API controllers, but 0:44 it'll have everything that you need to get started with adding your first controller. 0:47 The second option, is to select the Web API project template. 0:51 This will give you a project that not only contains the Web API folders and 0:56 core references, but also a single example controller. 0:59 The project will also contain an example of how to combine Web API and 1:03 MVC, to provide help pages for your API. 1:08 For more information on how to provide help pages for 1:11 your API, see the teacher's notes. 1:14 Since we're starting with an existing project, 1:17 we need to add the necessary dependencies and configuration to our project. 1:19 To do that, we can use the NuGet package manager. 1:23 If we browse for packages and scroll down in the list of it, 1:29 We should see the Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi package. 1:38 If you don't see it in this list, try typing WebApi in the search box. 1:43 At the time of this recording, the latest stable version is 5.2.3, 1:48 which is actually WebApi 2.2. 1:53 Once you've found the correct package, go ahead and install it. 1:56 Web API itself is dependent on a number of other packages. 2:02 Newtonsoft.Json, AspNet.WebAPI.Client, 2:07 AspNet.WebAPI.Core, and AspNet.WebAPI.WebHost. 2:12 Go ahead and click OK, and accept the end user agreement. 2:21 Now that we've installed Web API, 2:34 we need to define a static method to configure Web API. 2:36 First, add a folder named App_Start, Add, New Folder. 2:40 Then add a new C# class named Web API Config to the App_Start folder. 2:51 Go ahead and remove App_Start from the end of the namespace. 3:04 Typically, the convention is for 3:10 the last segment of the namespace to match the folder name. 3:12 But for classes located in the ASP.NET App_Start folder, 3:15 the convention is to use the project's route namespace. 3:18 Doing this will make it slightly easier to reference our static method 3:22 from the Global.asax CS file. 3:26 The WebApiConfig class will only contain a single static method. 3:30 So let's make the class itself static 3:34 by adding the static keyword right before the class keyword. 3:36 Doing this will prevent the class from ever been instantiated. 3:41 Now, add the static method named registered, 3:45 public static void Register, 3:51 And a parameter of type HttpConfiguration. 3:57 Add a using statement for the System Web.Http namespace. 4:06 And name the parameter, config. 4:12 In later videos, we'll add code to this method to configure our API. 4:15 Now that we have our API configuration method, 4:20 we need to ensure that it'll get called when an application is starting up. 4:22 We can do that by updating the Global.asax CS file located in the root 4:27 of our project. 4:31 The Global.asax CS file defines a class containing a method named, 4:36 Application_Start, which is called every time that the web app is started. 4:41 To ensure that our configuration method will get called at the right time 4:47 when the Web API framework is being initialized, we call the global 4:51 configuration, Configure method, and pass a reference to our configuration method. 4:55 Remember, WebApiConfig is the name of the static class. 5:23 And Register is the name of our static configuration method. 5:28 By not including a set of parentheses here, 5:32 we're passing a reference to the method instead of calling it. 5:34 Our project isn't using the MVC web framework. 5:38 But if we were adding WebApi to an existing MVC project, 5:41 we'd need to make sure to call the global configuration, Configure method, 5:44 before calling the method that configures the routes for MVC. 5:49 The easiest way to ensure that happens is to always place this method call at 5:53 the top of the Application_Start method. 5:57 Okay, we've got our Configuration method stubbed out, but 6:04 it's not doing anything yet. 6:07 Let's fix that next. 6:09