Step by step how to create a WCF RESTful application in Asp.Net MVC

 

In this tutorial we'll learn how to create a WCF RESTful application in Asp.Net MVC, with support for HTTP GET requests, in 5 minutes. 
For this tutorial, we'll  create a WCF RESTful application that will handle ONLY HTTP GET requests. The complete, and larger, HTTP POST - HTTP PUT & HTTP DELETE tutorial can be found HERE.
We'll start at an working MVC application, which will use an SQL database , showing as follows:
 


We'll then add a WCF Web Service to fetch data & render it in JSON format.
First check your app is running at the Visual Studio Development Server : that will allow you to check your WCF service bypassing possible security issues caused by using IIS:

Now add a new item to your project :

Search for all WCF items, and select AJAX-enabled WCF :

Take a look at the web.config automatically created: you'll recognize an ENDPOINT BEHAVIOUR which enables Web Script , and a webHttpBinding  ENDPOINT linked to a CONTRACT named "BlogService" :

The "<enableWebScript>" directive allows the RESTful WCF service to be accessed through AJAX requests, and this option automatically includes the more basic "<WebHttp>" directive. This last option, WebHttp,  is what transforms your WCF service in RESTful, that means, based on HTTP verbs to determine what CRUD operation is required (PUT = update, POST = create, GET = retrieve, DELETE = remove).
Setting "<enableWebScript>" is the same we did when creating ASMX Web Services, while    setting     the "[ScriptService]" attribute.

If you don't want your RESTful WCF service to handle AJAX requests, set just "WebHttp" in the Endpoint Behavior.
Therefore, open that "BlogService" class : it's tagged as a SERVICE CONTRACT , and inside there is a "DoWork" OPERATION :

Delete the function , and create your own OPERATION to fetch ALL the data :

Notice we serialize the data to JSON using the JavaScriptSerializer.
BUILD & RUN your service, and possibly you'll be faced with an exception:



Put a breakpoint inside the OPERATION, and if you got the "CIRCULAR REFERENCE WAS DETECTED WHILE SERIALIZING AN OBJECT OF TYPE" :

...just add to the code "proxycreationenabled" = false, after the instantiation of the Entities Model :

The WCF Operation can return,  instead of a string, all posts in a generic LIST<Blog> , as follows:

[ServiceContract(Namespace = "")]
    public interface IBlogService
    {
        [OperationContract]
        [WebGet(ResponseFormat = WebMessageFormat.Json)]
        List<Blog> GetPosts();
        [OperationContract]
        [WebGet(ResponseFormat = WebMessageFormat.Json)]
        Blog GetPost(string Id);
     
    }

 [AspNetCompatibilityRequirements(RequirementsMode = AspNetCompatibilityRequirementsMode.Allowed)]
    public class BlogService : IBlogService
    {
        BlogEntities ctx;
        public BlogService()
        {
            ctx = new Models.BlogEntities();
            ctx.Configuration.ProxyCreationEnabled = false;
        }
        public List<Blog> GetPosts()
        {
            List<Blog> data = ctx.Blogs.ToList();
            return data; 
        }

        public Blog GetPost(string Id)
        {
            int id = Convert.ToInt32(Id);
            Blog data = ctx.Blogs.Where(b => b.BlogID == id).FirstOrDefault();

            return data; 
        }
}

Getting the JSON results:

The same thing we can do to fetch ONLY ONE record, as a string  :

        [OperationContract]
        [WebGet]
        public string GetBlogs()
        {
            Models.BlogEntities ctx = new Models.BlogEntities();
            ctx.Configuration.ProxyCreationEnabled = false;
            List<Blog> data = ctx.Blogs.ToList();
            return new JavaScriptSerializer().Serialize(data);
        }
        [OperationContract]
        [WebGet]
        public string GetBlog(int Id)
        {
            Models.BlogEntities ctx = new Models.BlogEntities();
            ctx.Configuration.ProxyCreationEnabled = false;
            Blog data = ctx.Blogs.Where(b => b.BlogID == Id).FirstOrDefault();
            return new JavaScriptSerializer().Serialize(data);
        }

    Or as a Blog object:


Rendering the JSON:

We're done. But, what's the URL address of the operation to get the data? Take a look at this screenshot to see from where comes the definition of every part of the URL path:

That's all!! 

In this tutorial we've learn how to create a very simple Ajax enabled WCF RESTful application in Asp.Net MVC in 5 minutes. 

Happy programming.....
    By Carmel Shvartzman

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