ASP.NET Core has two ways to create RESTful Web API:
- Based on Controller, interface endpoints are defined using a complete ControllerBase-based base class.
- Based on Minimal APIs, interface endpoints are defined using Lambda expressions.
Controller-based Web APIs can use constructor injection, or property injection, following object-oriented patterns.
Web APIs based on Minimal APIs use injection through service providers.
Controller-based Web API example:
namespace APIWithControllers;
public class Program
{
public static void Main(string[] args)
{
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
builder.Services.AddControllers();
var app = builder.Build();
app.UseHttpsRedirection();
app.MapControllers();
app.Run();
}
}
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
namespace APIWithControllers.Controllers;
[ApiController]
[Route("[controller]")]
public class WeatherForecastController : ControllerBase
{
private static readonly string[] Summaries = new[]
{
"Freezing", "Bracing", "Chilly", "Cool", "Mild", "Warm", "Balmy", "Hot", "Sweltering", "Scorching"
};
private readonly ILogger<WeatherForecastController> _logger;
public WeatherForecastController(ILogger<WeatherForecastController> logger)
{
_logger = logger;
}
[HttpGet(Name = "GetWeatherForecast")]
public IEnumerable<WeatherForecast> Get()
{
return Enumerable.Range(1, 5).Select(index => new WeatherForecast
{
Date = DateOnly.FromDateTime(DateTime.Now.AddDays(index)),
TemperatureC = Random.Shared.Next(-20, 55),
Summary = Summaries[Random.Shared.Next(Summaries.Length)]
})
.ToArray();
}
}
Examples of Web APIs based on Minimal APIs:
namespace MinimalAPI;
public class Program
{
public static void Main(string[] args)
{
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
var app = builder.Build();
app.UseHttpsRedirection();
var summaries = new[]
{
"Freezing", "Bracing", "Chilly", "Cool", "Mild", "Warm", "Balmy", "Hot", "Sweltering", "Scorching"
};
app.MapGet("/weatherforecast", (HttpContext httpContext) =>
{
var forecast = Enumerable.Range(1, 5).Select(index =>
new WeatherForecast
{
Date = DateOnly.FromDateTime(DateTime.Now.AddDays(index)),
TemperatureC = Random.Shared.Next(-20, 55),
Summary = summaries[Random.Shared.Next(summaries.Length)]
})
.ToArray();
return forecast;
});
app.Run();
}
}
The same functionality can be achieved in two ways.
But there are some functions that Web API of Minimal APIs does not have, including:
- No native support for model binding
- No native support for authentication
- Does not support application parts or application model
- No native support for view rendering
- JsonPatch is not supported
- OData is not supported