I already have a WCF service that communicates through SOAP messages now I have a requirement to modify this service such that it can be consumed from JavaScript. The client asked me to look into WCF Web Api. I don't understand what are advantages I'm going to get using WCF Web Api than WCF RESTful services. Is WCF RESTful services is enough for this job?
WCF Web API is evolution of current WCF REST services = it will be the next version of WCF REST but at this time it is still preview.
Related
Why Restful WCF Services is preffered for Mobile Applications? Can we use normal WCF to communicate?
Mobile apps or any client can call the RESTful services directly and easily without the SOAP protocol and RESTful services return json data by default, so its easily usable on the client side. Its really difficult and cumbersome to call WCF service from mobile and other client application.
Have a look at the links below:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj823172(v=vs.110).aspx
http://www.dotnet-tricks.com/Tutorial/webapi/JI2X050413-Difference-between-WCF-and-Web-API-and-WCF-REST-and-Web-Service.html
I have experience in developing Restful web service using WCF. For the next project, I am considering Web API because that is the latest technology.
During my search, I found that an important reason for Web API recommendation is that it is Restful and can be accessed by HTTP protocol.
But we can also use WCF to create a restful web service that can be consumed even by mobile devices. I understand that to create a restful service using WCF, there is extra configuration involved, but besides that are there any other reasons for preferring Web API over WCF?
In other words, does Web API provide an exact subset of WCF functionality, or is there something you can do with Web API that you cannot do with a WCF service exposed as restful?
I followed the example in the article http://www.asp.net/aspnet/overview/owin-and-katana/owin-oauth-20-authorization-server
this works great for WEB API, how would I secure a WCF service the same way? I would like to have it communicate to the authorization server coded with OWIN and WEB API, is there a WCF binding that will communicate with it? or any other way to do this?
I have a web application(HRMS) in asp.net MVC4 and a Windows Form (later on converted in windows service) connected to a biometric device. So question is should I use WCF Service or asp.net web api to send attendance data?
Thanks in advance
Go for ASP.NET Web API.
Use WCF to create reliable, secure web services that accessible over a
variety of transports. Use ASP.NET Web API to create HTTP-based
services that are accessible from a wide variety of clients. Use
ASP.NET Web API if you are creating and designing new REST-style
services. Although WCF provides some support for writing REST-style
services, the support for REST in ASP.NET Web API is more complete and
all future REST feature improvements will be made in ASP.NET Web API. If you have an existing WCF service and you want to expose
additional REST endpoints, use WCF and the WebHttpBinding.
Its better to stay with WebAPI as it looks to be more appropriate for building further real RESTfull service development. WCF was originally created to enable SOAP-based services. For simpler RESTful or RPCish services (think clients like jQuery) ASP.NET Web API should be good choice.
I am new to WCF and just have made a sample service. Please guide me by default WCF services are soap or restful if we not specify anywhere ? I tried to run URL of my services and got this page. I am feeling it is SOAP based. Kindly guide.
Thanks
WCF services by default are SOAP - unless you use the webHttpBinding which is REST (and this for now is the only RESTful binding). To test your SOAP based services, you cannot just navigate to an URL in your browser - you need to use a SOAP test app, like SoapUI or the WCF Test Client.
WCF Data Services and WCF RIA Services are based on webHttpBinding and thus are REST-based. REST services can be tested by just browsing to the URL - you'll get back XML that can be shown in your browser (or JSON which you can store to a file and look at)
By default, WCF services are soap based if you use the project item "WCF Service" in visual studio.