WCF routing -- how to correctly add filter table programmatically - wcf

Question

I am using the WCF 4 routing service, and need to configure the service programmatically (as opposed to via config). The examples I have seen of doing so, which are rare, create a MessageFilterTable as follows:
var filterTable=new MessageFilterTable<IEnumerable<ServiceEndpoint>>();
But, the generic parameter to that method is supposed to be TFilterData (the type of data you are filtering on)? I have my own custom filter that accepts a string -- can I still create the filter table this way?
If this will work...will the routing infrastructure create client endpoints out of the list I pass in?

Answer 1

I have created a WCF 4 routing service and configured it programmatically. My code is a bit more spaced out than it needs to be (maintainability for others being a concern, hence the comments), but it definitely works. This has two filters: one filters some specific Actions to a given endpoint, and the second sends the remaining actions to a generic endpoint.
// Create the message filter table used for routing messages
MessageFilterTable<IEnumerable<ServiceEndpoint>> filterTable = new MessageFilterTable<IEnumerable<ServiceEndpoint>>();
// If we're processing a subscribe or unsubscribe, send to the subscription endpoint
filterTable.Add(
new ActionMessageFilter(
"http://etcetcetc/ISubscription/Subscribe",
"http://etcetcetc/ISubscription/KeepAlive",
"http://etcetcetc/ISubscription/Unsubscribe"),
new List<ServiceEndpoint>()
{
new ServiceEndpoint(
new ContractDescription("ISubscription", "http://etcetcetc/"),
binding,
new EndpointAddress(String.Format("{0}{1}{2}", TCPPrefix, HostName, SubscriptionSuffix)))
},
HighRoutingPriority);
// Otherwise, send all other packets to the routing endpoint
MatchAllMessageFilter filter = new MatchAllMessageFilter();
filterTable.Add(
filter,
new List<ServiceEndpoint>()
{
new ServiceEndpoint(
new ContractDescription("IRouter", "http://etcetcetc/"),
binding,
new EndpointAddress(String.Format("{0}{1}{2}", TCPPrefix, HostName, RouterSuffix)))
},
LowRoutingPriority);
// Then attach the filter table as part of a RoutingBehaviour to the host
_routingHost.Description.Behaviors.Add(
new RoutingBehavior(new RoutingConfiguration(filterTable, false)));

Answer 2

You can find a good example on MSDN here: How To: Dynamic Update Routing Table
Note how they dont directly create an instance of the MessageFilterTable, but instead use the 'FilterTable' property provided by a new RoutingConfiguration instance.
If you have written a custom filter, then you will add it like this:
rc.FilterTable.Add(new CustomMessageFilter("customStringParameter"), new List<ServiceEndpoint> { physicalServiceEndpoint });
The CustomMessageFilter will be your filter, and the "customStringParameter" is the string that (I believe) you are talking about.
When the Router receives a connection request, it will attempt to map it via this table entry, if this is successful, then you are right, the router will create a client endpoint to talk to the ServiceEndpoint that you provided.