How to get the WebAPI HelpPage package to work with the HotTowel template?

Question

I am trying out the new Hot Towel template from John Papa. It is really slick, but I'm having some difficulties getting it to cooperate with what I'm used to for Web API.

I was able to work around a routing issue, but I still can't get the Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.HelpPage package to work.

Here's what I have done:

Install the Hot Towel VSIX.
New ASP.NET MVC4 Projct - Hot Towel SPA Template
Build, Run - Works.
Right-Click Controllers folder, Add Controller named TestController.
Choose "Empty API Controller" template.

Write the following action in the TestController:

public IEnumerable<string> GetTestData()
{
     return new[] { "A", "B", "C" };
}

Build, Run.
Try URL /api/test Get error 404 The resource cannot be found.
Try URL /api/test/gettestdata. Works.

Then I noticed that BreezeWebApiConfig.cs has changed the default api route, and the {action} is required, so I added the default api route back in:

GlobalConfiguration.Configuration.Routes.MapHttpRoute(
    name: "DefaultApi",
    routeTemplate: "api/{controller}/{id}",
    defaults: new { id = RouteParameter.Optional }
    );

Now when I try URL /api/test, it works.

Now I'd like to use the help package.

Add Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.HelpPage nuget package.
Add AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas(); to Global.asax.cs
Build, Run.

When I try to the URL /Help, I get the following error:

System.InvalidOperationException: The view 'Index' or its master was not found
or no view engine supports the searched locations.
The following locations were searched:
    ~/Views/Help/Index.aspx
    ~/Views/Help/Index.ascx
    ~/Views/Shared/Index.aspx
    ~/Views/Shared/Index.ascx
    ~/Views/Help/Index.cshtml
    ~/Views/Help/Index.vbhtml
    ~/Views/Shared/Index.cshtml
    ~/Views/Shared/Index.vbhtml

What is the correct way to resolve this error without breaking the HotTowel template?

Should either of these be considered bugs?

Once you get HotTowel installed, I recommend you remove the hottowelconfig and move what was in it to your own code. That will eliminate the need for extra routes. — John Papa, Feb 24 '13 at 01:11

score 9 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 24 '13 at 00:24

After installing the HotTowel template and and creating the application and then installing the HelpPage, I registered the help page area like below:

protected void Application_Start()
    {
        AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas();

        FilterConfig.RegisterGlobalFilters(GlobalFilters.Filters);
        RouteConfig.RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes);
        BundleConfig.RegisterBundles(BundleTable.Bundles);
    }

But doing so above caused the routetable routes to be in the following order and was noticing similar problems as you mentioned.

a.Breeze Api route
b.HotTowel route
c.Help page route
d.ignored routes
e.RouteConfig routes

So, i fixed the above order of routes by doing the following:

Comment out the "[assembly: WebActivator.PreApplicationStartMethod" calls in the config files under App_Start folder.

Register the routes in the following order in Global.asax.cs. This seems to have fixed the issue for me where i see the help page, invoke api routes and also see the home page accordingly.

protected void Application_Start()
{
    //help page
    AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas();

    //api
    BreezeWebApiConfig.RegisterBreezePreStart();

    //hot towel
    HotTowelRouteConfig.RegisterHotTowelPreStart();

    //register bundles
    HotTowelConfig.PreStart();

    FilterConfig.RegisterGlobalFilters(GlobalFilters.Filters);
}

Thanks! I figured it had something to do with the routing order, but I wasn't sure what the correct order would be. — Matt Johnson-Pint, Feb 24 '13 at 00:30

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 23 '13 at 22:07

3

Interesting. If you remove\comment out the whole "HotTowelMvc" route definition (in HotTowelRouteConfig.cs), and then replace the "Home" default controller string in RouteConfig.cs to "HotTowel" everything works perfectly including the Help package.

answered Feb 23 '13 at 22:07

Mladen Mihajlovic

6,095
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score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 23 '13 at 19:03

0

Have you added a route of your own? The breeze routes wont work for any custom ones you add.

answered Feb 23 '13 at 19:03

John Papa

21,880
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I outlined exactly what I did above. Are you saying that I can't use a regular ApiController if I'm using Breeze? I didn't think it was all or nothing. – Matt Johnson-Pint Feb 23 '13 at 19:05
Not the controller, but the route. You have to define your routes in the routeconfig to make sure you can hit them. – John Papa Feb 23 '13 at 19:09
Ok, but what about the help package problem then? – Matt Johnson-Pint Feb 23 '13 at 19:26
It does not seem to be a problem with webapi actually but with the help package. The webapi controller is responding fine. But the Help Area view are not found? – Mladen Mihajlovic Feb 23 '13 at 21:26

How to get the WebAPI HelpPage package to work with the HotTowel template?

3 Answers3