Web API with Several Characteristics

Web API of ASP.NET is a framework that can easily build HTTP services to reach a broad range of clients including browsers and mobile devices as well. ASP.NET Web API is an ideal platform to build RESTful applications on the .NET Framework.

When a programmer is building APIs on the Web, there are several ways to build APIs on the Web including HTTP/RPC and using HTTP in Remote Procedure Call to call into things like Methods across the Web.

Web API is an enhanced form of web applications to provide services on several devices like Computer, Laptop, mobile and others. All types of businesses use the internet as a cost-effective way to improve and extend their business in the international market.

In this Web API tutorial, you can learn about the essentials of ASP.NET Web API including characteristics of ASP.NET Web API, why need this and some useful information tips and more.

Read More: Best asp.net web api online training

What is Web API and Why we need this?

Before learning about Web API, let’s have a look at what API means. An application Programming Interface (API) is a set of protocols, subroutine definitions and tools to build software and applications. In Simple, API is a kind of interface which has a set of functions which allow developers to access specific data of the application and operating systems.

Web API is the API over the web which can be accessed through HTTP protocol. We can build Web API by using different types of technologies including .NET, Java etc. ASP.NET Web APIs an extensible framework for building HTTP based services which can be worked in different applications on different platforms like windows, mobile, web etc. ASP.NET Web API works almost in the same way as ASP.NET MVC web application except for the thing that it sends data as a Response rather than as HTML View. It is like a WCF Service or Web service but the exception is that it only supports HTTP protocols.

ASP.NET We4b API is open-source and an ideal platform for building REST-full services over the .NET Framework.

ASP.NET Web API Characteristics:

• ASP.NET Web API is an ideal platform to build RESTful services.
• ASP.NET Web API plans HTTP verbs to process names.
• ASP.NET Web API is built on top of ASP.NET and also supports ASP.NET response pipeline.
• ASP.NET Web API also supports various formats of response data. It has built-in support for XML, JSON, BSON format.
• ASP.NET Web API frameworks consist of new HttPClient to communicate with the Web API server. HttpClient can be easily used in ASP.MVC server-side, Console Application, Windows Form application or other apps.
• ASP.NET Web API can be hosted in IIS, Self-hosted and also in other web servers that supports .NET 4.0+.

When to Choose Web API?

• Choose Web API if the developer is using .NET Framework 4.0 or above.
• Choose Web API to make RESTful HTTP based services.
• Choose Web API if the developer wants to build a service which can support HTTP protocol.
• Choose Web API if the a programmer is familiar with ASP.NET MVC.