ASP.Net Web Api routing issue with ActionName - asp.net

Question

I am working with an ASP.Net Web Api project on Web Developer Express 2010. The routing config is defined in WebApiConfig.cs as:
public static void Register(HttpConfiguration config)
{
config.Routes.MapHttpRoute(
name: "DefaultApi",
routeTemplate: "api/{controller}/{id}",
defaults: new { id = RouteParameter.Optional }
);
config.Routes.MapHttpRoute(
name: "DefaultApi3",
routeTemplate: "api/{controller}/{action}/{id}",
defaults: new { action = RouteParameter.Optional,
id = RouteParameter.Optional }
);
config.Routes.MapHttpRoute(
name: "DefaultApi4",
routeTemplate: "api/{controller}/{action}",
defaults: new { action = RouteParameter.Optional }
);
}
An API Controller called "GCURObservationController" has an action as:
[HttpGet, ActionName("retrieveCuringMaps")]
public IList<SimpleCuringMapsModel> retrieveCuringMaps()
{
... ...
return jsonCuringMapModels;
}
The project was compiled and run successfully. However, I had to go to
http://localhost:2061/api/GCURObservation/retrieveCuringMaps/0
to get the action triggered (action name followed by any integer), rather than what I expected to be
http://localhost:2061/api/GCURObservation/retrieveCuringMaps
That means an arbitrary integer had to follow the action name to get it right. Otherwise, the error was returned. I don't want this action to be triggered with any param.
{"Message":"The request is invalid."}
How to get the second URL to work? Thanks
Cheers,
Alex

Answer 1

If you are using Web API 2, following is one solution you could use. In the below example, I am using attribute routing and conventional routing together in one controller. Here all the actions except GetCustomerOrders are reached via conventional route "DefaultApi".
In general the idea here is not new, that is...even without Web API 2's attribute routing, you could define routes for each individual action of a controller in the global route table, but attribute routing makes this process easier as you can define routes directly and near to the action.
config.MapHttpAttributeRoutes();
config.Routes.MapHttpRoute(
name: "DefaultApi",
routeTemplate: "api/{controller}/{id}",
defaults: new { id = RouteParameter.Optional }
);
[RoutePrefix("api/customers")]
public class CustomersController : ApiController
{
public IEnumerable<Customer> GetAll()
{
}
public Customer GetSingle(int id)
{
}
public void Post(Customer customer)
{
}
public void Put(int id, Customer updatedCustomer)
{
}
public void Delete(int id)
{
}
[Route("{id}/orders")]
public IEnumerable<Order> GetCustomerOrders(int id)
{
}
}