Difference between Asp.Net Web API and Asp.Net MVC
Following are some points in difference between Web API and MVC.
1. Asp.Net
MVC is used to create a web application that returns both views and data but
Asp.Net Web API is used to create full blown HTTP services with easy and simple
way that returns only data.
2. Web
API helps to build REST-ful services over the .NET Framework and it also
support content-negotiation(it's about deciding the best response format data
that could be acceptable by the client. it could be JSON,XML,ATOM or other
formatted data), self hosting which are not in MVC.
3. Web
API also takes care of returning data in particular format like JSON,XML or any
other based upon the Accept header in the request. MVC only return data in JSON
format using JsonResult.
4. In
Web API the request are mapped to the actions based on HTTP verbs but in MVC it
is mapped to actions name.
5. Asp.Net
Web API is new framework and part of the core ASP.NET framework. The model
binding, filters, routing and others MVC features exist in Web API are
different from MVC and exists in the new
System.Web.Http
assembly. In MVC, these featues exist with in System.Web.Mvc
. Hence Web API can also be used with
Asp.Net and as a stand alone service layer.
6. You
can mix Web API and MVC controller in a single project to handle advanced AJAX
requests which may return data in JSON, XML or any others format and building a
full blown HTTP service. Typically, this will be called Web API self hosting.
7. When
you have mixed MVC and Web API controller and you want to implement the
authorization then you have to create two filters one for MVC and another for
Web API since boths are different.
8. Moreover,
Web API is light weight architecture and except the web application it can also
be used with smart phone apps.
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