API 2 Controller not working in ASP.NET MVC 5

Question

I'm not sure why but my api route just isn't working? What I do is click on the add controller, select Web API 2 controller with actions using EF (so that it builds it for me) select the model and context and click Add.

WebApiConfig

public static void Register(HttpConfiguration config)
    {
        config.MapHttpAttributeRoutes();

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

ProductsController (ApiController)

public IQueryable<Product> GetProducts()
    {
        return db.Products;
    }

This would imply that by going to /api/products it would display a json format of products ... it doesn't. What I DO get is a 404: The resource you are looking for (or one of its dependencies) could have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable. I tried putting a breakpoint in too and that doesn't even get hit. So I'm a little confused.

I do have custom Web Route configs, which I thought could have been the problem, but when commenting them out still this happens. Is scaffolding missing something?

Thanks for any help

Answer 1

After creating a new project and creating an API controller a text file popped up (One i decided to close thinkign I knew better) But it does not pop up again once closed.

The Solution

Simply add 2 using statements to Global.asax

using System.Web.Routing;
using System.Web.Http;

and GlobalConfiguration.Configure(WebApiConfig.Register); MUST COME FIRST in the same file under the Application_Start method

protected void Application_Start()
    {
        GlobalConfiguration.Configure(WebApiConfig.Register); // <--- this MUST be first 
        AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas();
        FilterConfig.RegisterGlobalFilters(GlobalFilters.Filters);
        RouteConfig.RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes);
        BundleConfig.RegisterBundles(BundleTable.Bundles);
    }

Hopefully this can help someone else out

Answer 2

A little addition to Ultigma's answer. In your global.asax.cs this:

GlobalConfiguration.Configure(WebApiConfig.Register);

should be prior to this:

RouteConfig.RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes);

The reason is that the default Web Api route "api/{controller}/{action}/{id}" is more specific than the MVC default route "{controller}/{action}/{id}" and should be placed first. If not, a request to /api/products will be treated as a call to a Products method of an Api controller.