c# deriving from a base apicontroller - in the base class the Request object is null

Question

I have a few api controllers with similar behavior. I've created a common base class which itself is an api controller. In my derived classes I have some assumptions that should be resolved in the base api controller (for instance some common header values). But my problem is in the base ApiController the "Request" object is null!

Why is this and how can I solve? (It is important in the construction of the derived class as I am assigning values based on header values)

A Code example

BaseClass : ApiController
{
public BaseClass()
{
  _header1 =  Request.Headers.GetValues("header1");
}
}

DerivedClass : BaseClass
{
// getting error here because the base class isn't constructed because the Request object is null! and errors are thrown
}

Answer 1

This has nothing to do with inheritance, it's to do with the fact the ApiController hasn't been initialized yet and you are trying to access the Request object from the constructor.

If you need to initialize something in your controller you should override the Initialize method and do it in there (remember to call into the base!).