What is difference between WCF and Web API and WCF REST and Web Service? Is WCF really so complicated that the webapi should be used? Whether WebApi can do all the work and do not take advantage of others?
What is the difference between Web API and WCF services?
Web API can be configured using web. config service. It depend on the attributes based programming model. WCF does not provide any support for MVC features like controllers, routing, filter, auction results, etc.
What is difference between WCF and RESTful services?
RESTful service follows the REST (Representational State Transfer) architectural style. WCF service will allows to make calls and exchange the data using SOAP protocol over different protocols (HTTP, TCP, MSMQ etc..) and it uses the complex mechanism like SOAP for communication.
What is difference between Web API and REST service?
As Web APIs are lightweight architecture, they are designed for gadgets constrained to devices like smartphones. In contrast, REST APIs send and receive data over systems making it a complex architecture.
Does WCF use SOAP or REST?
Normally, a WCF service will use SOAP, but if you build a REST service, clients will be accessing your service with a different architectural style (calls, serialization like JSON, etc.). Exposing a WCF service with both SOAP and REST endpoints, requires just a few updates to the codebase and configuration.
The .Net framework has a number of technologies that allow you to create HTTP services such as Web Service, WCF and now Web API. There are a lot of articles over the internet which may describe to whom you should use.
Web Service
- It is based on SOAP and return data in XML form.
- It support only HTTP protocol.
- It is not open source but can be consumed by any client that understands xml.
- It can be hosted only on IIS.
WCF
- It is also based on SOAP and return data in XML form.
- It is the evolution of the web service(ASMX) and support various protocols like TCP, HTTP, HTTPS, Named Pipes, MSMQ.
- The main issue with WCF is, its tedious and extensive configuration.
- It is not open source but can be consumed by any client that understands xml.
- It can be hosted with in the applicaion or on IIS or using window service.
WCF Rest
- To use WCF as WCF Rest service you have to enable webHttpBindings.
- It support HTTP GET and POST verbs by [WebGet] and [WebInvoke] attributes respectively.
- To enable other HTTP verbs you have to do some configuration in IIS to accept request of that particular verb on .svc files
- Passing data through parameters using a WebGet needs configuration. The UriTemplate must be specified.
- It support XML, JSON and ATOM data format.
Web API
- This is the new framework for building HTTP services with easy and simple way.
- Web API is open source an ideal platform for building REST-ful services over the .NET Framework.
- Unlike WCF Rest service, it use the full feature of HTTP (like URIs, request/response headers, caching, versioning, various content formats)
- It also supports the MVC features such as routing, controllers, action results, filter, model binders, IOC container or dependency injection, unit testing that makes it more simple and robust.
- It can be hosted with in the application or on IIS.
- It is light weight architecture and good for devices which have limited bandwidth like smart phones.
- Responses are formatted by Web API’s MediaTypeFormatter into JSON, XML or whatever format you want to add as a MediaTypeFormatter.
To whom choose between WCF or WEB API
- Choose WCF when you want to create a service that should support special scenarios such as one way messaging, message queues, duplex communication etc.
- Choose WCF when you want to create a service that can use fast transport channels when available, such as TCP, Named Pipes, or maybe even UDP (in WCF 4.5), and you also want to support HTTP when all other transport channels are unavailable.
- Choose Web API when you want to create a resource-oriented services over HTTP that can use the full features of HTTP (like URIs, request/response headers, caching, versioning, various content formats).
- Choose Web API when you want to expose your service to a broad range of clients including browsers, mobiles, iphone and tablets.
Reference: http://www.dotnettricks.com
Author : Shailendra Chauhan
The .Net framework has a number of technologies that allow you to create HTTP services such as Web Service, WCF and now Web API. There are a lot of articles over the internet which may describe to whom you should use. Now a days, you have a lot of choices to build HTTP services on .NET framework. here you can read more:
WCF vs ASP.NET Web API
WCF Service vs ASP.NET Web Api
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