WcfStorm.Rest: A Beginner’s Guide to RESTful ServicesWcfStorm.Rest is a lightweight framework that helps .NET developers create RESTful services quickly by combining familiar WCF concepts with HTTP-friendly conventions. This guide introduces the core ideas, shows how to set up a basic service, explains routing and serialization, covers common patterns (CRUD, versioning, authentication), and offers tips for testing and deployment. It’s intended for developers who know .NET/WCF basics but are new to RESTful APIs or WcfStorm.Rest specifically.
What is WcfStorm.Rest?
WcfStorm.Rest is a toolkit built around WCF (Windows Communication Foundation) to simplify building RESTful HTTP services. Instead of writing low-level HTTP handlers or switching to a different stack, WcfStorm.Rest allows you to keep using WCF-style service contracts, attributes, and dependency injection patterns while producing clean, resource-oriented endpoints that speak JSON/XML and follow REST principles.
Key features:
- Attribute-driven routing mapped to HTTP verbs (GET/POST/PUT/DELETE)
- Automatic request/response serialization (JSON, XML)
- Integration-friendly with existing WCF services and DI containers
- Lightweight pipeline for filters, error handling, and logging
When to use WcfStorm.Rest
Use WcfStorm.Rest if:
- You have an existing WCF codebase and want to add RESTful endpoints without a full rewrite.
- You prefer WCF service contract patterns but need HTTP-first behavior.
- You need quick setup for internal APIs where full ASP.NET Core migration isn’t justified.
Avoid it when:
- Starting a large greenfield public API—consider ASP.NET Core Web API for broader ecosystem support.
- You need deep integration with modern middleware available in newer frameworks.
Installing and setting up a basic service
- Create a new .NET Framework project (WCF-compatible). WcfStorm.Rest targets classic .NET WCF hosting scenarios.
- Add the WcfStorm.Rest NuGet package (or include the library in your solution).
- Define a service contract and implementation.
Example service contract and implementation:
using System.ServiceModel; using WcfStorm.Rest; [ServiceContract] public interface IProductsService { [OperationContract] [Get("/products")] IEnumerable<ProductDto> GetAll(); [OperationContract] [Get("/products/{id}")] ProductDto GetById(int id); [OperationContract] [Post("/products")] ProductDto Create(ProductDto product); [OperationContract] [Put("/products/{id}")] ProductDto Update(int id, ProductDto product); [OperationContract] [Delete("/products/{id}")] void Delete(int id); } public class ProductsService : IProductsService { // In-memory store for demo private static readonly List<ProductDto> _store = new List<ProductDto>(); public IEnumerable<ProductDto> GetAll() => _store; public ProductDto GetById(int id) => _store.FirstOrDefault(p => p.Id == id); public ProductDto Create(ProductDto product) { product.Id = _store.Count + 1; _store.Add(product); return product; } public ProductDto Update(int id, ProductDto product) { var existing = _store.FirstOrDefault(p => p.Id == id); if (existing == null) return null; existing.Name = product.Name; existing.Price = product.Price; return existing; } public void Delete(int id) { var existing = _store.FirstOrDefault(p => p.Id == id); if (existing != null) _store.Remove(existing); } } public class ProductDto { public int Id { get; set; } public string Name { get; set; } public decimal Price { get; set; } } - Host the service in IIS or a self-hosted WCF ServiceHost. Configure endpoints to use the WcfStorm.Rest behaviors so that routes map to the HTTP pipeline and JSON formatting is enabled.
Routing, parameters, and serialization
- Routes are defined via attributes like [Get(“/items/{id}”)] on service operations.
- Path parameters map to method parameters by name. Query parameters map from remaining parameters or via a dedicated model.
- JSON is the default serialization format; XML can be supported via content negotiation or explicit settings.
- For complex types, ensure DTOs are plain POCOs with public getters/setters.
Example: optional query parameter
[Get("/products")] IEnumerable<ProductDto> GetAll(string category = null) { return string.IsNullOrEmpty(category) ? _store : _store.Where(p => p.Category == category); } Error handling and status codes
WcfStorm.Rest lets you control HTTP status codes by throwing specialized exceptions or returning an IHttpResult-like wrapper (depending on its API). Typical patterns:
- Return 200 (OK) with the resource for successful GET/PUT.
- Return 201 (Created) with Location header for POST creating a resource.
- Return 204 (No Content) for successful DELETE.
- Return 404 (Not Found) when resource absent — either by returning null and letting a behavior translate it, or throwing a NotFoundException.
- Return 400 (Bad Request) for validation failure.
Example of returning Created:
public IHttpResult Create(ProductDto product) { var created = CreateInternal(product); // returns ProductDto return Results.Created($"/products/{created.Id}", created); } Authentication, authorization, and security
WcfStorm.Rest integrates with standard WCF authentication mechanisms and can be configured to use:
- Windows Authentication (IIS-hosted)
- Token-based schemes (e.g., JWT) by inspecting Authorization headers in a message inspector/filter
- API keys via custom headers
Always enforce HTTPS, validate inputs, and apply rate-limiting or throttling at the gateway if exposing the API publicly.
Versioning and backward compatibility
Common strategies:
- URL versioning: /v1/products
- Header versioning: Accept: application/vnd.myapp.v1+json
- Query string: /products?version=1
Pick one and remain consistent. For breaking changes, introduce a new version and keep old versions available while clients migrate.
Testing and tooling
- Unit test service methods directly (they’re plain classes).
- Integration test over HTTP using HttpClient or tools like Postman.
- Use automated tests to assert status codes, headers (Location), and response serialization.
Performance and caching
- Implement output caching on GET endpoints for frequently requested resources.
- Use pagination for list endpoints.
- Avoid returning heavy object graphs — use DTOs tailored to the endpoint.
- Enable GZIP compression at hosting level.
Migration tips from WCF SOAP to WcfStorm.Rest
- Convert service contracts: change SOAP attributes to HTTP verb route attributes.
- Replace complex message contracts with simple DTOs.
- Move client code to HttpClient-based callers or generate OpenAPI/Swagger clients if you expose a spec.
Production deployment checklist
- Host behind HTTPS and enforce HSTS.
- Configure proper logging and structured error responses.
- Add health checks and monitoring.
- Secure secrets and tokens used for authentication.
- Limit payload sizes and use request validation.
Further resources
- Official docs for WcfStorm.Rest (if available) and WCF routing/reference docs.
- REST design resources: guidelines for status codes, HATEOAS basics, and RFC 7231 for HTTP semantics.
- Tools: Postman, curl, Swagger/OpenAPI generators for documenting REST endpoints.
If you want, I can:
- Provide a full working sample project (Visual Studio solution) with hosting config.
- Convert a specific WCF SOAP contract you have into WcfStorm.Rest endpoints.