Accessing Session Using ASP.NET Web API

Question

I realize session and REST don\'t exactly go hand in hand but is it not possible to access session state using the new Web API? HttpContext.Current.Session is a

Answer 1

I had this same problem in asp.net mvc, I fixed it by putting this method in my base api controller that all my api controllers inherit from:

    /// 

    /// Get the session from HttpContext.Current, if that is null try to get it from the Request properties.
    /// 
    /// 
    protected HttpContextWrapper GetHttpContextWrapper()
    {
      HttpContextWrapper httpContextWrapper = null;
      if (HttpContext.Current != null)
      {
        httpContextWrapper = new HttpContextWrapper(HttpContext.Current);
      }
      else if (Request.Properties.ContainsKey("MS_HttpContext"))
      {
        httpContextWrapper = (HttpContextWrapper)Request.Properties["MS_HttpContext"];
      }
      return httpContextWrapper;
    }

Then in your api call that you want to access the session you just do:

HttpContextWrapper httpContextWrapper = GetHttpContextWrapper();
var someVariableFromSession = httpContextWrapper.Session["SomeSessionValue"];

I also have this in my Global.asax.cs file like other people have posted, not sure if you still need it using the method above, but here it is just in case:

/// 

/// The following method makes Session available.
/// 
protected void Application_PostAuthorizeRequest()
{
  if (HttpContext.Current.Request.AppRelativeCurrentExecutionFilePath.StartsWith("~/api"))
  {
    HttpContext.Current.SetSessionStateBehavior(SessionStateBehavior.Required);
  }
}

You could also just make a custom filter attribute that you can stick on your api calls that you need session, then you can use session in your api call like you normally would via HttpContext.Current.Session["SomeValue"]:

  /// 

  /// Filter that gets session context from request if HttpContext.Current is null.
  /// 
  public class RequireSessionAttribute : ActionFilterAttribute
  {
    /// 

    /// Runs before action
    /// 
    /// 
    public override void OnActionExecuting(HttpActionContext actionContext)
    {
      if (HttpContext.Current == null)
      {
        if (actionContext.Request.Properties.ContainsKey("MS_HttpContext"))
        {
          HttpContext.Current = ((HttpContextWrapper)actionContext.Request.Properties["MS_HttpContext"]).ApplicationInstance.Context;
        }
      }
    }
  }

Hope this helps.