Pass an array of integers to ASP.NET Web API?

Question

I have an ASP.NET Web API (version 4) REST service where I need to pass an array of integers.

Here is my action method:

Answer 1

As Filip W points out, you might have to resort to a custom model binder like this (modified to bind to actual type of param):

public IEnumerable GetCategories([ModelBinder(typeof(CommaDelimitedArrayModelBinder))]long[] categoryIds) 
{
    // do your thing
}

public class CommaDelimitedArrayModelBinder : IModelBinder
{
    public bool BindModel(HttpActionContext actionContext, ModelBindingContext bindingContext)
    {
        var key = bindingContext.ModelName;
        var val = bindingContext.ValueProvider.GetValue(key);
        if (val != null)
        {
            var s = val.AttemptedValue;
            if (s != null)
            {
                var elementType = bindingContext.ModelType.GetElementType();
                var converter = TypeDescriptor.GetConverter(elementType);
                var values = Array.ConvertAll(s.Split(new[] { ","},StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries),
                    x => { return converter.ConvertFromString(x != null ? x.Trim() : x); });

                var typedValues = Array.CreateInstance(elementType, values.Length);

                values.CopyTo(typedValues, 0);

                bindingContext.Model = typedValues;
            }
            else
            {
                // change this line to null if you prefer nulls to empty arrays 
                bindingContext.Model = Array.CreateInstance(bindingContext.ModelType.GetElementType(), 0);
            }
            return true;
        }
        return false;
    }
}

And then you can say:

/Categories?categoryids=1,2,3,4 and ASP.NET Web API will correctly bind your categoryIds array.