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<Category> 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.

Answer 2

ASP.NET Core 2.0 Solution (Swagger Ready)

Input

DELETE /api/items/1,2
DELETE /api/items/1

Code

Write the provider (how MVC knows what binder to use)

public class CustomBinderProvider : IModelBinderProvider
{
    public IModelBinder GetBinder(ModelBinderProviderContext context)
    {
        if (context == null)
        {
            throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(context));
        }

        if (context.Metadata.ModelType == typeof(int[]) || context.Metadata.ModelType == typeof(List<int>))
        {
            return new BinderTypeModelBinder(typeof(CommaDelimitedArrayParameterBinder));
        }

        return null;
    }
}

Write the actual binder (access all sorts of info about the request, action, models, types, whatever)

public class CommaDelimitedArrayParameterBinder : IModelBinder
{

    public Task BindModelAsync(ModelBindingContext bindingContext)
    {

        var value = bindingContext.ActionContext.RouteData.Values[bindingContext.FieldName] as string;

        // Check if the argument value is null or empty
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(value))
        {
            return Task.CompletedTask;
        }

        var ints = value?.Split(',').Select(int.Parse).ToArray();

        bindingContext.Result = ModelBindingResult.Success(ints);

        if(bindingContext.ModelType == typeof(List<int>))
        {
            bindingContext.Result = ModelBindingResult.Success(ints.ToList());
        }

        return Task.CompletedTask;
    }
}

Register it with MVC

services.AddMvc(options =>
{
    // add custom binder to beginning of collection
    options.ModelBinderProviders.Insert(0, new CustomBinderProvider());
});

Sample usage with a well documented controller for Swagger

/// <summary>
/// Deletes a list of items.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="itemIds">The list of unique identifiers for the  items.</param>
/// <returns>The deleted item.</returns>
/// <response code="201">The item was successfully deleted.</response>
/// <response code="400">The item is invalid.</response>
[HttpDelete("{itemIds}", Name = ItemControllerRoute.DeleteItems)]
[ProducesResponseType(typeof(void), StatusCodes.Status204NoContent)]
[ProducesResponseType(typeof(void), StatusCodes.Status404NotFound)]
public async Task Delete(List<int> itemIds)
=> await _itemAppService.RemoveRangeAsync(itemIds);

EDIT: Microsoft recommends using a TypeConverter for these kids of operations over this approach. So follow the below posters advice and document your custom type with a SchemaFilter.

Answer 3

I originally used the solution that @Mrchief for years (it works great). But when when I added Swagger to my project for API documentation my end point was NOT showing up.

It took me a while, but this is what I came up with. It works with Swagger, and your API method signatures look cleaner:

In the end you can do:

    // GET: /api/values/1,2,3,4 

    [Route("api/values/{ids}")]
    public IHttpActionResult GetIds(int[] ids)
    {
        return Ok(ids);
    }

WebApiConfig.cs

public static class WebApiConfig
{
    public static void Register(HttpConfiguration config)
    {
        // Allow WebApi to Use a Custom Parameter Binding
        config.ParameterBindingRules.Add(descriptor => descriptor.ParameterType == typeof(int[]) && descriptor.ActionDescriptor.SupportedHttpMethods.Contains(HttpMethod.Get)
                                                           ? new CommaDelimitedArrayParameterBinder(descriptor)
                                                           : null);

        // Allow ApiExplorer to understand this type (Swagger uses ApiExplorer under the hood)
        TypeDescriptor.AddAttributes(typeof(int[]), new TypeConverterAttribute(typeof(StringToIntArrayConverter)));

        // Any existing Code ..

    }
}

Create a new class: CommaDelimitedArrayParameterBinder.cs

public class CommaDelimitedArrayParameterBinder : HttpParameterBinding, IValueProviderParameterBinding
{
    public CommaDelimitedArrayParameterBinder(HttpParameterDescriptor desc)
        : base(desc)
    {
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Handles Binding (Converts a comma delimited string into an array of integers)
    /// </summary>
    public override Task ExecuteBindingAsync(ModelMetadataProvider metadataProvider,
                                             HttpActionContext actionContext,
                                             CancellationToken cancellationToken)
    {
        var queryString = actionContext.ControllerContext.RouteData.Values[Descriptor.ParameterName] as string;

        var ints = queryString?.Split(',').Select(int.Parse).ToArray();

        SetValue(actionContext, ints);

        return Task.CompletedTask;
    }

    public IEnumerable<ValueProviderFactory> ValueProviderFactories { get; } = new[] { new QueryStringValueProviderFactory() };
}

Create a new class: StringToIntArrayConverter.cs

public class StringToIntArrayConverter : TypeConverter
{
    public override bool CanConvertFrom(ITypeDescriptorContext context, Type sourceType)
    {
        return sourceType == typeof(string) || base.CanConvertFrom(context, sourceType);
    }
}

Notes:

• https://stackoverflow.com/a/47123965/862011 pointed me in the right direction
• Swagger was only failing to pick my comma delimited end points when using the [Route] attribute

Answer 4

I have created a custom model binder which converts any comma separated values (only primitive, decimal, float, string) to their corresponding arrays.

public class CommaSeparatedToArrayBinder<T> : IModelBinder
    {
        public bool BindModel(HttpActionContext actionContext, ModelBindingContext bindingContext)
        {
            Type type = typeof(T);
            if (type.IsPrimitive || type == typeof(Decimal) || type == typeof(String) || type == typeof(float))
            {
                ValueProviderResult val = bindingContext.ValueProvider.GetValue(bindingContext.ModelName);
                if (val == null) return false;

                string key = val.RawValue as string;
                if (key == null) { bindingContext.ModelState.AddModelError(bindingContext.ModelName, "Wrong value type"); return false; }

                string[] values = key.Split(',');
                IEnumerable<T> result = this.ConvertToDesiredList(values).ToArray();
                bindingContext.Model = result;
                return true;
            }

            bindingContext.ModelState.AddModelError(bindingContext.ModelName, "Only primitive, decimal, string and float data types are allowed...");
            return false;
        }

        private IEnumerable<T> ConvertToDesiredArray(string[] values)
        {
            foreach (string value in values)
            {
                var val = (T)Convert.ChangeType(value, typeof(T));
                yield return val;
            }
        }
    }

And how to use in Controller:

 public IHttpActionResult Get([ModelBinder(BinderType = typeof(CommaSeparatedToArrayBinder<int>))] int[] ids)
        {
            return Ok(ids);
        }

Answer 5

I just added the Query key (Refit lib) in the property for the request.

[Query(CollectionFormat.Multi)]

public class ExampleRequest
{
       
        [FromQuery(Name = "name")]
        public string Name { get; set; }               
       
        [AliasAs("category")]
        [Query(CollectionFormat.Multi)]
        public List<string> Categories { get; set; }
}

Answer 6

Instead of using a custom ModelBinder, you can also use a custom type with a TypeConverter.

[TypeConverter(typeof(StrListConverter))]
public class StrList : List<string>
{
    public StrList(IEnumerable<string> collection) : base(collection) {}
}

public class StrListConverter : TypeConverter
{
    public override bool CanConvertFrom(ITypeDescriptorContext context, Type sourceType)
    {
        return sourceType == typeof(string) || base.CanConvertFrom(context, sourceType);
    }

    public override object ConvertFrom(ITypeDescriptorContext context, CultureInfo culture, object value)
    {
        if (value == null)
            return null;

        if (value is string s)
        {
            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(s))
                return null;
            return new StrList(s.Split(','));
        }
        return base.ConvertFrom(context, culture, value);
    }
}

The advantage is that it makes the Web API method's parameters very simple. You dont't even need to specify [FromUri].

public IEnumerable<Category> GetCategories(StrList categoryIds) {
  // code to retrieve categories from database
}

This example is for a List of strings, but you could do categoryIds.Select(int.Parse) or simply write an IntList instead.