customizing odata output from asp.net web api

Question

I\'m using the new ASP.NET webapi odata (version 4.0.0 last published 27/2/2013 according to Nuget)

Basically I\'m doing it as described here: http://www.asp.net/web

Answer 1

The OData media type formatter is more extensible now. Samples follow.

1) decide what goes on the title, author and updated elements for the feed

public class AtomMetadataFeedSerializer : ODataFeedSerializer
{
    public AtomMetadataFeedSerializer(IEdmCollectionTypeReference edmType, ODataSerializerProvider serializerProvider)
        : base(edmType, serializerProvider)
    {
    }

    public override ODataFeed CreateODataFeed(IEnumerable feedInstance, ODataSerializerContext writeContext)
    {
        ODataFeed feed = base.CreateODataFeed(feedInstance, writeContext);
        feed.Atom().Title = new AtomTextConstruct { Kind = AtomTextConstructKind.Text, Text = "My Awesome Feed" };
        return feed;
    }
}

public class CustomSerializerProvider : DefaultODataSerializerProvider
{
    public override ODataEntrySerializer CreateEdmTypeSerializer(IEdmTypeReference edmType)
    {
        if (edmType.IsCollection() && edmType.AsCollection().ElementType().IsEntity())
        {
            // feed serializer
            return new AtomMetadataFeedSerializer(edmType.AsCollection(), this);
        }

        return base.CreateEdmTypeSerializer(edmType);
    }
}

And register the custom serializer provider using,

config.Formatters.InsertRange(0, ODataMediaTypeFormatters.Create(new CustomSerializerProvider(), new DefaultODataDeserializerProvider()));

2) customize edit links

public class CustomEntityTypeSerializer : ODataEntityTypeSerializer
{
    public CustomEntityTypeSerializer(IEdmEntityTypeReference edmType, ODataSerializerProvider serializerProvider)
        : base(edmType, serializerProvider)
    {
    }

    public override ODataEntry CreateEntry(EntityInstanceContext entityInstanceContext, ODataSerializerContext writeContext)
    {
        ODataEntry entry = base.CreateEntry(entityInstanceContext, writeContext);
        if (notProduceEditLinks)
        {
            entry.EditLink = null;
        }

        return entry;
    }
}

public class CustomSerializerProvider : DefaultODataSerializerProvider
{
    public override ODataEntrySerializer CreateEdmTypeSerializer(IEdmTypeReference edmType)
    {
        if (edmType.IsEntity())
        {
            // entity type serializer
            return new CustomEntityTypeSerializer(edmType.AsEntity(), this);
        }

        return base.CreateEdmTypeSerializer(edmType);
    }
}

and register the custom serializer provider as above.

We still don't support scenario 3 i.e aliasing type names and namespaces.