Difference between WebApiConfig.cs and RouteConfig.cs

Question

What is the difference between WebApiConfig.cs and RouteConfig.cs in the App_Start folder of an MVC Web API project in Visual Studio 2012?

Answer 1

The following are the key differences:

1. RouteConfig.cs is exclusively for configuring ASP.NET routes.
2. WebApiConfig.cs is for any Web API related configuration, including Web-API-specific routes, Web API services, and other Web API settings.

As cmotley mentions, the ASP.NET web site includes a good listing of what types of configuration can be done in WebApiConfig.cs in this article.