AspNet WebApi POST parameter is null when sending XML

Question

I have a web api service originally using beta bits which I\'ve rebuilt using the release candidate bits and I\'m now having this problem.

I have a POST action that

Answer 1

By adding the following lines to the ApplicationStart() method in your Global.asax.cs, your original XML request should work:

var xml = GlobalConfiguration.Configuration.Formatters.XmlFormatter;
xml.UseXmlSerializer = true;

By default, the Web API uses the DataContractSerializer class, which requires extra information in the XML request.

The XmlSerializer seems to work more smoothly for me, since I don't have to add the model's namepsace to each XML request.

Once again, i found my information in Mike Wasson's article: http://www.asp.net/web-api/overview/formats-and-model-binding/json-and-xml-serialization#xml_media_type_formatter

Answer 2

I was having the same problem as you, and found the solution by serializing the object using the XmlMediaTypeFormatter as described here: http://www.asp.net/web-api/overview/formats-and-model-binding/json-and-xml-serialization#testing_object_serialization. I used the code in the "Testing Object Serialization" section at the bottom of the article, and replaced his Person object with my model.

When I serialized my object, I noticed that the following attributes were added to the root node:

xmlns:i="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" 
xmlns="http://schemas.datacontract.org/2004/07/NAMESPACE.OF.YOUR.MODEL"

If you add these attributes to your xml like so, your controller should correctly serialize the requestValues object:

<AimiRequest xmlns:i="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" 
  xmlns="http://schemas.datacontract.org/2004/07/NAMESPACE.OF.YOUR.MODEL">
  <ContentType />
  <RuleTypes />
  <Metadata>
    <MetadataQueryParameter>
      <Name>ClientName</Name>
      <Value>Client One</Value>
    </MetadataQueryParameter>
    <MetadataQueryParameter>
      <Name>ClientName</Name>
      <Value>Client Two</Value>
    </MetadataQueryParameter>
  </Metadata>
</AimiRequest>