This article explains how to convert WCF to RESTFUL Service in easy steps.

To convert WCF to RESTFUL service, an operation contract needs to be decorated with “WebInvoke (or) WebGet” to define the Request and Response format as mentioned below.

[WebInvoke(Method = "GET", UriTemplate = "GetUserList/{genCount}", RequestFormat = WebMessageFormat.Json, ResponseFormat = WebMessageFormat.Json)]

This WebInvoke attribute resides inside the “System.ServiceModel.Web” namespace is used to define the below parameters at the end point to convert it to RESTFUL Service.

1. Service Method to Invoke (POST/GET/PUT/DELETE)

2. URI template to invoke using friendly URL

3. Request and Response Format

To start with create a new “WCF Service Application” and follow the below steps to modify the WCF end point to JSON RESTFUL Service.

Step 1:

Modify the endpoint using WebInvoke (or) WebGet

    [ServiceContract]

    public interface IService1

    {

        [OperationContract]

        [WebGet(UriTemplate = "/Add/{number1}/{number2}", RequestFormat = WebMessageFormat.Xml, ResponseFormat = WebMessageFormat.Json)]

        int Add(string number1, string number2);

        [OperationContract]

        [WebInvoke(Method = "GET", UriTemplate = "GetIntList/{i}", ResponseFormat = WebMessageFormat.Json, RequestFormat = WebMessageFormat.Json)]

        List<int> GetListOfInt(string i);

        [OperationContract]

        [WebInvoke(Method = "GET", UriTemplate = "GetUserList/{genCount}", RequestFormat = WebMessageFormat.Json, ResponseFormat = WebMessageFormat.Json)]

        List<UserModel> CreateListOfUserDetail(string genCount);

    }

Step 2: (App.config/Web.config)

In service App.Config/Web.Config, modify the “Services” section by mentioning the Binding, Contract and behaviorConfiguration as mentioned below.

<service name="JSONRestService.Service1" behaviorConfiguration="servicebehavior">

            <endpoint contract ="JSONRestService.IService1" binding ="webHttpBinding"

            address ="" behaviorConfiguration ="restbehavior"/>

</service>

Inside the “behaviors” section, mention the “endpointBehavior” configuration as “WebHTTP”.

<endpointBehaviors>

   <behavior name="restbehavior">

                                                <webHttp/>

                            </behavior>

                        </endpointBehaviors>

Additional Information:

<serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="true"/>

If setting the above attribute to “true”, wsdl generation link will be shown in the browser.

Run and Test the RESTFUL Service:

1. To add the two numbers

2. Get Integer List

3. Create List of User Detail