Is there any difference between CreateResponse <Content> () and CreateResponse () with Web Api?

Question

Given the following:

    [HttpGet]
    [ActionName("GetContent")]
    public HttpResponseMessage GetContent(int id)
    {
        Content content = _uow.Contents.GetById(id);
        if (content == null)
        {
            var message = string.Format("Content with id = {0} not found", id);
            return Request.CreateErrorResponse(HttpStatusCode.NotFound, message);
        }
        else
        {
            return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.OK, content);
        }
    }

and

    [HttpGet]
    [ActionName("GetContent")]
    public HttpResponseMessage GetContent(int id)
    {
        try
        {
            Content content = _uow.Contents.GetById(id);
            if (content == null)
            {
                throw new HttpResponseException(Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.NotFound));
            }
            return Request.CreateResponse<Content>(HttpStatusCode.OK, content);
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            return Request.CreateErrorResponse(HttpStatusCode.BadRequest, ex);
        } 

    }

I saw two coding styles. One uses exceptions, and the other does not. One uses CreateResponse <> and the other uses CreateResponse (). Can anyone tell me what are the advantages / disadvantages of using them? As far as I can see, the second method looks more complete, but is it really necessary to use try / catch for something as simple as this?

Answer 1

The main advantage of throwing HttpResponseExceptionis when your action method returns the type of the model, and not HttpResponseMessage. For example:

public Product Get(int id) 
{
    Product p = _GetProduct(id);
    if (p == null)
    {
        throw new HttpResponseException(HttpStatusCode.NotFound);
    }
    return p;
}

:

public HttpResponseMessage Get(int id) 
{
    Product p = _GetProduct(id);
    if (p == null)
    {
        return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.NotFound);
    }
    return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.OK, p);
}

OK, .

HttpResponseException s, -API HTTP. Not Found Bad Request, , Not Found (404).

:

CreateResponse vs CreateResponse<T> HttpResponseException.

CreateResponse HTTP :

public HttpResponseMessage Get()
{
    return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.NotFound);
}

CreateResponse<T> T HTTP:

public HttpResponseMessage Get()
{
    Product product = new Product();
    // Serialize product in the response body
    return Request.CreateResponse<Product>(HttpStatusCode.OK, product);  
}

, , :

public HttpResponseMessage Get()
{
    Product product = new Product();
    // Serialize product in the response body
    return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.OK, product);  
}

CreateErrorResponse HTTP-, HttpError. , . CreateErrorResponse :

HttpError err = new HttpError( ... )
// Serialize err in the response.
return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.BadRequest, err);