Optional Parameters In WCF Service URI Template

This section shows how we can pass optional parameters in WCF Servuce URI.

WebGet(UriTemplate = "TestMessage/{p1}?firstname={firstname}&lastname={lastname}", ResponseFormat = WebMessageFormat.Json, RequestFormat = WebMessageFormat.Xml)]
[OperationContract]
string TestMessage(string message, string firstname = "", string lastname = "");

Whereas TestMessage is my service name and p1 parameter is compulsory whereas firstname and lastname parameters are optional but u have to specify in the URI Template but keep one thing in mind while declaring the parameters as optional u have to first preceed them with ? and then parameter name and then use & to assign the second parameter as option as per your requirement. If u see in the function declaration also i have used the optional parameter feature of .Net 4.0

Step 2 - Function Definition

public string TestMessage(string message,string firstname="",string lastname="")
{
   string responsedata = string.Empty;
   responsedata = message + "" + "FirstName: " + firstname + "" + "LastName: " + lastname;
   return responsedata;
}

Note
How to call the Service,

Input1

http://localhost:49785/Service.svc/parameter1

Output1 - parameter1 Firstname: LastName

 

In the above output, only parameter1 will be returned as u didnot specify the other 2 parameters so they will get their value as "Empty"

Input2

 

http://localhost:49785/Service.svc/parameter1?firstname=kamal&lastname=rawat

Output2 - parameter1 Firstname:kamal LastName:rawat

 

so u will see in the above output u passed both the parameters so you got all the values.

Input2

 

http://localhost:49785/Service.svc/parameter1?firstname=kamal

Output2 - parameter1 Firstname:kamal LastName:

In the above output parameter1 is passed i.e firstname=kamal but you wont get lastname parameter, bcoz you didn't pass and its optional if u dont pass the parameter value and will take value as empty.

Thanks for reading..