Migrate Global.asax to Startup.cs

Question

For better test job with Microsoft.Owin.Testing.TestServer, I found that Global.asax is not loaded with Owin TestServer.

So, I try to move my Global.asax configurations to Startup.cs as below,

public partial class Startup
{
    public void Configuration(IAppBuilder app)
    {
        // pasted Global.asax things start.
        GlobalConfiguration.Configuration.Formatters.Clear();

        var jsonSerializerSettings = new JsonSerializerSettings
        {
            PreserveReferencesHandling = PreserveReferencesHandling.Objects,
            ReferenceLoopHandling = ReferenceLoopHandling.Ignore,
        };
        GlobalConfiguration.Configuration.Formatters.Add(new JsonMediaTypeFormatter() { SerializerSettings = jsonSerializerSettings });
        GlobalConfiguration.Configuration.Formatters.Add(new FormMultipartEncodedMediaTypeFormatter());

        AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas();
        GlobalConfiguration.Configure(WebApiConfig.Register);
        FilterConfig.RegisterGlobalFilters(GlobalFilters.Filters);
        RouteConfig.RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes);
        BundleConfig.RegisterBundles(BundleTable.Bundles);
        // pasted Global.asax things end.

        ConfigureAuth(app);
    }
}

But TestServer failed to initialize in every point of configuration such as AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas, FilterConfig.RegisterGlobalFilters(GlobalFilters.Filters), so on...

Minimum viable migration(successful test with TestServer) for me is as below.

public partial class Startup
{
    public void Configuration(IAppBuilder app)
    {
        var config = new HttpConfiguration();
        config.Formatters.Clear();

        var jsonSerializerSettings = new JsonSerializerSettings
        {
            PreserveReferencesHandling = PreserveReferencesHandling.Objects,
            ReferenceLoopHandling = ReferenceLoopHandling.Ignore,
        };
        config.Formatters.Add(new JsonMediaTypeFormatter() { SerializerSettings = jsonSerializerSettings });
        config.Formatters.Add(new FormMultipartEncodedMediaTypeFormatter());

        WebApiConfig.Register(config); // moved from GlobalConfiguration.Configure(WebApiConfig.Register)
        app.UseWebApi(config);
        ConfigureAuth(app);
    }
}

Is there anyway to move all configurations to Startup.cs?

score 46 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 01 '14 at 12:45

As you are already aware, OwinContext consumed by Startup.Configuration() is different from the traditional ASP.NET HttpContext consumed by MvcApplication.Application_Start(). Both are using different context pipelines. More specifically, ASP.NET MVC still relies on System.Web.dll while ASP.NET Web API doesn't.

Therefore, based on your code, some methods usually laid in MvcApplication.Application_Start() can't be run within Startup.Configuration():

AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas();: This method relies on System.Web.dll.
RouteConfig.RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes);: RouteCollection is a part of System.Web.dll.
GlobalConfiguration.Configure(WebApiConfig.Register): Again, RouteCollection within WebApiConfig.Register() is a part of System.Web.dll.

For URL routing within OWIN context, AttributeRouting is recommended. So, instead of this, try config.MapHttpAttributeRoutes(); That will give you much freedom.

If you still want to run AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas(); within OWIN context, Startup.Configuration(), I'd better recommend to import Katana library. This integrates OWIN with System.Web.dll so that you probably archieve your goal.

HTH

So do we just install the package and job done or anything else have to be done ? — Gurpreet, Jul 10 '15 at 15:55
@Gurpreet Indeed. If you install at least [Microsoft.Owin.Host.SystemWeb](https://www.nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.Owin.Host.SystemWeb/) and move bits and pieces from `Application_Start` in `Global.asax.cs` to `Startup.cs`, it should be fine. — justinyoo, Aug 20 '15 at 05:42

Migrate Global.asax to Startup.cs

1 Answers1