Web API YAML MediaTypeFormatter

Installation

The MediaTypeFormatter has been compiled against the .NET Framework v4.0 to provide compatibility across a range of recent ASP.NET Web API releases. Developers can import it into your project either via NuGet or directly as an Assembly Reference, instructions are included for both below.

NuGet Method

The MediaTypeFormatter NuGet package uses David Ebbo's excellent WebActivator extension to inject startup behavior into your web application. This means other than installing the package you don't have do any additional work to be able to accept and emit YAML.

UI

The following instructions apply to Visual Studio 2012+ it probably works for other versions of Visual Studio as long as you have the appropriate NuGet Package Manager extension and .NET Framework v4.0.

1. Right Click on your Project, and select "Manage NuGet Packages...".
2. Ensure "nuget.org" is selected in the Package Source drop down.
3. Search for "YamlMediaTypeFormatter" and press .
4. Depending on your configuration you may be asked to preview your changes, specifically you will be asked if you want to install YamlDotNet, WebActivatorEx and YamlMediaTypeFormatter.

Command Line

The following instructions apply to Visual Studio 2012+ it probably works for other versions of Visual Studio as long as you have the appropriate NuGet Package Manager extension and .NET Framework v4.0.

1. From the Visual Studio Menu Bar, Select "Tools".

2. Select "NuGet Package Manager", then "Package Manager Console".

3. Ensure "nuget.org" is selected in the Package Source drop down.

4. Enter the following command in the console, replacing [YourProjectName] with the name of the project you wish to install the package into:

   PM> Install-Package Amido.Net.Http.Formatting.YamlMediaTypeFormatter -ProjectName [YourProjectName]
   

Manual Method

If you do not want, or for some reason can not use NuGet or WebActivator then it is possible to install and use YamlMediaTypeFormatter without either by compiling and referencing YamlMediaTypeFormatter and YamlDotNet directly.

Download the ZIP Packages

As of the 1.0.0-PreRelease67 version compiled versions of YamlMediaTypeFormatter are released in a ZIP Archive on GitHub Releases this includes all of the DLLs, PDBs and XML files for YamlMediaTypeFormatter and it's dependencies.

Compile from Source

Note: In the examples below, I use the HTTPS Git endpoints for each repository as these provide for the widest support. It is possible use SSH or Git protocols to clone the repositories although firewalls may interfere with their function.

To complete the following steps you will at a minimum need MSBuild 14 the easiest way to access this is by installing Visual Stuido 2015 RC or use a Pre-built Azure Image

1. Obtain the YamlMediaTypeFormatter solution source code, by cloning the Git repository into an appropriate location, such as C:\Source:

   cd C:\Source
   git clone https://github.com/amido/YamlMediaTypeFormatter.git
   

2. From PowerShell execute the following command:

   cd YamlMediaTypeFormatter
   ./build.ps1
   

3. After the build has completed browse to the following path in PowerShell or Windows Explorer:

   Solutions\Amido.Net.Http.Formatting.YamlMediaTypeFormatter\bin\Release
   

4. Copy Amido.Net.Http.Formatting.YamlMediaTypeFormatter.dll to a location that you can reference from within your own project.

5. Add a reference to Amido.Net.Http.Formatting.YamlMediaTypeFormatter.dll.

6. Obtain the YamlDotNet solution source code, by cloning the Git repository into an appropriate location such as C:\Source using PowerShell:

   cd C:\Source
   git clone https://github.com/aaubry/YamlDotNet.git
   

7. Change directory to YamlDotNet and execute the command to download and unblock NuGet.exe:

   cd YamlDotNet
   Invoke-WebRequest https://nuget.org/nuget.exe -OutFile nuget.exe
   Unblock-File nuget.exe
   

8. Restore NuGet packages:

   & .\nuget.exe restore
   

9. Use MSBuild to compile the solution:

   & "${ENV:ProgramFiles(x86)}\MSBuild\14.0\bin\MSBuild.exe" .\YamlDotNet.sln /p:configuration=Release-Signed
   

10. After the build has completed browse to the following path in PowerShell or Windows Explorer:

    YamlDotNet\bin\Release-Signed

11. Copy YamlDotNet.dll to a location that you can reference from within your own project.

12. Add a reference to YamlDotNet.dll.

13. The MediaTypeFormatter will need to be registered with ASP.NET Web API, in your WebApiConfig.cs at the following code to the Register method:

    config.Formatters.Add(new YamlMediaTypeFormatter());

Contributing

We welcome contributions from the community in the form of GitHub Pull Requests, you will need to use Visual Stuido 2015 as I use some of the syntactic sugar from C# 6.0. I would also suggest you use ReSharper 9.1 to maintain coding style through the project.