How to return error message from MVC Web API that returns a Model?

Question

I have this method

[HttpPost]
public ContactModel Contact() 
{
// validation contact must have at least first name
 if (contactModel.firstName == null)
    return null;                           // This works fine

 /*
 if (contactModel.firstName == null)
    return Request.CreateErrorResponse(HttpStatusCode.BadRequest, "Please provide first name");                 // it gives error


// insert to database
}

So, how do I indicate to user to provide at least first name. I thought of adding some header to response, but that is not user friendly.

I also added

if (contactModel.firstName == null) 
{
    Request.CreateErrorResponse(HttpStatusCode.BadRequest, "Please provide first name");          // this doesn't do any good either.
    return null;                           // This works fine
}

Alaa Masoud · Accepted Answer · 2014-04-12 12:04:50Z

1

CreateErrorResponse returns a HttpResponseMessage which cannot be cast to ContactModel. You want to throw a HttpResponseException instead and add the error using CreateErrorResponse

throw new HttpResponseException(Request.CreateErrorResponse(HttpStatusCode.BadRequest, 
    "Please provide first name"));

This will return HTTP 400 (Bad Request) with the following json:

{"Message":"Please provide first name"}

answered Apr 12, 2014 at 12:04

Alaa Masoud

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