Imagine you could create an ASP.Net MVC API Controller with almost zero configuration, that serves a collection of models by understanding URL queries as filters on property values.

Inside Startup.cs

public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
{
	// Add EF as our datasource
    services.AddEntityFramework()
        .AddInMemoryDatabase()
        .AddDbContext<SampleContext>();

    // Adds the QuerySummary formatter to MVC (we won't use it in this example)
    services.AddMvc().AddQueryableDataBroker();
}

Your EF context has a DataSet of unicorns for example

public class Unicorn
{
    public Guid Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public DateTime BirthDate { get; set; }
    // ...
}

Create a new MVC controller that will act as our API endpoint

The base constructor obtains two parameters:

• The collection as IQueryable that, in this case is the DataSet
• An Expression that points at the model types key property

[Route("[controller]")]
public class UnicornController : QueryableDataController<Unicorn, Guid>
{
    public UnicornController(SampleContext context) 
        : base(context.Unicorns, u => u.Id)
    {
	}
}

You're ready to run the application.

http://yourhost/yourcontroller?{Property name}={Property query}&page={Start at page Number}&pageSize={Items per page}

• Property name are case insensitive
• The property query syntax may vary per property type
• Property query value ranges are declared like min*max
• String comparison can be done like startswith*endswith
• page and pageSize URL queries are reserved for built in pagination

If your model uses page or pageSize as property names, you can still paginate by prepending a dollar sign to both. e.g. $page

Example:

http://yourhost/unicorn?name=Da*&hornlength=100*150&brithdate=*01-01-2016&page=1&pageSize=20

• String
• Int32, Int64, Int16
• DateTime
• Boolean