asp.net web api - Web API. Generic Controller with attribute routing

Question

The problem

When I create a method with a route on the actual controller, say: "api/country/something"...

When I perform the above request, my code gets executed & data gets returned.

But when I try call my route on the base controller. E.G: "api/country/code/123"

I get a 404 error.

Question

Any idea on how to implement generic routes whilst making use of attribute routing?

Specific Controller

 [RoutePrefix("Country")]
 public class CountryController : MasterDataControllerBase<Country, CountryDto>
 {
   public CountryController(
             IGenericRepository<Country> repository, 
             IMappingService mapper, 
             ISecurityService security) : base(repository, mapper, security)
            {
            }
 }

Base

public class MasterDataControllerBase<TEntity, TEntityDto> : ControllerBase
    where TEntity : class, ICodedEntity, new()
    where TEntityDto : class, new()
{
    private readonly IMappingService mapper;

    private readonly IGenericRepository<TEntity> repository;

    private readonly ISecurityService security;

    public MasterDataControllerBase(IGenericRepository<TEntity> repository, IMappingService mapper, ISecurityService security)
    {
        this.security = security;
        this.mapper = mapper;
        this.repository = repository;
    }

    [Route("code/{code}")]
    public TEntityDto Get(string code)
    {
        this.security.Enforce(AccessRight.CanAccessMasterData);

        var result = this.repository.FindOne(o => o.Code == code);

        return this.mapper.Map<TEntity, TEntityDto>(result);
    }
}

Answer 1

Attribute routing in Web API doesn't support inheritance of the Route attribute. You can see this indicated by Inherited = false if you view the definition of the RouteAttribute class...

[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Class | AttributeTargets.Method, Inherited = false, AllowMultiple = true)]
public sealed class RouteAttribute : Attribute, IDirectRouteFactory, IHttpRouteInfoProvider
{ ...

This explains why you're getting the 404, as the Route attribute effectively disappears.

Since the attribute is not inheritable and the class is sealed, I don't know if there's a way to do this with the attribute routing infrastructure that comes out of the box.

Update: A member of the Web API team explains it was a design decision that it's not inherited... https://stackoverflow.com/a/19989344/3199781