Step by Step: Creating a JSON REST Service

A common scenario for modern Web applications is to build REST API services that act as data services for front end applications. This maybe a Web based application running entirely on the front end using a client side framework like AngularJs, Aurelia, Ember or other framework. It might also be a device based application running on a mobile device in iOS, Android or Windows, or even a desktop application that simply loads its data over the Web.

Most REST services these days use JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) to communicate and the Web Connection wwRestProcess class lets you easily build REST services by simply implementing a class and adding methods that receive parameters and return result values, that are marshalled from and to and JSON. Unlike the 'standard' Web Connection HTTP handler implementation, a wwRESTProcess service has additional logic associated with it that knows how to de-serialize JSON data into a parameter, and serialize a result value into JSON.

There are two ways to create a new REST service:

Create a new project
Create a new Process Class and add to an existing project

To expand on the previous examples, we'll choose the latter approach and extend the existing project by creating a new Process class and use the business objects we created in MVC and Business Object Tutorial. But you can also use a new project in the same way as outlined in Getting Started Tutorial. Just use the New Project Wizard instead of the New Process Wizard we use in this tutorial and choose REST API Service Process Class in the last step of the Wizard.

Online Sample Code

You can find the sample code for the completed projects at the following GIT BitBucket repository:

Web Connection Step By Step Samples on BitBucket

You can clone the repository, or use Download Button to grab a Zip file of the completed project folder.