Issue using ASP.Net MVC 4 Web API with Ninject.Web.WebApi

Question

I'm trying to use the new ASP.Net MVC 4 Web API project template with Ninject but have hit a wall on the following error:

Method 'GetFilters' in type 'Ninject.Web.WebApi.Filter.DefaultFilterProvider' from assembly 'Ninject.Web.WebApi, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=c7192dc5380945e7' does not have an implementation.

I am creating a brand new project in Visual Studio 2010 using the ASP.Net MVC 4 -> Web API template and I am using the latest Ninject NuGet packages:

• Ninject 3.0.1.10
• Ninject.Web.Common 3.0.0.7
• Ninject.Web.WebApi 3.0.0.2

I have attempted the solution presented in this question however I've not had any luck - if I remove the reference to Ninject.Web.WebApi then MVC never engages Ninject. I also notice they mention Ninject.MVC3 however I am using the new Ninject.WebApi plugin.

I am using the default binding code in NinjectWebCommon.cs that is created during the NuGet install and attempting to register one simple service in RegisterServices()

[assembly: WebActivator.PreApplicationStartMethod(typeof(mkts.web.App_Start.NinjectWebCommon), "Start")]
[assembly: WebActivator.ApplicationShutdownMethodAttribute(typeof(mkts.web.App_Start.NinjectWebCommon), "Stop")]

namespace mkts.web.App_Start
{
    using System;
    using System.Web;

    using Microsoft.Web.Infrastructure.DynamicModuleHelper;

    using Ninject;
    using Ninject.Web.Common;
    using mkts.service;

    public static class NinjectWebCommon 
    {
        private static readonly Bootstrapper bootstrapper = new Bootstrapper();

        /// <summary>
        /// Starts the application
        /// </summary>
        public static void Start() 
        {
            DynamicModuleUtility.RegisterModule(typeof(OnePerRequestHttpModule));
            DynamicModuleUtility.RegisterModule(typeof(NinjectHttpModule));
            bootstrapper.Initialize(CreateKernel);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Stops the application.
        /// </summary>
        public static void Stop()
        {
            bootstrapper.ShutDown();
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Creates the kernel that will manage your application.
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns>The created kernel.</returns>
        private static IKernel CreateKernel()
        {
            var kernel = new StandardKernel();
            kernel.Bind<Func<IKernel>>().ToMethod(ctx => () => new Bootstrapper().Kernel);
            kernel.Bind<IHttpModule>().To<HttpApplicationInitializationHttpModule>();

            RegisterServices(kernel);
            return kernel;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Load your modules or register your services here!
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="kernel">The kernel.</param>
        private static void RegisterServices(IKernel kernel)
        {
            //Test binding
            kernel.Bind<IStudentService>().To<StudentService>();
        }        
    }
}

My controller:

namespace mkts.web.Controllers
{
    public class HomeController : Controller
    {
        private readonly IStudentService studentService;

        public HomeController(IStudentService studentService)
        {
            this.studentService = studentService;
        }


        public ActionResult Index()
        {
            return View();
        }
    }
}

Many thanks in advance for any help with this.

Solution

Ninject.WebApi was written against the Beta and is deprecated now.

Remove that, install Ninject.MVC3.

Now you will need a homebrewed IDependencyResolver and IDependencyScope. I posted a walkthrough here - http://www.strathweb.com/2012/05/using-ninject-with-the-latest-asp-net-web-api-source/

Comments

[TheVillageIdiot]

What a conincidence I am also using IStudentService, StudentService names :)

[mmacneil007]

That's it! I scrapped Ninject.Web.WebApi and replaced with Ninject.MVC3 and then added your custom DependencyResolver class and now everything is working. I somehow missed the fact in my travels that Ninject.WebApi was deprecated and the naming convention threw me as I figured a plugin named Ninject.WebApi would support the MVC 4 WebApi projects - they should really update the nuget page with the fact that it is no longer supported. Anyway, many thanks for your answer, this was really frustrating.

[Ciel]

Is there any hope of the Ninject team updating the NuGet package with an API compatible build?

[muruge]

Following the above link and creating the two classes NinjectScope and NinjectResolver did solve the problem. I did not need Ninject.MVC3

[Neil Thompson]

This is a great contribution Filip; Really useful, Thanks.

[chobo2]

Have they not released a newer version of this stuff or do you still have to do a home brewed?