How to to Return an Image with Web API Get Method

How to to return an image with Web API Get method

If I understand correctly then you are asking specific to asp.net core. In ASP.net core HttpResponseMessage is not a way to return result the way we used to do in ASP.net web api 2.

In asp.net core ( WEB API ) simply look like this.

[HttpGet]
public IActionResult Get()
{            
    Byte[] b = System.IO.File.ReadAllBytes(@"E:\\Test.jpg");   // You can use your own method over here.         
    return File(b, "image/jpeg");
}

Note: As you mention that in Fiddler Imageview you see message like this "his response is encoded, but does not claim to be an image." because ASP.net core consider HttpResponseMessage as simple class and convert into json or xml.

Return Image as url from .net 5 web api

what you can do is to convert base64 to binary stream then save it image folder inside the same application then return the URL as a string and in this case, the URL will be accessible.

the controller code will be as follow

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Hosting;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.Linq;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace MyNameSpace
{
    public class TestController : Controller
    {
        private readonly IWebHostEnvironment _webHostEnvironment;
        public TestController(IWebHostEnvironment webHostEnvironment)
        {
            _webHostEnvironment = webHostEnvironment;
        }
        public IActionResult ImageLink()
        {
            byte[] file_bytes = Convert.FromBase64String("base 64 string");
            string webRootPath = _webHostEnvironment.WebRootPath;
            string imagePath  = Path.Combine(webRootPath, "image/myimage.png");
            System.IO.File.WriteAllBytes(imagePath, file_bytes);
            return Ok("http://localhost:6548/image/myimage.png");
        }

    }
}

Returning an image using Web API

If you want to return file do not return byte[] from action because it gets base64 encoded. You can decode base64 string on client or better would be using File method in action

[HttpGet("{id}")]
public ActionResult Get(Guid id)
{
    var files = Directory.GetFiles(@"Pictures\");
    foreach (var file in files)
    {
        if (file.Contains(id.ToString()))
        {
            return File(System.IO.File.ReadAllBytes(file), "image/jpeg");
        }
    }
    return null;
}

Is there a recommended way to return an image using ASP.NET Web API

You shouldn't return a System.Drawing.Image, unless you also add a formatter which knows how to convert that into the appropriate bytes doesn't serialize itself as the image bytes as you'd expect.

One possible solution is to return an HttpResponseMessage with the image stored in its content (as shown below). Remember that if you want the URL you showed in the question, you'd need a route that maps the {imageName}, {width} and {height} parameters.

public HttpResponseMessage Get(string imageName, int width, int height)
{
    Image img = GetImage(imageName, width, height);
    using(MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream())
    {
        img.Save(ms, System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Png);

        HttpResponseMessage result = new HttpResponseMessage(HttpStatusCode.OK);
        result.Content = new ByteArrayContent(ms.ToArray());
        result.Content.Headers.ContentType = new MediaTypeHeaderValue("image/png");

        return result;
    }
}

But again, if you are doing this in many places, going the formatter route may be the "recommended" way. As almost everything in programming, the answer will depend on your scenario.

Return jpeg image from Asp.Net Core WebAPI

Clean solution use FilestreamResult !!

[HttpGet]
public IActionResult Get()
{
    var image = System.IO.File.OpenRead("C:\\test\\random_image.jpeg");
    return File(image, "image/jpeg");
}

Explanation:

In ASP.NET Core you have to use the built-in File() method inside the Controller. This will allow you to manually set the content type.

Don't create and return HttpResponseMessage, like you were used to using in ASP.NET Web API 2. It doesn't do anything, not even throwing errors!!

How to return an image (not the url) in binary via a REST API .net

If you do not have a constant public url to the image, you need to encode it to base64 and embed it as inline image.

If you can access the url inside your POCO from your Web API backend, then you can retrieve and convert the image with the following code:

        private static HttpClient _httpClient = new HttpClient();

        public async Task<string> GetInlineImageSrcAsync(string url)
        {
            var bytes = await _httpClient.GetByteArrayAsync(url);
            var base64 = Convert.ToBase64String(bytes);
            var mimeType = "image/png";
            // If mime types differ, try this
            // var mimeType = $"image/{ParseExtensionFromUrl(url)}"
            var inlineImageSrc = $"data:{mimeType};base64,{base64}";
            return inlineImageSrc;
        }

        public string ParseExtensionFromUrl(string url)
        {
            return url.Substring(url.LastIndexOf(".") + 1);
        }

Note that HttpClient should be static to enable it to reuse connections. This is recommended by Microsoft and boosts performance.
More on this:

https://medium.com/@nuno.caneco/c-httpclient-should-not-be-disposed-or-should-it-45d2a8f568bc

https://aspnetmonsters.com/2016/08/2016-08-27-httpclientwrong/

EDIT:
This is the HTML to actually embed the image:

<img src="<THE STRING YOU RETURNED>" />

<!-- For Example: -->
<img src="data:image/jpeg;base64,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Returning Images from WebApi

The solution is to use media formatters, so that when the Web API is queried with a particular type, you'll then receive the actual binary stream of the particular type.

http://www.asp.net/web-api/overview/formats-and-model-binding/media-formatters

This is the standard RESTful pattern; you have the same URL, but when you want a JSON record for the data, you accept-type:application/json, but you change your MIME request type to image/png or something similar when you want that media type.

More can be found here:
How to provide custom mediatype formats for OData Api

Odata also implicitly supports it here: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.web.http.odata.formatter.odatamediatypeformatter(v=vs.118).aspx

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