c# - Implementing WebAPI with circular dependencies and loadable lists -

how possible implement such "smart" in webapi? have 2 classes want service. let's book store has relation book objects.

public class book {     guid id { get; set; }     string title { get; set; }     store store { get; set; } }  public class store {     guid id { get; set; }     string title { get; set; }     string owner { get; set; }     ienumerable<book> books { get; set; } } 

i have backend sql server , entityframework adapter in code. how should make return list of books after need (call it), odata? can see have circular dependancies, makes json serializer show errors. resolve with:

config.formatters.jsonformatter.serializersettings.referenceloophandling  = newtonsoft.json.referenceloophandling.serialize;  config.formatters.jsonformatter.serializersettings.preservereferenceshandling = newtonsoft.json.preservereferenceshandling.objects; 

but serialized data , response huge, not windows phone app. in cases need store object, in other cases need store referenced books.

in controllers user [queryable] attribute use odata queries. p.s. can't create more web-methods getbooks, getstore , on. should 1 method.

how resolve problem?

how resolve problem?

do not return entities api action methods.

instead, return models.

so instead of this:

public ienumerable<store> getstores() {     using (var db = new mydbcontext())     {         return db.stores;     } } 

do this:

public ienumerable<storemodel> getstores() {     using (var db = new mydbcontext())     {         var entities = db.stores;         return entities.select(x => new storemodel         {             id = x.id,             title = x.title,             owner = x.owner,             books = x.books.select(y => new bookmodel             {                 id = y.id,                 title = y.title,                 storeid = x.id,             }),         });     } } 

by doing way eliminate circular dependency graph. book no longer references store, storeid.