Ninject, WebAPI 2 Dependency injection not working

Question

I am trying to integrate Ninject in my WebAPI 2 project but I am getting following error:

{
    "message": "An error has occurred.",
    "exceptionMessage": "An error occurred when trying to create a controller of type 'BrandController'. Make sure that the controller has a parameterless public constructor.",
    "exceptionType": "System.InvalidOperationException",
    "stackTrace": "   at System.Web.Http.Dispatcher.DefaultHttpControllerActivator.Create(HttpRequestMessage request, HttpControllerDescriptor controllerDescriptor, Type controllerType)\r\n   at System.Web.Http.Controllers.HttpControllerDescriptor.CreateController(HttpRequestMessage request)\r\n   at System.Web.Http.Dispatcher.HttpControllerDispatcher.<SendAsync>d__1.MoveNext()",
    "innerException": {
        "message": "An error has occurred.",
        "exceptionMessage": "Type 'ADAS.GoTango.WebApi.Controllers.BrandController' does not have a default constructor",
        "exceptionType": "System.ArgumentException",
        "stackTrace": "   at System.Linq.Expressions.Expression.New(Type type)\r\n   at System.Web.Http.Internal.TypeActivator.Create[TBase](Type instanceType)\r\n   at System.Web.Http.Dispatcher.DefaultHttpControllerActivator.GetInstanceOrActivator(HttpRequestMessage request, Type controllerType, Func`1& activator)\r\n   at System.Web.Http.Dispatcher.DefaultHttpControllerActivator.Create(HttpRequestMessage request, HttpControllerDescriptor controllerDescriptor, Type controllerType)"
    }
}

My package config is:

<package id="Ninject" version="3.2.2.0" targetFramework="net45" />
<package id="Ninject.Web.Common" version="3.2.3.0" targetFramework="net45" />
<package id="Ninject.Web.Common.WebHost" version="3.2.3.0" targetFramework="net45" />
<package id="Ninject.Web.WebApi" version="3.2.4.0" targetFramework="net45" />
<package id="Ninject.Web.WebApi.WebHost" version="3.2.4.0" targetFramework="net45" />
<package id="Ninject.WebApi.DependencyResolver" version="0.1.4758.24814" targetFramework="net45" />

My code :

public class BrandController : BaseApiController
{
    readonly BrandsBusiness _brandsBusiness;

    public BrandController(BrandsBusiness brandsBusiness)
    {
        _brandsBusiness = brandsBusiness;
    }

    //public BrandController()
    //{
    //    _brandsBusiness = new BrandsBusiness(new BrandEfStore());
    //}

    public IHttpActionResult Get()
    {
        try
        {
            var allActiveBrands = _brandsBusiness.GetAllActiveBrands();
            return Ok(allActiveBrands);
        }
        catch (Exception exception)
        {
            Logger.Error(exception);
            return InternalServerError();
        }
    }

}

and NinjectWebCommon.cs file is

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

        RegisterServices(kernel);
        return kernel;
    }
    catch
    {
        kernel.Dispose();
        throw;
    }
}

/// <summary>
/// Load your modules or register your services here!
/// </summary>
/// <param name="kernel">The kernel.</param>
private static void RegisterServices(IKernel kernel)
{
    var configuration = new HttpConfiguration();
    kernel.Bind<DefaultModelValidatorProviders>().ToConstant(new DefaultModelValidatorProviders(configuration.Services.GetServices(typeof(ModelValidatorProvider)).Cast<ModelValidatorProvider>()));
    kernel.Bind<BrandsBusiness>().ToSelf().InRequestScope();
    kernel.Bind<IBrandManagement>().To<BrandEfStore>().InRequestScope();
}

I have alredy tried :

Parameterless constructor error with Ninject bindings in .NET Web Api 2.1

Ninject.ActivationException thrown only on first web request (WebAPI 2, OWIN 3, Ninject 3)

but none of them worked.

Mark Seemann Mark Seemann · Accepted Answer · 2016-01-17T11:01:14

While I don't know Ninject, I'd imagine that you'll need to make sure that the CreateKernel method is called. You'd normally add an Application_Start method in your global.asax.

You may need to make the CreateKernel method internal or public in order to be able to call if from there.

Ninject, WebAPI 2 Dependency injection not working

1 Answers