Return file in ASP.Net Core Web API

Question

Problem

I want to return a file in my ASP.Net Web API Controller, but all my approaches return the HttpResponseMessage as JSON.

Code so far

public async Task<HttpResponseMessage> DownloadAsync(string id)
{
    var response = new HttpResponseMessage(HttpStatusCode.OK);
    response.Content = new StreamContent({{__insert_stream_here__}});
    response.Content.Headers.ContentType = new MediaTypeHeaderValue("application/octet-stream");
    return response;
}

When I call this endpoint in my browser, the Web API returns the HttpResponseMessage as JSON with the HTTP Content Header set to application/json.

Answer 1

If this is ASP.net-Core then you are mixing web API versions. Have the action return a derived IActionResult because in your current code the framework is treating HttpResponseMessage as a model.

[Route("api/[controller]")]
public class DownloadController : Controller {
    //GET api/download/12345abc
    [HttpGet("{id}")]
    public async Task<IActionResult> Download(string id) {
        Stream stream = await {{__get_stream_based_on_id_here__}}

        if(stream == null)
            return NotFound(); // returns a NotFoundResult with Status404NotFound response.

        return File(stream, "application/octet-stream"); // returns a FileStreamResult
    }    
}

Note:

The framework will dispose of the stream used in this case when the response is completed. If a using statement is used, the stream will be disposed before the response has been sent and result in an exception or corrupt response.

Answer 2

You can return FileResult with this methods:

1: Return FileStreamResult

    [HttpGet("get-file-stream/{id}"]
    public async Task<FileStreamResult> DownloadAsync(string id)
    {
        var fileName="myfileName.txt";
        var mimeType="application/...."; 
        Stream stream = await GetFileStreamById(id);

        return new FileStreamResult(stream, mimeType)
        {
            FileDownloadName = fileName
        };
    }

2: Return FileContentResult

    [HttpGet("get-file-content/{id}"]
    public async Task<FileContentResult> DownloadAsync(string id)
    {
        var fileName="myfileName.txt";
        var mimeType="application/...."; 
        byte[] fileBytes = await GetFileBytesById(id);

        return new FileContentResult(fileBytes, mimeType)
        {
            FileDownloadName = fileName
        };
    }

Answer 3

Here is a simplistic example of streaming a file:

using System.IO;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;

[HttpGet("{id}")]
public async Task<FileStreamResult> Download(int id)
{
    var path = "<Get the file path using the ID>";
    var stream = File.OpenRead(path);
    return new FileStreamResult(stream, "application/octet-stream");
}

Note:

Be sure to use FileStreamResult from Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc and not from System.Web.Mvc.