ASP.NET Web API Contract Versioning -

we achieve version based api using content negotiation in accept header.

we able achieve controller & api methods inheritance , extending default http selector.

controller inheritance achieved using following sample code,

public abstract class abstractbasecontroller : apicontroller {     // common methods api }  public abstract class abstractstudentcontroller : abstractbasecontroller {     // common methods student related api'sample      public abstract post(student student);     public abstract patch(student student); }  public class studentv1controller : abstractstudentcontroller {     public override post([frombody]student student) // student should instance of studentv1 json     {         // do: insert v1 student     }      public override patch([frombody]student student) // student should instance of studentv1 json     {         // do: patch v1 student     } }  public class studentv2controller : abstractstudentcontroller {     //      public override post([frombody]student student) // student should instance of studentv2 json     {         // do: insert v2 student     } }  public abstract class student {     public string firstname { get; set; }     public string lastname { get; set; } }  public class studentv1 : student {    }  public class studentv2 : student {        public string email { get; set; } } 

we have created above architecture less code change in version, if version 1 has 10 api methods , there change in 1 api method should available in version 2 code without modifying other 9(they inherited version 1).

now, main problem facing in contract versioning cannot instantiate instance of abstract student. when posting json api version 1 instance of studentv1 should passed in methods , same in version 2.

is there way achieve this?

thanks in advance!!

based on pasted code make abstractstudentcontroller generic. because apis declare abstract must implemented in every api version, , can define type generic. hope i'm not missing description, because patch missing implementation in studentv2controller, declared abstract. wanted derive studentv2controller studentv1controller?

public abstract class abstractbasecontroller : apicontroller {     // common methods api }  public abstract class abstractstudentcontroller<studenttype> : abstractbasecontroller {     // common methods student related api'sample      public abstract post(studenttype student);     public abstract patch(studenttype student); }  public class studentv1controller : abstractstudentcontroller<studentv1> {     public override post([frombody]studentv1 student) // student should instance of studentv1 json     {         // do: insert v1 student     }      public override patch([frombody]studentv1 student) // student should instance of studentv1 json     {         // do: patch v1 student     } }  public class studentv2controller : abstractstudentcontroller<studentv2> {     //      public override post([frombody]studentv2 student) // student should instance of studentv2 json     {         // do: insert v2 student     } }