ASP.Net Web API Help Pages: Ignore certain properties

ASP.NET WEB API uses Json.NET for JSON and DataContarctSerailizer for XML formatting so if you add [JsonIgnore] annotations over properties that you do not want included in your serialization should work just fine.

Using the following annotation I've successfully hidden a property from the generation!

[ApiExplorerSettings(IgnoreApi = true)]

No, there isn't a similar option for a property. HelpPage uses formatter instances configured on the application to serialize the samples and as you can imagine the formatters must not have this knowledge within themselves.

Regarding workarounds:

a. You could explicitly set the raw sample for a particular action's requestsample via the SetSampleRequest extension of HttpRequestMessage. You should be able to see some examples about this in the file at *Areas\HelpPage\App_Start\HelpPageConfig.cs*.

b. In the file Areas\HelpPage\SampleGeneration\HelpPageSampleGenerator.cs, there is a method called WriteSampleObjectUsingFormatter which uses the application's formatter instances to write the samples. Here you would need to create new formatter instances having similar settings as your normal application has(so that they reflect the exact serialization/deserialization semantics that your application would normally react to when actual requests are made) and then try to hide the properties which you want to. We want to create new instances because we do not want to disturb the normal functioning of the application.

Example: In case of Json, you could create a new Json formatter instance and provide a ContractResolver which can hide the properties. Check this link: http://james.newtonking.com/projects/json/help/html/ConditionalProperties.htm

In case of Xml, I am not sure how we can hide properties without using the IgnoreDataMember attribute and also being non-intrusive.

Currently I would prefer option 'a' as its comparatively a simple workaround than 'b'.