asp.net - MVC 6 WebAPI returns serialized HttpResponseMessage instead of file stream -

i'm trying make asp.net 5 mvc 6 webapi project output file, in response httpget request.

the file azure files share, stream containing binary file.

it seems me mvc serializes response object, , returns resulting json, rather returning response object itself.

here controller method:

    [httpget]     [route("getfile")]     public httpresponsemessage getfile(string username, string password, string fullname)     {          var client = new azurefilesclient.azurefilesclient(username, password);         stream azurefilestream =  client.getfilestream(fullname).result;         var filename = path.getfilename(fullname);          using (httpresponsemessage response = new httpresponsemessage(httpstatuscode.ok))         {             response.content = new streamcontent(azurefilestream);             response.content.headers.contenttype = new mediatypeheadervalue("application/octet-stream");             response.content.headers.contentdisposition = new contentdispositionheadervalue("attachment") { filename = filename };             return response;         }     } 

the getfilestream method on azurefilesclient here, though stream source containing binary file content:

    public async task<stream> getfilestream(string filename)     {         var uri = new uri(share.uri + "/" + filename);         var file = new cloudfile(uri, credentials);          using (var stream = new memorystream())         {             await file.downloadtostreamasync(stream);             stream.seek(0, seekorigin.begin);             return stream;         }     } 

edit: here sample of json response:

{     "version": {         "major": 1,         "minor": 1,         "build": -1,         "revision": -1,         "majorrevision": -1,         "minorrevision": -1     },     "content": {         "headers": [             {                 "key": "content-type",                 "value": [                     "application/octet-stream"                 ]             },             {                 "key": "content-disposition",                 "value": [                     "attachmentx; filename=\"samplefile.docx\""                 ]             }         ]     },     "statuscode": 200,     "reasonphrase": "ok",     "headers": [],     "requestmessage": null,     "issuccessstatuscode": true } 

after combination of reading documentation aswell trial , error, problems have been solved.

the azure part made using nuget package "windowsazure.storage" (4.4.1-preview)

first output got json serialized. required custom action result returned instead.

using microsoft.aspnet.mvc; using system.io; using system.threading.tasks;  public class fileresultfromstream : actionresult {     public fileresultfromstream(string filedownloadname, stream filestream, string contenttype)     {         filedownloadname = filedownloadname;         filestream = filestream;         contenttype = contenttype;     }      public string contenttype { get; private set; }     public string filedownloadname { get; private set; }     public stream filestream { get; private set; }      public async override task executeresultasync(actioncontext context)     {         var response = context.httpcontext.response;         response.contenttype = contenttype;         context.httpcontext.response.headers.add("content-disposition", new[] { "attachment; filename=" + filedownloadname });         await filestream.copytoasync(context.httpcontext.response.body);     } } 

now getting binary data streamed azure files share (or other async stream source)

using microsoft.windowsazure.storage; using microsoft.windowsazure.storage.auth; using microsoft.windowsazure.storage.file; using system; using system.collections.generic; using system.io; using system.text; using system.threading.tasks;      public async task<stream> getfilestreamasync(string filename)     {         var uri = new uri(share.uri + "/" + filename);         var file = new cloudfile(uri, credentials);          // note: not wrap stream variable in using, since close stream soon.         var stream = new memorystream();         await file.downloadtostreamasync(stream);         stream.seek(0, seekorigin.begin);         return stream;     } 

and controller code. note use of iactionresult interface.

    [httpget]     [route("getfile")]     public async task<iactionresult> getfile(string username, string password, string fullname)     {         var client = new azurefilesclient.azurefilesclient(username, password);         stream stream = await client.getfilestreamasync(fullname);         string filename = path.getfilename(fullname);         return new customactionresults.fileresultfromstream(filename, stream, "application/msword");     } 

note: example used word files, might want making contenttype parameter dynamic, instead of static this.