Fat Agnus

[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Class | AttributeTargets.Method, Inherited = false, AllowMultiple = false)]
public sealed class FormatFilterAttribute : FilterAttribute, IActionFilter
{
    /// <summary>
    /// The type of files we can server the requested content in
    /// </summary>
    private enum FileFormat { Html, Json, Xml }
 
    public FormatFilterAttribute()
    {
        Disallow = string.Empty;
        RequestedFormat = FileFormat.Html;
    }
 
    /// <summary>
    /// Formats to disallow can be either Html, Json or Xml. Use comma to seperate multiple formats.
    /// </summary>
    public string Disallow { get; set; }
 
    /// <summary>
    /// The format that has been requested
    /// </summary>
    private FileFormat RequestedFormat { get; set; }
 
    /// <summary>
    /// Occurs before an action is executed
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="filterContext"></param>
    public void OnActionExecuting(ActionExecutingContext filterContext)
    {
        FileFormat format = GetFileFormat(filterContext.HttpContext.Request.Path);
        if(IsDisallowed(format))
        {
            throw new ArgumentException("Requested format has been disallowed");
        }
 
        RequestedFormat = format;
    }
 
    /// <summary>
    /// Occurs after an action is executed
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="filterContext"></param>
    public void OnActionExecuted(ActionExecutedContext filterContext)
    {
        if(!(filterContext.Result is ViewResult))
        {
            throw new InvalidOperationException("You need to call the View method, when the FormatFilter attribute is applied");
        }
 
        var view = (ViewResult)(filterContext.Result);            
        filterContext.Result = FormatViewResult(view);
    }
 
    /// <summary>
    /// Verifies if the format has been disallowed
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="format"></param>
    /// <returns></returns>
    private bool IsDisallowed(FileFormat format)
    {
        return Disallow.Split(',').Any(s => s.ToLower() == format.ToString().ToLower());
    }
 
    /// <summary>
    /// Verifies that the requested format is one that can be servered
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="ext"></param>
    /// <returns></returns>
    private bool IsValidFileExtension(string ext)
    {
        return Enum.GetNames(typeof(FileFormat)).Any(format => format.ToLower() == ext.Substring(1).ToLower());
    }
 
    /// <summary>
    /// 
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="path"></param>
    /// <returns></returns>
    private FileFormat GetFileFormat(string path)
    {
        string ext = Path.GetExtension(path);
        if(string.IsNullOrEmpty(ext))
        {
            return FileFormat.Html;
        }
 
        if (!IsValidFileExtension(ext))
        {
            throw new FormatException("Requested format is not available");
        }
 
        return (FileFormat)Enum.Parse(typeof(FileFormat), ext.Substring(1), true);
    }
 
    private ActionResult FormatViewResult(ViewResultBase view)
    {
        switch (RequestedFormat)
        {
            case FileFormat.Html:
                return view;
            case FileFormat.Json:
                return new JsonResult { Data = view.ViewData.Model };
            case FileFormat.Xml:
                return new XmlResult(view.ViewData.Model);
            default:
                throw new FormatException(string.Concat("Cannot server the content in the request format: ", RequestedFormat));
        }
    }
}

[FormatFilter]
public class HomeController : Controller
{      
    public ActionResult Index()
    {
        var pizzas = new[]
                         {
                             new Pizza {Number = 1, Name = "Pizza 1", Price = "$10"},
                             new Pizza {Number = 2, Name = "Pizza 2", Price = "$13"},
                             new Pizza {Number = 3, Name = "Pizza 3", Price = "$20"}
                         };
 
        return View(pizzas);
    }
}

// Add this to Global.asax
routes.MapRoute(
	"Format",
	""{controller}/{action}/{id}.{format}"",
	new {id = "", format = ""}
);

/// <summary>
/// A base controller that will enable you to serve your data in either Json, Xml, Html
/// </summary>
public abstract class FormatController : Controller
{
	/// <summary>
	/// The Key to extract the format from Route Data
	/// </summary>
	private const string FORMAT_KEY = "Format";
 
	/// <summary>
	/// The type of files we can server the requested content in
	/// </summary>
	public enum FileFormat { Html, Json, Xml }
 
	protected FormatController()
	{
		// Our Default format
		RequestedFormat = FileFormat.Html;
	}
 
	/// <summary>
	/// The format that has been requested
	/// </summary>
	protected FileFormat RequestedFormat { get; private set; }
 
	/// <summary>
	/// Occurs before an action is executed
	/// </summary>
	/// <param name="filterContext"></param>
	protected override void OnActionExecuting(ActionExecutingContext filterContext)
	{
		base.OnActionExecuting(filterContext);
 
		var routeValues = filterContext.RouteData.Values;
		if (routeValues.ContainsKey(FORMAT_KEY))
		{
			var requestedFormat = routeValues[FORMAT_KEY].ToString();
			if (IsValidFormat(requestedFormat))
			{
				RequestedFormat = (FileFormat)Enum.Parse(typeof(FileFormat), requestedFormat, true);
			}
		}
	}
 
	/// <summary>
	/// Verifies that the requested format is one that can be servered
	/// </summary>
	/// <param name="requestedFormat"></param>
	/// <returns></returns>
	private bool IsValidFormat(string requestedFormat)
	{
		return Enum.GetNames(typeof(FileFormat)).Any(format => format.ToLower() == requestedFormat.ToLower());
	}
 
	/// <summary>
	/// Returns the content in the requested format
	/// </summary>
	/// <param name="viewModel">Viewmodel</param>
	/// <returns>ActionResult</returns>
	protected ActionResult FormatView(object viewModel)
	{
		switch (RequestedFormat)
		{
			case FileFormat.Html:
				return View(viewModel);
			case FileFormat.Json:
				return Json(viewModel);
			case FileFormat.Xml:
				return new XmlResult(viewModel);
			default:
				throw new FormatException(string.Concat("Cannot server the content in the request format: ", RequestedFormat));
		}
	}
}

public class Pizza
{
	public int Number { get; set; }
	public string Name { get; set; }
	public string Price { get; set; }
}
 
public class HomeController : FormatController
{
	public ActionResult Index()
	{
		var pizzas = new[]
			{
				new Pizza {Number = 1, Name = "Pizza 1", Price = "$10"},
				new Pizza {Number = 2, Name = "Pizza 2", Price = "$13"},
				new Pizza {Number = 3, Name = "Pizza 3", Price = "$20"}
			};
 
		return FormatView(pizzas);
	}
}

// Add this to Global.asax
routes.MapRoute(
	"Format",
	"{controller}/{action}.{format}/{id}",
	new {id = ""}
);