What is the difference between the ResourceControllerFactory and the DefaultControllerFactory in ASP.NET MVC?

Question

What is the difference between the ResourceControllerFactory and the DefaultControllerFactory in ASP.NET MVC?

Context: I am looking to hook an IOC container into the controller factory - I have previously overriden the DefaultControllerFactory to do this, but I see the ResourceControllerFactory being used in a project I am currently working with.

Does one provide improved support for REST APIs?

Code for each:

DefaultControllerFactory

public class DefaultControllerFactory : IControllerFactory
{
    // Fields
    private IBuildManager _buildManager;
    private ControllerBuilder _controllerBuilder;
    private ControllerTypeCache _instanceControllerTypeCache;
    private static ControllerTypeCache _staticControllerTypeCache;

    // Methods
    static DefaultControllerFactory();
    public DefaultControllerFactory();
    internal static InvalidOperationException CreateAmbiguousControllerException(RouteBase route, string controllerName, ICollection<Type> matchingTypes);
    public virtual IController CreateController(RequestContext requestContext, string controllerName);
    protected internal virtual IController GetControllerInstance(RequestContext requestContext, Type controllerType);
    protected internal virtual Type GetControllerType(RequestContext requestContext, string controllerName);
    private Type GetControllerTypeWithinNamespaces(RouteBase route, string controllerName, HashSet<string> namespaces);
    public virtual void ReleaseController(IController controller);

    // Properties
    internal IBuildManager BuildManager { get; set; }
    internal ControllerBuilder ControllerBuilder { get; set; }
    internal ControllerTypeCache ControllerTypeCache { get; set; }
}

ResourceControllerFactory

public class ResourceControllerFactory : IControllerFactory
{
    // Fields
    private IControllerFactory inner;
    private const string restActionToken = "$REST$";

    // Methods
    public ResourceControllerFactory();
    public ResourceControllerFactory(IControllerFactory inner);
    public IController CreateController(RequestContext requestContext, string controllerName);
    public void ReleaseController(IController controller);

    // Nested Types
    private class ResourceControllerActionInvoker : ControllerActionInvoker
    {
        // Methods
        public ResourceControllerActionInvoker();
        protected override ActionDescriptor FindAction(ControllerContext controllerContext, ControllerDescriptor controllerDescriptor, string actionName);

        // Nested Types
        private class ResourceErrorActionDescriptor : ActionDescriptor
        {
            // Fields
            private ControllerDescriptor controllerDescriptor;
            private string message;
            private HttpStatusCode statusCode;

            // Methods
            public ResourceErrorActionDescriptor(ControllerDescriptor controllerDescriptor, HttpStatusCode statusCode, string message);
            public override object Execute(ControllerContext controllerContext, IDictionary<string, object> parameters);
            public override ParameterDescriptor[] GetParameters();

            // Properties
            public override string ActionName { get; }
            public override ControllerDescriptor ControllerDescriptor { get; }
        }
    }
}


Expand Methods

Answer 1

The ResourceControllerFactory offers automatic response serialisation according to the accept HTTP header (I think).