ASP.NET Web API 2 - define controller-to-method mappings?

Question

Microsoft has a good tutorial for getting your first ASP.NET Web API project going:

http://www.asp.net/web-api/overview/getting-started-with-aspnet-web-api/tutorial-your-first-web-api

...but what's unclear to me -- how is the mapping between the API URIs and my C# controller methods defined?

for ex:

/api/products/{id}

resolves to

public IHttpActionResult GetProduct(int id)
{
    [...]
}

...but im not sure how. automagic?

I ask because I want to create a new mapping for this URI:

/api/setReportNotificationsAsRead?uid={username}&items={itemIDs}

to this new method in my controller:

public IHttpActionResult SetReportNotificationsAsRead(string username, string itemIDs)
{
    [...]
}

Answer 1

...but im not sure how. automagic?

The Automagic lies with HTTP Verbs in Web API. The route /api/products/{id} can map to anything that starts with GET (or just method name Get) if you make a GET request for the WebAPI.

If you make a POST request then it will map to any POST method (or else is you use route prefix).

This link can help you understand the magic. That can also help you understanding how you can configure SetReportNotificationsAsRead function to be called.