c# - Now that WebServiceHost2Factory is dead, how do I return error text from a WCF rest service? -

i've seen several references webservicehost2factory class use effectively handle errors in wcf rest services. apparently class, had throw webprotocolexception , body of response contain pertinent information.

that class seems have fallen out of favor now. there replacement somewhere in .net 4 stack?

i'm trying figure out how return error text in body of response post operation, if went wrong. key question below next *'s

example:

[description("performs full enroll , activation of member loyalty program")] [operationcontract] [webinvoke(method = "post", uritemplate = "/fullenroll/{clientdeviceid}",     bodystyle = webmessagebodystyle.bare,     requestformat = webmessageformat.json,     responseformat = webmessageformat.json)] public memberinfo fullenroll(string clientdeviceid, fullenrollmentrequest request) {     log.debugformat("fullenroll. clientdeviceid: {0}, request:{1}", clientdeviceid, request);     memberinfo ret = null;     try     {       //do stuff     }     catch (faultexception<loyaltyexception> fex)     {         log.errorformat("[loyalty full enroll] caught faultexception attempting full enroll. message: {0}, reason: {1}, data: {2}", fex.message, fex.reason, fex.detail.exceptionmessage);         handleexception("fullenroll", fex, fex.detail.exceptionmessage);     }     catch (exception e)     {         log.errorformat(             "[loyalty full enroll] caught exception attempting full enroll. exception: {0}", e);         handleexception("fullenroll", e);     }     return ret; }   /// <summary> /// deals w/ response when exceptions thrown /// </summary> private static exception handleexception(string function, exception e, string statusmessage = null) {     // set return context, handle error     if (weboperationcontext.current != null)     {         var response = weboperationcontext.current.outgoingresponse;          // set error code based on exception         var errornum = 500;         if (e httpexception)             errornum = ((httpexception)e).errorcode;          response.statuscode = (httpstatuscode) enum.parse(typeof (httpstatuscode), errornum.tostring());         response.statusdescription = statusmessage;         // ****************************************************         // how can return body of web method?         // ****************************************************         weboperationcontext.current.createtextresponse(statusmessage);     }      return (e httpexception) ? e : new httpexception(500, string.format("{0} caught exception", function)); } 

this answer seems suggest using following,

httpcontext.current.response.write(statusmessage); 

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edit - tobyb mentioned in comments, aspnetcompatibility required.

here's how turn on:

<system.servicemodel>     <servicehostingenvironment aspnetcompatibilityenabled="true">     <!--  ...  --> </system.servicemodel>