Hi,

I created a HelloWorld Web API solution in VS 2013. I left all the code automatically created by VS unchanged.
On executing of this project the VS opens the browser and puts the following URL: "localhost:53757" which shows a descriptive ASP.NET page created by VS.
Then when I add "/api/values" to this URL making it "localhost:53757/api/values" and the browser returns the array of two values (from the Controller class).

I would like to understand better the WebApiConfig class which is in the APP_START folder. This class calls method Register and passes the HttpConfiguration config. I have two questions, please:

1. Do I understand correctly that this class (WebApiConfig) and method are called ONLY ONE TIME when you start the Web API (project)? Why I think so: I set a debug point in this class, and the debug point is hit only once when I execute the proejct. When I add the "/api/values" to the localhost:53757 (making it localhost:53757/api/value) code in the class WebApiConfig does not fire and debut point is not hit.

2. Below is the code of the WebApiConfig class. Could someone please explain it - in English - as simply as possible (if possible).

   public static class WebApiConfig
    {
        public static void Register(HttpConfiguration config)
        {
            // Web API configuration and services

            // Web API routes
            config.MapHttpAttributeRoutes();

            config.Routes.MapHttpRoute(
                name: "DefaultApi",
                routeTemplate: "api/{controller}/{id}",
                defaults: new { id = RouteParameter.Optional }
            );
        }
    }

Thank you in advance.