Question

I need to return some data from a web service that looks something like this:

data.page = 1
data.count = 12883
data.rows(0).id = 1
data.rows(0).name = "bob"
data.rows(1).id = 2
data.rows(1).name = "steve"
data.rows(2).id = 3
data.rows(2).name = "fred"

I have no idea how to do this. I’ve returend simple types and simple arrays, but never an object like this.

The data source is a sql Database. The target is a javascript/ajax function. I’m currently successfully returning the rows themselves as a dataset and it works, but I need to add the count and a couple other “parent level” variables.

For the sake of full disclosure, here is the code that is working:

<WebMethod()> _
Public Function rptPendingServerRequests() As DataSet
    Dim connetionString As String
    Dim connection As SqlConnection
    Dim command As SqlCommand
    Dim adapter As New SqlDataAdapter
    Dim ds As New DataSet
    Dim sql As String

    connetionString = "..."
    sql = "SELECT usm_request.request_id, usm_request.status, usm_request.req_by_user_id " +
        "FROM usm_request " +
        "WHERE usm_request.request_id in " +
        "(SELECT distinct(usm_request.request_id) from usm_request, usm_subscription_detail WHERE usm_request.request_id = usm_subscription_detail.request_id " +
        "AND usm_subscription_detail.offering_id = 10307) ORDER BY usm_request.request_id DESC"
    connection = New SqlConnection(connetionString)

    Try
        connection.Open()
        command = New SqlCommand(sql, connection)
        adapter.SelectCommand = command
        adapter.Fill(ds)
        adapter.Dispose()
        command.Dispose()
        connection.Close()

        Return ds

    Catch ex As Exception
    End Try
End Function

And I’m trying to consume it with FlexiGrid. I’ve been working at it for a few hours with no luck. I basically need to convert the PHP at the following site to .net

http://code.google.com/p/flexigrid/wiki/TutorialPropertiesAndDocumentation

Answer 1

I think that you would be much better off just creating a couple of classes and moving the data from the database into these classes. For example:

Public Class MyDataClass
    Public Property Page As Integer

    Public ReadOnly Property Count As Integer
        Get
            If Me.Rows IsNot Nothing Then
                Return Me.Rows.Count
            Else
                Return 0
            End If
        End Get
    End Property

    Public Property Rows As List(Of MyDataRow)

    ' Parameterless constructor to support serialization.
    Public Sub New()
        Me.Rows = New List(Of MyDataRow)
    End Sub
    Public Sub New(wPage As Integer, ds As DataSet)
        Me.New()

        Me.Page = wPage

        For Each oRow As DataRow In ds.Tables(0).Rows
            Dim oMyRow As New MyDataRow

            oMyRow.Id = oRow("id")
            oMyRow.Name = oRow("Name")

            Me.Rows.Add(oMyRow)
        Next
    End Sub
End Class

Public Class MyDataRow
    Public Property Id As Integer
    Public Property Name As String

    ' Parameterless constructor to support serialization
    Public Sub New()

    End Sub
End Class

Then change the return type of the method to MyDataClass and change the return to:

        Return New MyDataClass(1, ds)