Question about methodology for Gurus

[JR]

Hi,

I have a question about the best method to return sql records through a web
service.

I will potentially be sending back anywhere from one to a thousand records
from a sql call through a webmethod. I would like some advice on the "Best"
way to send the data to the client. Right now I am filling a dataset from
the sql call, writing the xml to an xmlwriter object, then converting that
to a string which I then return to the client.

Would it be better to send back a collection or custom object or is there
another approach that I'm missing? I would like to keep this as scalable as
possible so I would like to avoid using datasets and such.


Thanks in advance,
Jamie

[Jan Tielens]

If you want to avoid a DataSet, I would recommend using custom objects in a
collection. Ofcourse this will be somehow a performance degradation, like
you have now when you serialize your DataSet to a string. Using custom
objects you get the advantage that you are working with types, instead of a
long string with xml in it. Ofcourse xml in string format is the most
flexible solution, so it's always the choice between flexibility and
ease-of-use.

If your concern is interoperability (e.g. communication with java clients),
the custom objects won't raise any issues. I've succesfully implemented such
a solution without any problems regarding the communication between .NET and
Java.

--
Greetz

Jan Tielens
________________________________
Read my weblog: [url]http://weblogs.asp.net/jan[/url]


"JR" <xylixian@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:#G$q4NtvDHA.2508@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...

> Hi,
>
> I have a question about the best method to return sql records through a

web

> service.
>
> I will potentially be sending back anywhere from one to a thousand records
> from a sql call through a webmethod. I would like some advice on the

"Best"

> way to send the data to the client. Right now I am filling a dataset from
> the sql call, writing the xml to an xmlwriter object, then converting that
> to a string which I then return to the client.
>
> Would it be better to send back a collection or custom object or is there
> another approach that I'm missing? I would like to keep this as scalable

as

> possible so I would like to avoid using datasets and such.
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Jamie
>
>

[JR]

Great info, thanks for the advise Jan.


"Jan Tielens" <jan@no.spam.please.leadit.be> wrote in message
news:%23hj8syvvDHA.1908@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...

> If you want to avoid a DataSet, I would recommend using custom objects in

a

> collection. Ofcourse this will be somehow a performance degradation, like
> you have now when you serialize your DataSet to a string. Using custom
> objects you get the advantage that you are working with types, instead of

a

> long string with xml in it. Ofcourse xml in string format is the most
> flexible solution, so it's always the choice between flexibility and
> ease-of-use.
>
> If your concern is interoperability (e.g. communication with java

clients),

> the custom objects won't raise any issues. I've succesfully implemented

such

> a solution without any problems regarding the communication between .NET

and

> Java.
>
> --
> Greetz
>
> Jan Tielens
> ________________________________
> Read my weblog: [url]http://weblogs.asp.net/jan[/url]
>
>
> "JR" <xylixian@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:#G$q4NtvDHA.2508@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...

> > Hi,
> >
> > I have a question about the best method to return sql records through a

> web

> > service.
> >
> > I will potentially be sending back anywhere from one to a thousand

records

> > from a sql call through a webmethod. I would like some advice on the

> "Best"

> > way to send the data to the client. Right now I am filling a dataset

from

> > the sql call, writing the xml to an xmlwriter object, then converting

that

> > to a string which I then return to the client.
> >
> > Would it be better to send back a collection or custom object or is

there

> > another approach that I'm missing? I would like to keep this as scalable

> as

> > possible so I would like to avoid using datasets and such.
> >
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> > Jamie
> >
> >

>
>

[Dino Chiesa [Microsoft]]

If you want the table metaphor, you can also do something like

[WebMethod(Description="returns an XmlNode derived from a DataSet. This
form excludes schema info. ")]
public System.Xml.XmlNode GetDataSet_XmlDoc(int orderId) {
System.Xml.XmlDocument doc = new System.Xml.XmlDocument();
System.Data.DataSet ds= Service(orderId);
doc.LoadXml(ds.GetXml());
return doc;
}


"JR" <xylixian@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:O0aV80yvDHA.3416@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

> Great info, thanks for the advise Jan.
>
>
> "Jan Tielens" <jan@no.spam.please.leadit.be> wrote in message
> news:%23hj8syvvDHA.1908@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...

> > If you want to avoid a DataSet, I would recommend using custom objects

in

> a

> > collection. Ofcourse this will be somehow a performance degradation,

like

> > you have now when you serialize your DataSet to a string. Using custom
> > objects you get the advantage that you are working with types, instead

of

> a

> > long string with xml in it. Ofcourse xml in string format is the most
> > flexible solution, so it's always the choice between flexibility and
> > ease-of-use.
> >
> > If your concern is interoperability (e.g. communication with java

> clients),

> > the custom objects won't raise any issues. I've succesfully implemented

> such

> > a solution without any problems regarding the communication between .NET

> and

> > Java.
> >
> > --
> > Greetz
> >
> > Jan Tielens
> > ________________________________
> > Read my weblog: [url]http://weblogs.asp.net/jan[/url]
> >
> >
> > "JR" <xylixian@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> > news:#G$q4NtvDHA.2508@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...

> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > I have a question about the best method to return sql records through

a

> > web

> > > service.
> > >
> > > I will potentially be sending back anywhere from one to a thousand

> records

> > > from a sql call through a webmethod. I would like some advice on the

> > "Best"

> > > way to send the data to the client. Right now I am filling a dataset

> from

> > > the sql call, writing the xml to an xmlwriter object, then converting

> that

> > > to a string which I then return to the client.
> > >
> > > Would it be better to send back a collection or custom object or is

> there

> > > another approach that I'm missing? I would like to keep this as

scalable

> > as

> > > possible so I would like to avoid using datasets and such.
> > >
> > >
> > > Thanks in advance,
> > > Jamie
> > >
> > >

> >
> >

>
>