vb.net return json object with multiple types? - sql

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)