WCF Data Service return Complex Type - wcf

Question

I created a ComplexType and am returning it in a service operation as shown here:
[WebGet]
public IQueryable<ComplexAddressType> GetCityByZip(string zip)
{
List<AddressType> normalizeAddress = NormalizeAddressProcess(new AddressType
{
ZIP = zip,
}).AddressList;
return normalizeAddress.Select(x =>new ComplexAddressType
{
ZIP = x.zip,
City = x.City,
State = x.State
}).AsQueryable();
}
When I try to invoke the service operation by calling http://localhost/MyService.svc/GetCityByZip?zip='20000', the service operation invocation works and the browser displays a list of cities.
When I try to invoke the service operation by calling http://localhost/MyService.svc/GetCityByZip?zip='20000'&$top=1, the browser displays an error page.
Could you can help me?

Answer 1

Assuming ComplexAddressType is actually a complex type, you cannot use the $top system query option with that service operation. If you enable verbose errors per the comment above, you are likely getting back this error:
Query options $orderby, $inlinecount, $skip and $top cannot be applied to the requested resource.
To be able to use $top with the service operation, you will need to return a collection of entity types rather than complex types.
You could also just introduce another parameter to your function call, so that you can use a URL such as the following:
http://localhost:59803/ScratchService.svc/GetProfiles?startsWith='ABC'&top=2
Sample code:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Data.Entity;
using System.Data.Services;
using System.Data.Services.Common;
using System.Linq;
using System.ServiceModel;
using System.ServiceModel.Web;
namespace Scratch.Web
{
[ServiceBehavior(IncludeExceptionDetailInFaults = true)]
public class ScratchService : DataService<ScratchContext>
{
static ScratchService()
{
Database.SetInitializer(new ScratchContextInitializer());
}
public static void InitializeService(DataServiceConfiguration config)
{
config.SetEntitySetAccessRule("*", EntitySetRights.All);
config.SetServiceOperationAccessRule("*", ServiceOperationRights.AllRead);
config.DataServiceBehavior.MaxProtocolVersion = DataServiceProtocolVersion.V3;
config.UseVerboseErrors = true;
}
[WebGet]
public IQueryable<User> GetUsers(int numUsers)
{
var users = new List<User>();
for (int i = 0; i < numUsers; i++)
{
users.Add(new User
{
Id = i,
Password = i.ToString(),
Username = i.ToString()
});
}
return users.AsQueryable();
}
[WebGet]
public IQueryable<Profile> GetProfiles(string startsWith, int top)
{
var profiles = new List<Profile>
{
new Profile{ DisplayName = "A", Preferences = "1" },
new Profile{ DisplayName = "AB", Preferences = "2" },
new Profile{ DisplayName = "ABC", Preferences = "3" },
new Profile{ DisplayName = "ABCD", Preferences = "4" },
new Profile{ DisplayName = "ABCDE", Preferences = "5" },
new Profile{ DisplayName = "ABCDEF", Preferences = "6" },
new Profile{ DisplayName = "ABCDEFG", Preferences = "7" }
};
return profiles.Where(p => p.DisplayName.StartsWith(startsWith)).Take(top).AsQueryable();
}
}
public class ScratchContextInitializer : DropCreateDatabaseAlways<ScratchContext>
{
}
public class ScratchContext : DbContext
{
public DbSet<User> Users { get; set; }
}
public class Profile
{
public string DisplayName { get; set; }
public string Preferences { get; set; }
}
public class User
{
public int Id { get; set; }
public string Username { get; set; }
public string Password { get; set; }
public Profile Profile { get; set; }
}
}

Answer 2

Last code will work when GetCityByZip method has 2 parameters. First one for zip and second one for top. In your case you have parameters inconsistency and wcf can't find method.