Passing a Dataset to a webservice

[Arne]

How do I pass a dataset to a webservices? I need to submit a shoppingcart
from a pocket PC to a webservice.
What is the right datatype?
II have tried dataset as a datatype, but I can't get it to compile.
<WebMethod()> _
Public Function VerifySku(ByVal skus As XmlDataDocument ) As DataSet

Test program :
Dim cartSet As DataSet
cartSet = ws.VerifySku(ca rtSet)

Error:
C:\Projects\Sho ppingCartWeb\Sh oppingCartTest\ Test.vb(37): Value of type
'System.Data.Da taSet' cannot be converted to '1-dimensional array of
System.Object'.

[Scott M.]

Your welcome Arne...good luck!
"Arne" <Ar**@discussio ns.microsoft.co m> wrote in message
news:76******** *************** ***********@mic rosoft.com...

Scott and Drew,

I am impressed by your spirited discussion. It may take me a while to try
out all of your suggestions.
Thanks.
Arne.

"Scott M." wrote:

> Well, yeah, that sure might explain it. After all this is the
> microsoft.publi c.dotnet.framew ork.**webservic es** newsgroup. :)

....And it is used by a WebMethod, of a WebService just not from the
client
end, from the back-end that's all. Does that somehow not "qualify" as a
legitmate web service topic? Please!

>
>> What I am
>> proposing would be something that a webmethod would be calling deeper
>> in the n-tier of the server that is running the web service. You
>> don't use WSDL to get these layers communicating since they are both
>> part of the same assembly. You are under the impression I've been
>> describing a web service to web service client, which I have not.
>
> So wait... let us pause to discuss this design for a second:
>
> <digression level="moderate ">
> If this is a deeper layer, why aren't you passing strong types (at
> least
> DataSets) around at that point? Are you actually telling us that you're
> passing strings of XML from a web method written in managed code to a
> data
> layer also written in managed code and doing the parsing within that
> layer? Forget losing strong typing at the web service layer, you seem
> to
> have given that up at a lower level already.

I think you really need to go back and read the posts before you got
involved. I originally suggested that there were 2 ways (that I could
think
of) to address the OP. The first was to pass the DataSet directly. The
OP
said he's having problems doing that and wanted to take a look at my
second
choice. I told the OP that if he wanted to use the first choice
(DataSet),
we'd just need to see his code to determine what he's doing wrong.

>
> The web service should be the one to convert the XML to strongly typed
> data, or at the very least DataSet, before passing it on to the next
> layer? I mean, that's usually the whole point of a Web Service/Method:
> to
> act as a façade over a set of lower level systems. It's entire reason
> for
> existence is to bridge the communication gap. If you're not taking
> advantage of the architecture at that level then what's the point?

I am taking advantage of the Web Service in just the way you describe.
Work
this backwards from the actual data source (in other words, assume the
call
to the web service has already been made and this is how we return data
back
through the web service)...

Data souce gives actual data to Data Layer (this is where we have a
strongly
typed DataSet to hold that data)
Strongly Typed DataSet gives its actual data to a WebMethod
WebMethod (web service) gives its data to a web service client
(serialized)
Client puts its data into a DataSet

The WebSevice could have a strongly typed dataset, but the most important
place for there to be one is in the Data Layer. From there it is very
easy
to persist the structure and data types of the original data up the chan
either by passing a DataSet or by passing the XML and the XMLSchema data.
There is no risk in doing this because the client WILL receive the data
in a
DataSet (either by populating the XMLSchema and XML data or by receiving
a
DataSet with this information intact). I believe you are still thinking
about this thread backwards. The only thing we are saying about the web
service client here is that it will store its data in a DataSet. That
dataset will perform equally well if it gets its data via XMLSchema/Data
or
just by receiving a DataSet.

>
> Finally, if you've built your [B|D]AL into the same assembly as your
> web
> service, well... I don't know what to tell ya there. You've obviously
> got
> some serious architectual decoupling to do and I wish you the best of
> luck.
> </digression>

I'm not sure why you've been so adversarial here. Again, if you had read
the OP and the posts leading up to your first post, you would have seen
that
I advocated a DataSet as the first choice. It's just really frustrating
that you keep wanting to tell me how I'm doing it wrong (and how you are
the
one with all the correct answers) and how I don't understand how web
services, XML and DataSets work, when I believe it is you who isn't quite
up
to speed on what we've been talking about here.

> > Now, on to Arne's problem...
>
>> Allthough, I believe we've found the source of your confusion, the OP
>> did say that DataSets were what he/she intended to use so your point
>> is mute.
>
> C'mon now. Are you seriously trying to fault me for being confused
> about
> you *not talking about web services* on a web services newsgroup in
> response to a web services question? Shame on you.

Uh, yes since I am simply talking about the back end of a web method.

>You can't possibly try to say I'm the one giving the sour advice here

Did I say that? Gee, I don't think I did. In fact, I don't dispute
anything you've said. I've just said that you are talking about a
scenario
that we are not.

>when I was clearly trying to help Arne understand the real choices
>available to him

Pahleeeeese go back and read my 3rd post in this thread. I believe those
are "real" choices as well. And, as a matter of fact, I believe my FIRST
suggestion is the same as yours.

>in web services rather than resorting to passing typeless xsd:any or,
>worse, xsd:string (which is essentially the XML equivalent of void*)
>around.

Well, I guess it's a good thing that I didn't recommend that either. Too
bad you can't read as well as you write.

Why are you being so rude and adversarial? Each time I go back and
explain
what has already been said earlier in this thread, you respond with
something like "Oh, well, in that case...". No one has disputed what
you've
said, I've only said that that's not the scenario that is being
discussed.

>
>> Again Drew, we are talking about situations where DataSets WILL be
>> used.
>
> Yes, I clearly understood that given my detailed example of how the
> DataSet will be represented in schema (by default). In fact, I never
> doubted DataSets were being used here... it's just *how* they're going
> to
> be used that seems to have caused the confusion here.

By your own admission, I really think that you are the only one that's
confused.

>There in lies the problem with your suggestion and ensuing argument: the
>original author *was* talking about using them over webservices (more
>specifically on the wire, not intra/interprocess). The only thing anyone
>has to do to figure this out was read the first line of the original
>request for assistance:
>
> "How do I pass a dataset to a webservices? I need to submit a
> shoppingcart from a pocket PC to a webservice."

Of course, if you had read the other posts, the OP stated that he
couldn't
get that to work and wanted to give the XML road a try. But, you didn't
do
that.

>
> Maybe that's why Arne didn't see your initial suggestion as a useful
> one
> and replied (rightfully so IMHO):
>
> "That is the right answer to the wrong question."

Maybe. But after explaining the 2 scenarios, he decided that the XML
road
might be worth it and thus, we are now talking about that, rather than
the
original track. If you had just done a little more reading and a little
less preaching.....

>
> So, Arne, I at least hope this discussion has been useful to you
> despite
> the alleged "confusion" .

You said you were confused, no one else said anything about it.

>If you need more detail about how to get your DataSet to serialize to
>and
>from a specific XML schema, feel free to ask. As I said originally
>though,
>you might not even care about that if your writing the only software
>that
>is ever going to be a client to the service.

Again, I think the confusion is limited to you. I am really at a loss to
come up with an understanding of why someone who obviously didn't read
the
thread would be so condecending, rude and want to position themself as
the
one who understands what the rest of us don't.

You know these newsgroups are a great place for professionals and novices
to
share thoughts, ideas and strategies. It is not a place for egos and
rudness. You could have made your point(s) in a much less adversarial
way
and avoided the confusion on your part by simply asking for
clarification,
rather than throwing down innuendos and bullying your point.

I wish you good luck (and perhaps some manners too).

[Whoever]

So, do we have a conclusion after all the discussions?

Can I retrun a typed dataset as XmlDocument, with full schema AND show
schema in WSDL, without full manual customization?

Most of the solutions on the web is about how to read n well formated xml
data into dataset, couldn't find the other way around.

Please help. Thanks.

"Scott M." <s-***@nospam.nosp am> wrote in message
news:#4******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP10.phx.gbl...

You are probably better off using the DataSet's GetXML and ReadXML methods. In other words, the web service returns the xml from a DataSet as a string. This xml can then be very easily put back into a new DataSet.
"Arne" <Ar**@discussio ns.microsoft.co m> wrote in message
news:E1******** *************** ***********@mic rosoft.com...

How do I pass a dataset to a webservices? I need to submit a shoppingcart from a pocket PC to a webservice.
What is the right datatype?
II have tried dataset as a datatype, but I can't get it to compile.
<WebMethod()> _
Public Function VerifySku(ByVal skus As XmlDataDocument ) As DataSet

Test program :
Dim cartSet As DataSet
cartSet = ws.VerifySku(ca rtSet)

Error:
C:\Projects\Sho ppingCartWeb\Sh oppingCartTest\ Test.vb(37): Value of type
'System.Data.Da taSet' cannot be converted to '1-dimensional array of
System.Object'.

[Drew Marsh]

Whoever wrote:

So, do we have a conclusion after all the discussions?

Can I retrun a typed dataset as XmlDocument, with full schema AND show
schema in WSDL, without full manual customization?

Most of the solutions on the web is about how to read n well formated
xml data into dataset, couldn't find the other way around.

Please help. Thanks.

I replied to your "How to pass a typed dataset to a web service" post, but the short answer is: No, there no way to get the WSDL generator to generate the signature you want for your .NET method signature if you want to use DataSet. You must either generate the WSDL by hand or use specific .NET types decorated with XML serialization attributes that more clearly define what the structure of your document instance should be.

HTH,
Drew