Opinions? Returning DataSets vs. XML from WebServices

[mCompany]

What is the prevailing mood regarding returning datasets
from WebServices? Returning XML (less the schema)
requires much less bandwidth. However, you have to apply
the schema on the client. Passing datasets back and forth
is much more straightforward. How is everyone approaching
this?

[Jeff Jones]

Speaking only for myself, it depends on whether the access to the web
services is public via the Internet, or private via an intranet or secure
Internet connection. Web services are necessary for public consumption
where it is not known what technology the consumer will be using. If the
consumer of these services is using .NET, as would be normal within a
company, I wouldn't use web services. I'd use remoting. Less bandwidth,
binary instead of text streams, and full support for .NET objects.

On either one, I'd use datasets. If the consumer is not using .NET
technology, they will definitely need the schema, and datasets will appear
as XML with schema. If they are using .NET technology, then datasets are
more versatile with minimal additional overhead. In web services, .NET will
take care of the XML conversion. In remoting, there is no need for
conversion to XML.

Jeff Jones

[maros]

This argument oftentimes comes down to what are you trying to accomplish by
building the web service: presumably, you would build a web service to
ensure the max interop with other clients/services. If you want that to work
beyond the world of .Net you want to go with XML. If you return datasets
directly you are forcing all consumers to understand semantics of what the
serialized dataset is -- this is obviously not directly supported in Java,
etc. Maros

mCompany <ma...@mvestcapital.com> wrote in message
news:1219701c21bc8$74637740$39ef2ecf@TKMSFTNGXA08...

[Jim Ross [MVP]]

Returning XML will allow universal use of the webservice. Returning a
dataset will limit your clients to other .NET applications.

"mCompany" <ma...@mvestcapital.com> wrote:

Jim Ross
MS MVP [ASP.NET][VC/MFC emeritus]

To send email, change 'lotsofspamthroughhere' to 'msn' but please ask all questions in the newsgroups, not via private mail

[Jeff Jones]

> Returning XML will allow universal use of the webservice. Returning a
> dataset will limit your clients to other .NET applications.

Not really. The dataset is presented as XML with an internal schema. The
consumer of the webservice does not have to know it is a Dataset. All they
see is XML.

By using a DataSet, consumers using .NET can use the DataSet. Those that
don't use XML.

Jeff Jones

[Jeff Jones]

> This argument oftentimes comes down to what are you trying to accomplish
by
> building the web service: presumably, you would build a web service to
> ensure the max interop with other clients/services. If you want that to
work
> beyond the world of .Net you want to go with XML. If you return datasets
> directly you are forcing all consumers to understand semantics of what the
> serialized dataset is -- this is obviously not directly supported in
Java,
> etc. Maros

Remember that the WebService reflects the DataSet to consumer apps as XML
with an internal schema, not a DataSet. A Java user sees only XML. No need
to write it out to XML first. Now, if we are talking Remoting instead of
WebServices, then yes, the object is passed and in binary format. But if
Remoting is being used, then the consumer is .NET, including J#.NET or
someone else's Java for .NET.

Jeff Jones

[Jim Ross [MVP]]

Thanks for the goo info. I hadn't known that.

"Jeff Jones" <jjones...@bellsouth.net> wrote:

Jim Ross

[Brian Pieslak]

Jeff,
I don't think that's quite right.

I have a method in MyWebService called "RetrievePerson".
"RetrievePerson" takes in an Integer, and Returns a DataSet.

I am attempting to comsume a MyWebService from within VBA in Excel,
using Microsoft's "Office XP Web Services Toolkit"
When discovering a WebService, I receive the name of the WebService, and
its list of methods.

For WebService methods that return a "DataSet", they are grayed out in
the window, with the following description:
"RetrievePerson contains complex data types and is not supported. If
MyWebService is selected, then this method will not be included in the VBA
Class. More information on complex methods is available by clicking
Help."

"Jeff Jones" <jjones...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:e$5U6eJHCHA.1600@tkmsftngp12...

[Brian Pieslak]

Apologies - I fat-fingered the Ctrl-Enter, and sent this before it was
ready.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-

Jeff,
I don't think that's quite right.

I have a method in MyWebService called "RetrievePerson".
"RetrievePerson" takes in an Integer, and Returns a DataSet.

I am attempting to comsume MyWebService from within VBA in Excel, using

Microsoft's "Office XP Web Services Toolkit"

When discovering MyWebService, I find MyWebService, and see its list of
methods.

For the "RetrievePerson" methods that return a "DataSet", it is grayed

out in the window, with the following description:

"RetrievePerson contains complex data types and is not supported. If
MyWebService is selected, then this method will not be included in
the VBA
Class. More information on complex methods is available by
clicking
Help."

Has anyone else encountered this (in VBA or other Programming Langauges)

Brian

"Brian Pieslak" <br...@nospam.metier.com> wrote in message news:...

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