Problems using an XML Web service that returns a DataTable

When you browse to the URL of an XML Web service that returns a DataTable from one of its Web methods, you may receive the following error message: You may also see an error message similar to the following when you try to set a Web reference to this XML Web service in the Visual Studio .NET integrated development environment (IDE): With the .NET Framework 1.1 Service Pack 1 (SP1), you may receive the following error message: You may also receive a blank page instead of any of these error messages if Show friendly HTTP error messages is enabled in Microsoft Internet Explorer. By default, the Show friendly HTTP error messages option is enabled.

If you try to add a Web reference to an XML Web service that returns a DataTable, you may receive the following error message:

The DataTable, DataRow, DataView, and DataViewManager objects cannot be serialized and cannot be returned from an XML Web service. To return less than a complete DataSet, you must copy the data that you want to return to a new DataSet.

To resolve this issue, return a DataSet instead of a DataTable. DataSet objects can contain one or more DataTable objects.

This behavior is by design.

Steps to Reproduce the Behavior

NOTE: Sample code is provided for Visual Basic .NET, Visual C# .NET, and Visual J# .NET.

1. Add a Web method that returns a DataTable to an existing XML Web service. The following code creates a connection to a Microsoft SQL Server database and retrieves the Authors table. If you want to use the code, modify it to connect to one of your SQL Server computers.

   'Visual Basic
       <WebMethod()> Function GiveMeADataTable() As System.Data.DataTable
           Dim conn As New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection("Server=YourServer;Initial Catalog=pubs;Integrated Security=SSPI;")
           Dim ds As New System.Data.DataSet()
           Dim adapter As New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter()
           adapter.SelectCommand = New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand("Select * From Authors", conn)
           adapter.Fill(ds, "Authors")
           Return ds.Tables("Authors")
       End Function
   					

   //Visual C#
      [WebMethod]
      public System.Data.DataTable GiveMeADataTable()
      {
           System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection conn = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection("Server=YourServer;Initial Catalog=pubs;Integrated Security=SSPI;");
         System.Data.DataSet ds = new System.Data.DataSet();
           System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter adapter = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter();
           adapter.SelectCommand = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand("Select * From Authors", conn);
           adapter.Fill(ds, "Authors");
         return ds.Tables["Authors"];
      }    
   
   					

   /**Visual J# */ 
   	/** @attribute WebMethod() */ 
   	public System.Data.DataTable GiveMeADataTable()
   	{
   		System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection conn = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection("Server=YourServer;Initial Catalog=pubs;Integrated Security=SSPI;");
   		System.Data.DataSet ds = new System.Data.DataSet();
   		System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter adapter = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter();
   		adapter.set_SelectCommand(new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand("Select * From Authors", conn));
   		adapter.Fill(ds, "Authors");
   		System.Data.DataTableCollection dtc = ds.get_Tables();
   		return dtc.get_Item("Authors");
   	} 
   					

2. Compile the XML Web service.
3. Browse to the URL of the XML Web service in which you just added the code. Note that you receive an error message.
4. Modify the code as follows to return a DataSet instead of a DataTable:

   'Visual Basic
       <WebMethod()> Function GiveMeADataSet() As System.Data.DataSet
           Dim conn As New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection("Server=YourServer;Initial Catalog=pubs;Integrated Security=SSPI;")
           Dim ds As New System.Data.DataSet()
           Dim adapter As New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter()
           adapter.SelectCommand = New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand("Select * From Authors", conn)
           adapter.Fill(ds, "Authors")
           Return ds
       End Function
   					

   //Visual C#
      [WebMethod]
      public System.Data.DataSet GiveMeADataSet()
      {
           System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection conn = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection("Server=YourServer;Initial Catalog=pubs;Integrated Security=SSPI;");
         System.Data.DataSet ds = new System.Data.DataSet();
           System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter adapter = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter();
           adapter.SelectCommand = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand("Select * From Authors", conn);
           adapter.Fill(ds, "Authors");
         return ds;
      }
   
   					

   /**Visual J# */ 
   /** @attribute WebMethod() */ 
   	public System.Data.DataSet GiveMeADataSet()
   	{
   		System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection conn = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection("Server=YourServer;Initial Catalog=pubs;Integrated Security=SSPI;");
   		System.Data.DataSet ds = new System.Data.DataSet();
   		System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter adapter = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter();
   		adapter.set_SelectCommand(new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand("Select * From Authors", conn));
   		adapter.Fill(ds, "Authors");
   		return ds;
   	}
   					

5. Compile the XML Web service.
6. Browse to the URL of the XML Web service in which you just added the above code. Note that you do not receive an error message.