Sending Complex JavaScript Objects to WCF and Web Services

Example 1 - Sending dictionary to a WebMethod or PageMethod:

[WebMethod]

public static string SendDictionary(Dictionary<string,string> dictionary)

{

return "Success";

}

Sending objects using AJAX:

function SendDictionary() {

var dictionary = CreateDictionary();

PageMethods.SendDictionary(dictionary, sendDictionarySucceededHandler, sendDictionaryFailedHandler);

}

function CreateDictionary() {

var dictionary = new Object();

dictionary["Filter1"]= "SelectedValue1";

dictionary["Filter2"]= "SelectedValue2";

return dictionary;

}

Example2-Sending list of objects to a WebMethod or PageMethod:

[WebMethod]

public static string SendPeople(List<string> people)

{

return "Success";

}

Sending objects using AJAX:

function SendPeople() {

var people = CreatePeople();

PageMethods.SendPeople(people, sendPeopleSucceededHandler, sendPeopleFailedHandler);

}

function CreatePeople() {

var result = new Array();

var object1 = new Object();

object1.FirstName = "FirstName1";

object1.LastName = "LastName1";

result[0] = object1;

var object2 = new Object();

object2.FirstName = "FirstName2";

object2.LastName = "LastName2";

result[1] = object2;

return result;

}

Example3 - Sending Dictionary to a WCF service

You must use JSON to do so.

function SendDictionary()

{var dictionary = CreateDictionaryForWCF();

PageMethods.SendDictionary(dictionary, sendDictionarySucceededHandler, sendDictionaryFailedHandler);}

function CreateDictionaryForWCF()

{

var dictionary = new Array();
dictionary[0]= AddJSONItem("Filter1", "SelectedValue1");

dictionary[1]= AddJSONItem("Filter2", "SelectedValue2");
return dictionary;}

function AddJSONItem(key, value){ return {"Key": key, "Value": value};}

More details:

• http://dotnetslackers.com/columns/ajax/ASPNETAjaxWebService.aspx
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb412167.aspx
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc163419.aspx