Web Services,Datasets and Compact Framework

Transferring datasets through the wire between a Compact Framework based application and Web Service is a common data transfer practice. However, it may turns to a big pain from a performance point of view if not done properly.

So, when dealing with datasets consider the following approaches:

• Design your application so that only the needed data is transferred. For example transfer only changed data. In case you are targeting CF2.0 you may use DataSet.GetChanges() and DataSet.Merge() methods. However if you are still targeting CF1.0 you should deal with it manually. This post explains it in general
  



• Compress the data transferred. Read the following articles:
  
  
  • Web Services and standard HTTP 1.1 compression
  
  
  • Compressed Binary Serialiarion
  
  
  • Web Service Compression
  
  
  
  


• And finally serialize DataSet to Xml and then send it over the wire as a string. This could improve performance in some scenarios; prototype, measure and analyze to see if this could really help in your particular case. Transfer the DataSet schema as well to imrpove DataSet load time