<WebMethod(Description:="Sales")> _
   Public Function Sales(ByVal Region as String) as SalesClass()

     Dim ds As New DataTable
     ds = getSales(Region)

     Dim newSales as SalesClass() = new SalesClass(ds.Rows.Count - 1) {}

     Dim i As Integer
     For i = 0 To ds.Rows.Count - 1
     newSales(i) = New SalesClass()

     If Not DBNull.Value.Equals(ds.rows(i)(0)) then
     newSales(i).Region = ds.rows(i)(0)
     End If

     If Not DBNull.Value.Equals(ds.rows(i)(1)) then
     newSales(i).Product = ds.rows(i)(1)
     End If

     If Not DBNull.Value.Equals(ds.rows(i)(2)) then
     newSales(i).Amount = ds.rows(i)(2)
     End If

     If Not DBNull.Value.Equals(ds.rows(i)(3)) then
     newSales(i).TimeFrame = ds.rows(i)(3)
     End If

     Next

     Return newSales

   End Function

   Public Class SalesClass

    Public Region as System.String
    Public Product as System.String
    Public Amount as System.Decimal
    Public TimeFrame as System.String

   End Class

   Public function getSales(Region as String) as Datatable

    Dim cn as new SqlConnection("Data Source=local;Initial Catalog=MyDB;Persist Security Info=True;User ID=sa;password=password")
    Dim cmd As new SqlCommand("SELECT Region, Product, Amount ,TimeFrame   FROM dbo.Transaction   where Region = @Region", cn)

    Dim p0 As New SqlParameter
    p0.ParameterName ="@Region"
    p0.Value = Region
    cmd.Parameters.Add(p0)

    cn.Open()
    Dim da As New SqlDataAdapter(cmd)
    Dim dtResults As New DataTable

    Try
    da.Fill(dtResults)
    Catch ex As Exception
    da.Dispose()
    dtResults.Dispose()
    MsgBox("Something went wrong - please check the query string")
    Finally
    cn.Close()
    da.Dispose()
    End Try

    Return dtResults

   End Function