Item Not Found when Searching DataSet

[MXever7]

I use code such as the following to search a Dataset datatable:

 

dim returnValue as string
dim rowsFound as datarow()

rowsFound = MyDataSet.Tables(0).Select("FirstName = '" & searchTerm & "'")
returnValue = rowsFound(0).item("LastName") 'rowsFound(0) just for simplicity, here.

return returnValue  

 

The problem is that if the searchTerm is not in the dataset, an exception is thrown by the select method. I want the function to allow such searches and deal with them, so I quickly thought of catching errors, something like this:

 

dim returnValue as string
dim rowsFound as datarow()

try
rowsFound = MyDataSet.Tables(0).Select("FirstName = '" & searchTerm & "'")
returnValue = rowsFound(0).item("LastName")
catch ex as exception
returnValue = "none"
end try

return returnValue

 

Using try... catch in this way seems wrong to me. Is there a better way to search a dataset/datatable when I'm not sure if the search term is in the data table?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[PlausiblyDamp]

What is the exception it is raising? If you simply do not have any matching rows you should get an array for 0 elements returned.

 

Does this happen for all terms with no results or just for some?

[MXever7]

Oops, your right.

 

I misread where the error was occuring. Based on your reply, I looked again and noticed that the error was not with the select, but with the handling of 'rowsFound.' I was able to solve the problem by making sure there were rows before trying to return values from them.

 

It was a silly mistake on my part... but your reply really did help. Thank you.