Web API controller returning boolean - model-view-controller

Question

I have a Web API where one of the methods in a controller return true or false when validating user id which is a string of numbers. I do no have an actual database yet, so I sort of mocked up the set of values in the repository.
Below is my code:
My repository class:
public class myRepository
{
public myClasses.Employee[] GetAllEmployees()
{
return new myClasses.Employee[]
{
new myClasses.Employee
{
empId="111111",
empFName = "Jane",
empLName="Doe"
},
new myClasses.Employee
{
empId="222222",
empFName = "John",
empLName="Doe"
}
};
}
public bool VerifyEmployeeId(string id)
{
myClasses.Employee[] emp = new myClasses.Employee[]
{
new myClasses.Employee
{
empId="111111",
empFName = "Jane",
empLName="Doe"
},
new myClasses.Employee
{
empId="222222",
empFName = "John",
empLName="Doe"
}
};
for (var i = 0; i <= emp.Length - 1; i++)
{
if (emp[i].empId == id)
return true;
}
return false;
}
}
and my model class:
public class myClasses
{
public class Employee
{
public string empId { get; set; }
public string empFName { get; set; }
public string empLName { get; set; }
}
}
and here is my controller:
public class myClassesController : ApiController
{
private myRepository empRepository;
public myClassesController()
{
this.empRepository = new myRepository();
}
public myClasses.Employee[] GetEmployees()
{
return empRepository.GetAllEmployees();
}
public bool VerifyEmployee(string id)
{
return empRepository.VerifyEmployeeId(string id);
}
}
Now when i compile it I get an error:
} expected
Type or namespace definition, or end-of-file expected
; expected
in line
return empRepository.VerifyEmployeeId(string id);
of my controller.
My question is using boolean the best way to return Success or Failure from Web API method or is there a better way? and also why am I getting this error. I am new to Web API

Answer 1

The compile error is caused by this;
return empRepository.VerifyEmployeeId(string id);
You should rewrite to:
return empRepository.VerifyEmployeeId(id);
You don't have you specify the type of the argument when calling a function.
About returning true or false; if you intend to only check whether the employee is valid or not, I should leave it this way. If you plan to use that employee data more you could rewrite that function so it returns the actual employee itself, and return 404: Not Found when the Employee is not found for instance.