Using AJAX to Dynamically Fill a Dropdown VB.Net JQuery -

i trying make ajax call fill dropdown when value selected in dropdown. currently, getting syntaxerror: invalid character error, if remove "datatype: json", mess looks html code. dropdown must bound using value , text pairs. aspx code related dropdown:

<%@ page title="" language="vb" autoeventwireup="false" masterpagefile="~/site.master"      codebehind="request.aspx.vb" inherits="ndbedp.request" maintainscrollpositiononpostback="true" %> <asp:content id="content1" contentplaceholderid="headcontent" runat="server"> </asp:content> <asp:content id="content2" contentplaceholderid="featuredcontent" runat="server"> </asp:content> <asp:content id="content3" contentplaceholderid="maincontent" runat="server">     <script type="text/javascript">         $('.entitydrop').live('change', function (event) {             loadstatedrop()         });          var loadstatedrop = function () {             var data = "{'entity':'"+ $('#<%=ddlentity.clientid%> option:selected').val()+"'}"             alert("before ajax(), val: " + $('#<%=ddlentity.clientid%> option:selected').val());             $.ajax({                 type: "post",                 url: "request.aspx/loadstates",                 datatype: "json",                 data: data,                 contenttype: "application/json; charset=utf-8",                 success: function (list) {                     alert(list);                     $('.statedrop').empty()                     $.each(list, function (element) {                         var optn = document.createelement("option");                         optn.text = element.stateabbr;                         optn.value = element.stateid;                         $('.statedrop').append(optn);                     });                 },                 error: function (jqxhr, textstatus, errorthrown) {                     alert("error updating dropdowns: " + errorthrown);                 }             });         };     </script>     <asp:panel id="userinput" runat="server">         <asp:panel id="userinformation" runat="server" borderstyle="none" style="margin-bottom: 0px">             <asp:dropdownlist cssclass="entryfield, entitydrop" id="ddlentity" runat="server" width="95%"></asp:dropdownlist>             <asp:dropdownlist cssclass="entryfield, statedrop" id="ddlexpensestate" runat="server" width="18%"></asp:dropdownlist>             <asp:dropdownlist id="ddlexpenseperiod" runat="server" cssclass="entryfield" width="50%"></asp:dropdownlist>             <asp:dropdownlist id="ddlexpenseyear" runat="server" cssclass="entryfield" width="20%"></asp:dropdownlist>         </asp:panel>     </asp:panel> </asp:content> 

this vb.net code:

imports ndbedp.stringextensions imports ndbedp.dropdownextensions imports ndbedp.gridviewextensions imports system.io imports system.web.services imports system.web.script.services imports system.web.script.serialization  public class request     inherits system.web.ui.page      <webmethod()> _     public shared function loadstates(entity integer) dictionary(of string, integer)         dim expensestates dataset = (new requestbus).getexpensestates(entity)         dim returnstates new dictionary(of string, integer)         integer = 0 expensestates.tables(0).rows.count - 1             returnstates.add(expensestates.tables(0).rows(i).item("stateabbr"), expensestates.tables(0).rows(i).item("stateid"))         next         return returnstates     end function end class 

let me know if need see other code help.

i have tried doing through webservices, couldn't work either. included webservice , hooked properly, before adding of own code, got: javascript critical error @ line 3, column 1 web service script1002 syntax error. prefer in webservice, i'm open can work.

does know i'm doing wrong here?

edit: changed match current code

first off, not need serialize data coming asp.net ajax page method, json serializes data default.

second, why not returning type method? function , there no return type declared. appears want return list(of t) can loop through results client-side.

here example page method returns current time string:

<webmethod> _ public shared function getdate() string     return datetime.now.tostring() end function 

please read become more familiar using jquery directly call asp.net ajax page methods