Returning Multiple Records from Web Service

What is the best practice for returning multiple records through a web
service that uses a java program call bean to talk to an RPG program?

 

Let's say I have a file with 2000 records in it and my user wants to do
a lookup which would retrieve 387 of those records and then display them
in their web page.

 

When I return the records to the web service from my RPG program, would
it be best for me to manually build the XML for each record and field

 

<record>

<field>field1</field>

  <desc>desc 1</desc>

</record>

 

<record>

<field>field2</field>

  <desc>desc 2</desc>

</record>

 

<record>

<field>field3</field>

  <desc>desc 3</desc>

</record>

 

And then in my interface I'd describe a multiple occurrence data
structure that gets returned...

 

Or would it be best to group them all like, 

 

"field1,field1-Desc;file2,field2-Desc;field3,field3-Desc;  

 

And again, use a multiple occurrence data structure...

 

I'm just not sure how to describe this in my java program call bean for
multiple records.

 

How does everyone else do it?

 

Thanks!

 

Shannon O'Donnell