Executing SQL Server stored procedure using VB.NET

this is an example of the class to call the XmlReaderAdapter

Imports System.Data.SqlClient
Imports System.Data

Public NotInheritable Class ClientDemographics


    Private Shared Function GetSqlCommand(ByVal connection As SqlConnection) As SqlCommand
        Dim command As SqlCommand = connection.CreateCommand()
        command.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure
        command.CommandText = "SP_OESS_Get_Client_Demographics"
        With command.Parameters
            .Add("@RETURN_VALUE", SqlDbType.Int, 4)
            command.Parameters(0).Direction = ParameterDirection.ReturnValue
            .Add("@clientid", SqlDbType.VarChar, 20)
            .Add("@firstname", SqlDbType.VarChar, 20)
            .Add("@lastname", SqlDbType.VarChar, 20)
            .Add("@middlename", SqlDbType.VarChar, 10)
            .Add("@SSN", SqlDbType.VarChar, 11)
            .Add("@Birthdate", SqlDbType.SmallDateTime, 4)
            .Add("@Gender", SqlDbType.VarChar, 1)
        End With
        Return command
    End Function

    Public Sub New()
        MyBase.New()
    End Sub

    Public ID As String
    Public FirstName As String
    Public LastName As String
    Public MiddleName As String
    Public SSN As String
    Public BirthDate As DateTime
    Public Gender As String

    Public Function GetXmlString(ByVal connection As SqlConnection) As String
        Return XmlReaderAdapter.GetString(GetSqlCommand(connection))
    End Function

    Private Shared Function GetValue(ByVal item As DateTime) As Object
        Dim value As Object = DBNull.Value
        If DateTime.Compare(item, DateTime.MinValue) > 0 Then
            value = item
        End If
        Return value
    End Function

    Private Shared Function GetValue(ByVal item As String) As Object
        Dim value As Object = DBNull.Value
        If Not item Is Nothing AndAlso item.Length > 0 Then
            value = item
        End If
        Return value
    End Function





End Class

expanding the GetXmlString Function


Public Function GetXmlString(ByVal connection As SqlConnection) As String
        Dim command As SqlCommand = GetSqlCommand(connection)
        command.Parameters("@clientid").Value = GetValue(ID)
        command.Parameters("@firstname").Value = GetValue(FirstName)
        command.Parameters("@lastname").Value = GetValue(LastName)
        command.Parameters("@middlename").Value = GetValue(MiddleName)
        command.Parameters("@SSN").Value = GetValue(SSN)
        command.Parameters("@Birthdate").Value = GetValue(BirthDate)
        command.Parameters("@Gender").Value = GetValue(Gender)
        Dim value As String = XmlReaderAdapter.GetString(command)
        command.Dispose()
        Return value
End Function


Thus, you call the class like so:
Dim connection As New SqlConnection(...)
Dim demographics As New ClientDemographics
demographics.ID = ""
...
Dim value As String = demographics.GetXmlString(connection)