title: Return NotFound status code or empty list with status code 200 when search action finds no elements in asp.net web api call?
body: <p>A mvc web api call like GetEmployees searches for a list of employee objects but finds none.
  This is not an error condition as it is acceptable in the business context that the list can be empty. </p>
  
  <p>The search did not fail, it just didn't find anything.</p>
  
  <p>What is the best way to form the response? Should I</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>return a response message with http status code of HttpStatusCode.NotFound, or</li>
  <li>return status code 200 and return an empty list, or</li>
  <li>something else?</li>
  </ol>