title: Return JSON data from WebAPI Controller
body: <p>I want to return some JSON data from my WebAPI controller and I want the returned data to be like this.</p>
  
  <pre><code>{"rows":[{"id":1,"cell":["1","amila","amila","False"]},{"id":2,"cell":["2","rakhitha","rakhitha","False"]},{"id":3,"cell":["3","Chathura","Chathura","False"]},{"id":4,"cell":["4","Geethaga","Geethaga","False"]}]}
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>But when I use the below code,</p>
  
  <pre><code>return new System.Web.Mvc.JsonResult()
          {
              Data = jsonData,
              JsonRequestBehavior = System.Web.Mvc.JsonRequestBehavior.AllowGet
          };
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>the data is returned like this.</p>
  
  <pre><code>{"Data":{"rows":[{"id":1,"cell":["1","amila","amila","False"]},{"id":2,"cell":["2","rakhitha","rakhitha","False"]},{"id":3,"cell":["3","Chathura","Chathura","False"]},{"id":4,"cell":["4","Geethaga","Geethaga","False"]}]},"JsonRequestBehavior":0}
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>There is an additional JSON key as "Data". I dont want that parameter and as my implementation I cant remove this "Data" part after getting it to the client side. Because the data received from the server is directly used to fill a jqGrid. The code is below.</p>
  
  <pre><code>$("#Grid1").jqGrid({
              url: 'api/matchingservicewebapi/GetUser',
              datatype: 'json',
              mtype: 'GET',
              colNames: ['', 'Name', 'FullName', 'IsActive'],
              colModel: [
                  { name: 'Id', index: 'Id', width: 200 },
                  { name: 'Name', index: 'Name', width: 300 },
                  { name: 'FullName', index: 'FullName', width: 300 },
                  { name: 'IsActive', index: 'IsActive', width: 300 }
              ],
              rowNum: 10,
              rowList: [10, 20, 30],
              pager: '#pager',
              sortname: 'Id',
              viewrecoreds: true,
              sortorder: "desc",
              imgpath: 'Themes/images'
      }).navGrid(pager, { edit: true, add: true, del: true, refresh: true, search: true });
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>How do I remove this "Data" part? Because when you have this "Data" key in the returned JSON, jqGrid is not capable of filling that data to the grid.</p>
  
  <p>I am using WebAPI Controller to return this data. But I tried using MVC3 controller, then this "Data" key was not in the returned JSON and data filled to the grid successfully. But I want to use WebAPI Controller. Please help to solve this.</p>
  
  <p>Thank you in advance.</p>