---
title: clsProviderSearch.clsProviders
summary: API reference for clsProviderSearch.clsProviders.
status: draft
owner: SAIF Doc Gen
last_reviewed: 2026-08-21
library: SAIF.Business.View.Provider
reference_type: embedded
---

# clsProviderSearch.clsProviders

`clsProviders` is the read-only result container returned by `clsProviderSearch.Providers`, inheriting `ReadOnlyCollection(Of clsSearchResults)`. It holds the up-to-300 rows produced by a single `searchForProvider` invocation and is rebuilt (not appended to) on each new search.

## Purpose
- Presents the search-result set to callers as an immutable, indexable collection, preventing accidental mutation of search output outside `clsProviderSearch`.
- Enforces, by construction (`ReadOnlyCollection`), that only `clsProviderSearch` itself can populate results, keeping the row cap ([BR-SRCH-007](../../business-rules.md#br-srch-007-search-results-capped-at-300-rows)) authoritative.

## Context
- Namespace: `SAIF.Business.View.Provider`
- Assembly/package: `SAIF.Business.View.Provider` (embedded/project-compiled); also distributed as the NuGet package `SAIF.BOF.Business.View.Provider`.

## Public members
| Member | Signature | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `Item` | `Default ReadOnly Property Item(index As Integer) As clsSearchResults` (from `ReadOnlyCollection(Of clsSearchResults)`) | Returns the search result row at the given position. |
| `Count` | `ReadOnly Property Count As Integer` (from `ReadOnlyCollection(Of clsSearchResults)`) | Number of rows returned by the most recent search, capped at 300 ([BR-SRCH-007](../../business-rules.md#br-srch-007-search-results-capped-at-300-rows)). |
| `GetEnumerator` | `Function GetEnumerator() As IEnumerator(Of clsSearchResults)` (from `ReadOnlyCollection(Of clsSearchResults)`) | Enumerates the search result rows in the order returned by the query (`ORDER BY fullNAME ASC`). |
| `Contains` | `Function Contains(item As clsSearchResults) As Boolean` (from `ReadOnlyCollection(Of clsSearchResults)`) | Tests whether a specific result row instance is present in the collection. |

## Behavioral notes
- OP-09: this collection is rebuilt from scratch at the start of every `searchForProvider` call — prior results are discarded rather than merged, so callers must re-read `Providers` after each search.*
- Being a plain `List(Of T)`-backed `ReadOnlyCollection`, it carries no BOF business-object behavior (no `IsValid`/`IsDirty`/`Save`); it exists purely to surface immutable search output.

## Constraints and usage notes
- Not a BOF business collection — callers should not expect `IsValid`, `IsDirty`, or persistence semantics from this type; it is a plain read-only wrapper over the result rows.*
- Because it is rebuilt on each search, holding a reference to a previous `Providers` value across a subsequent `searchForProvider` call will retain stale, no-longer-current results.*

> **Note:** Statements marked with `*` were inferred from code structure, naming
> conventions, or contextual evidence where direct confirmation was not available
> in source artifacts. Statements marked with `**` could not be confirmed; treat
> as unknown until verified.

## Sources
- SAIF.Business.View.Provider/clsProviderSearch.vb