Pass an array from PHP to javascript using PHP

Question

Could someone help me with how to pass an array of values from PHP and retrieve it using AJAX. What i have found is only to pass a single value from PHP. When i try passing the value of an array i dont know how to receive it at the AJAX side

This is my PHP code:

$success[];
$timeout[];
$fail[];
while($row1 = mysql_fetch_array($masterresult))
{
 $success[]=$row1[1];
 $timeout[]=$row1[2];
 $fail[]=$row1[3]; 
}
echo json_encode(array("a"=>$success,"b"=>$timeout,"c"=>$fail));

And below is by AJAX call:

var channel;
 function overall(){
 $(".one").show();
 $(".two").hide();
 $(".three").hide();
 $(".four").hide();
 window['channel']="overall";
 $.ajax({
 type:"GET",
 url:"dash2.php",
 data:{channel:channel},
 dataType:'json',
 success:function(data){
 console.log(data.a);
 console.log(data.b);
 console.log(data.c);
 }
 });
 }

How should i pass those php array values onto this ajax call? could someone help me with the code

• Marshall: When do you want to pass the array to javascript ? During the creation of the page using PHP (in which case there is no need of AJAX) or after the page has been displayed to the user (in which case you have to use AJAX ?)
• Spudley: this question (or ones very much like it) have been asked so many times here on SO it's not funny any more. Did you try searching the site for an answer? Did you try reading the "Related" questions that came up when you typed in your question?
• jibin dcruz: can u help me with the posted code?

Answer 1

What you want to do is encode it as JSON.

$yourArray = array('asdf', 'qwer', 'zxcv');
echo 'var yourJavaScriptArray = ' . json_encode($yourArray) . ';';

This makes all of your arbitrary data safe for use in JavaScript as well.

If you are only doing this with AJAX, no need for the var part. Just output from json_encode() directly.

• jibin dcruz: can you check the code i have posted an suggest me what all to do in the ajax call?
• Brad: @jibindcruz, What's wrong with what you have? You are going to have to debug that a bit. Is your problem client-side or server-side? Look at the output from your script and do some basic debugging.

Answer 2

Whether it is one value or multiple values in an array for example, you should always use:

json_encode($your_php_var)

• Mooing Duck: OT, why did you reject this change? The code in the answer had typos that the editor was attempting to correct.
• jeroen: @MooingDuck Because it changes your answer. It might be an improvement, but if the OP finds a better solution based on your answer, he should post that in the question, not in your answer.
• Mooing Duck: I just wanted to voice my disagreement with that decision. Obvious typos in code should be allowed to be fixed IMO, and if you aren't sure, there's a skip button.
• jeroen: @MooingDuck I figured as much :-) Anyway, IMHO I think that is not the way to go when the editor is the OP of the question it is an answer to.

Answer 3

1. json_encode your array on PHP end.
2. Use that JSON object in JavaScript without any additional effort, its part of JavaScript.
3. When you send it back to PHP just json_decode it in PHP.

Reference: PHP Manual

Answer 4

Hope this example will help you. Imagine if you have some input data on html form and need to send them by AJAX, do something with them on server side and recive the result on client side and do some stuff with it.

 <form id="my_form" method="post" action="<?=$ServerSideUrl?>">
 <input type="text" name="field_1" value="">
 <input type="text" name="field_2" value="">
 <input type="text" name="field_3" value="">
 </form>

Here is you AJAX script, i used in this example JQuery

$('#my_form').ajaxSubmit({
 dataType: 'html',
 error: function() {
 alert('some error text');
 },
 complete: function(data) {
 //data this is the result object which returned from server side
 //for example you shpold alert the sum of thouse 3 field
 alert(data.sum);
 }
});

Here is your server side code

 <? 
 $data = array();
 $data["sum"] = $_POST["field_1"] + $_POST["field_2"] + $_POST["field_3"];
 echo my_json_encode($data);
 return true;
 ?>

So when your AJAX will be complete it alert the sum of three field on your form,

Answer 5

You can use JSON in combination with jQuery for that.

<?php
 $myArray = array('a', 'b');
 echo json_encode($myArray);
?>

Ajax

$.get('http://localhost/index.php',
 function(data) {
 var response = jQuery.parseJSON(data);
 console.log(response);
 }
);

In your code:

 var channel;
 function overall(){
 $(".one").show();
 $(".two").hide();
 $(".three").hide();
 $(".four").hide();
 window['channel']="overall";
 $.ajax({
 type:"GET",
 url:"dash2.php",
 data:{channel:channel},
 dataType:'json',
 success:function(data){
 console.log(data["a"]);
 console.log(data["b"]);
 console.log(data["c"]);
 }
 });
 }

• jibin dcruz: see but i want those values seperately
• jibin dcruz: like if success contains 54,67,32 i can access that using index in php but once i pass it to ajax how would i access those values?
• Mati: Using indexes, e.g. data["a"].
• jibin dcruz: can you tell me where to use json parse in my code. if possible can you show me
• Mati: You don't have to. Your Ajax call has been configured to use JSON as data type (dataType:'json'), returned string will be converted automatically.