Processing json array in PHP sent via jquery

Question

I am trying to consume a JSON array in PHP sent via JQuery. The data being sent to the server is in this format:

[{"id":"7","start":"00:00","end":"02:30","date":"2013-11-15"},{"id":"10","start":"23:00","end":"23:30","date":"2013-11-15"},{"id":"5","start":"13:00","end":"14:00","date":"2013-11-16"},{"id":"6","start":"18:00","end":"18:45","date":"2013-11-16"}]

I am sending the above data to the server through this function:

$('#updateOverallChanges').click(function(event){
 var formArray = new Array();
 $('.updateForm').each(function( index ) {
 formArray.push($(this).JSONFromSerialize());
 });
 $.ajax({
 url: 'inner/formTester.php',
 data: JSON.stringify(formArray),
 type: 'POST',
 contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8",
 });
 });

The function JSONFromSerialize is responsible for converting the form in meaningful json data:

(function($) {
 $.fn.JSONFromSerialize = function() {
 var o = {};
 var a = this.serializeArray();
 $.each(a, function() {
 if (o[this.name]) {
 if (!o[this.name].push) {
 o[this.name] = [ o[this.name] ];
 }
 o[this.name].push(this.value || '');
 } else {
 o[this.name] = this.value || '';
 }
 });
 return o;
 };
})(jQuery);

I am using the following PHP code to process the JSON array:

<?php
$params = json_decode($_POST[]);
echo $params;
?>

But the above code give the following output:

Fatal error: Cannot use [] for reading in C:\xampp\htdocs\holidaymanager\inner\formTester.php on line 2

---

Second attempt

Modified the payload to be a name value pair:

 var postData = {
 data : formArray
 };
 $.ajax({
 url: 'inner/formTester.php',
 data: JSON.stringify(postData),
 type: 'POST',
 contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8",
 });

The post data is:

{"data":[{"id":"7","start":"00:00","end":"02:30","date":"2013-11-15"},{"id":"10","start":"23:00","end":"23:30","date":"2013-11-15"},{"id":"5","start":"13:00","end":"14:00","date":"2013-11-16"},{"id":"6","start":"18:00","end":"18:45","date":"2013-11-16"}]}

The php code still fails:

<?php
$params = json_decode($_POST["data"]);
echo $params;
?>

Error:

Notice: Undefined index: data in C:\xampp\htdocs\holidaymanager\inner\formTester.php on line 2

Please advice how can I consume a JSON array sent over to the backend written in PHP.

• Novocaine: Have you tried json_decode($_POST)?

Answer 1

 $.ajax({
 data : {data:JSON.stringify(postData)},
 })

in php

 $params = $_POST['data']; // add this line 
 $params = json_decode($params,true); 
 print_r($params);

or else

 $params = json_decode($_POST,true);
 print_r($params);

you have pass 2nd argument true with json_Decode()...

hope it may help you

• Mono Jamoon: I am getting this message: <br /> <b>Warning</b>: json_decode() expects parameter 1 to be string, array given in <b>C:\xampp\htdocs\holidaymanager\inner\formTester.php</b> on line <b>2</b><br />
• Mono Jamoon: the ajax request is sent like this: $.ajax({ url: 'inner/formTester.php', data : {'data':JSON.stringify(formArray)}, type: 'POST', contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8", });
• 404 Not Found: change 'data' to data
• Mono Jamoon: getting the same warning message
• Mono Jamoon: the payload seems to be messed up: data=%5B%7B%22id%22%3A%225%22%2C%22start%22%3A%2213%3A00%22%2C%22end%22%3A%2214%3A00%22%2C%22date%22%3A%222013-11-16%22%7D%2C%7B%22id%22%3A%226%22%2C%22start%22%3A%2218%3A00%22%2C%22end%22%3A%2218%3A45%22%2C%22date%22%3A%222013-11-16%22%7D%2C%7B%22id%22%3A%221%22%2C%22start%22%3A%2203%3A00%22%2C%22end%22%3A%2204%3A00%22%2C%22date%22%3A%222013-11-17%22%7D%2C%7B%22id%22%3A%222%22%2C%22start%22%3A%2212%3A00%22%2C%22end%22%3A%2212%3A30%22%2C%22date%22%3A%222013-11-17%22%7D%2C%7B%22id%22%3A%223%22%2C%22start%22%3A%2216%3A15%22%2C%22end%22%3A%...