How do I iterate over a JSON array using jQuery/AJAX call from PHP? [duplicate]

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Closed 14 years ago.

Possible Duplicate:
Loop through Json object

I have a PHP function, data.php, which fetches JSON data from an external server URL like such:

<?php
$url = "https://dev.externalserver.net/directory";
$content = file_get_contents($url);
echo json_encode($content);
?>

The JSON array retrieved looks like the following:

[ 
 { "name": "Not configured", 
 "mac_address": "1111c11c1111", 
 "online": "false", 
 "rate": "Not configured" },
 { "name": "Not configured", 
 "mac_address": "0000c00c0000", 
 "online": "false", 
 "rate": "Not configured" } 
]

I'm now trying to write an AJAX call to that PHP function, iterate through the JSON array, and display it in the browser in non-JSON formatting. My AJAX code looks like the following:

$.ajax({ url: 'data.php',
 type: 'POST',
 dataType: 'json',
 success: function(output) { 
 $.each(output, function() { 
 $.each(this, function(key, value){
 alert(key + " --> " + value); 
 });
 });
 }
});

My issue is that code is currently displaying alert boxes that show the individual characters within the array like such: 0 --> [ , 0 --> , 0 --> { ... etc etc

Is there a problem with how I'm passing the data using json_encode(); and dataType: 'json' or does the issue resolve with how I'm iterating through the array?

Thanks.

• dqhendricks: if the file contents at "dev.externalserver.net/directory" contain a JSON encoded string, why not just have your ajax get the string directly from that link instead of making an extra trip back to your server?

Answer 1

Other responders missed the sneaky but still obvious bit, that what's coming back from the resource being polled in the PHP is probably already valid JSON, and re-encoding it is causing the browser to interpret it merely as a string. In this case, the javascript never had a chance.

Remove the json_encode() bit in the PHP and just echo what comes back, and see if that doesn't improve things.

Answer 2

I think your problem is the this in the second each. Try:

$.each(output, function(key, value) { 
 $.each(value, function(key, value){
 alert(key + " --> " + value); 
 });
});

• Ted: This seemed to produce the same result in my output.

Answer 3

var jsonArray = [ 
 { "name": "Not configured", 
 "mac_address": "1111c11c1111", 
 "online": "false", 
 "rate": "Not configured" },
 { "name": "Not configured", 
 "mac_address": "0000c00c0000", 
 "online": "false", 
 "rate": "Not configured" } 
 ];
 $.each(jsonArray, function() {
 for (var key in this) {
 if (this.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
 console.log(key + " -> " + this[key]);
 }
 }
 });

• Ted: This code seems to work in the example you showed above, however, when I try to implement the jQuery into the AJAX it continues to throw out '0 --> [' , '0 -->' , '0 --> {' to the console instead of the correct data. It's almost like the AJAX function isn't reading the array properly when its received from the PHP. Is there a problem with my PHP/AJAX using json_encode and dataType:'json'?
• Jordan Brown: Two things: try adding header('Content-type: application/json'); to your PHP. Also, what does the data look like when you console.log(output)?

Answer 4

take a look at this

How do I loop through or enumerate a JavaScript object?

• Ted: How would such a loop work when I have multiple elements within multiple objects within a single array like I showed above?