jQuery Forum

Dude, I'm stuck on the same thing, except I want to pass an xml, array, (heck, anything in any format) to a function in the "code behind" page.

So far I can only do it the ultra-stupid way of writing the values to text boxes, and then using jquery to automatically hit "submit" when the task of filling the text boxes is complete. S T O O P I D. So, I tell you what, if I figure it out I'll contact you, if u figure it out contact me through the website's IM. Sound good?

Glad to know I am not alone. It seems strange to me that all the JavaScript tutorials and manuals tell you to create an array without named keys, but that JSON (a native JavaScript format) and Ajax require them. We can't be the only two who have stumbled across this problem.

I was thinking of taking a multidimensional array and using a stringifier on it (jsonStringify.js) to turn it into a string. Set a variable equal to the string, and then include that variable as the "value" in a simple JSON object like this: {keyname: variable_that_holds_string}

I would then set a variable equal to that JSON object, like this:

var holdjson = {keyname: variable_that_holds_string};

I was hoping that by then passing this using the jQuery ".get" process, it would work. Like this:

$.get("destination.php",holdjson);

On the other side, I am hoping I could retrieve the array-string with this:

$retrieve = $_GET['keyname'];

From there, convert the string back into a PHP array.

So far I haven't managed to get it to work. But I have not had time to tweak it. Even if it does work, it seems "heavy" and inefficient. I gotta believe there is an easier way.

I will let you know what I come up with.

I think i figured it out. First, go to this web site: http://www.thomasfrank.se/json_stringify_revisited.html

Download the stringifier and add it as an include at the top of your page, like this:

<script type="text/javascript" src="jsonStringify.js"></script>

Then create a standard multi-dimensional array in JavaScript, like this: var MyArray=[["first","second"],["third","fourth"]];

Then run the stringifier on the array, like this:
var StringifiedArray = JSONstring.make(MyArray);

That turns the array into a string capable of being passed by Ajax. Once that is done, create a simple JSON object with this format/syntax:

var PassArray = {keyname: StringifiedArray};

Now, pass this via Ajax using a jQuery statement like this:

$.get("serverside.php",PassArray,ReturnFunction);

That's a standard jQuery Ajax statement. The first part is the URL of the PHP script you wish to pass the array to. The second part is the variable that has been set equal to the simple JSON object you created above. The third part is the name of the Javascript function that will execute should anything be returned from the PHP script.

Now, on the server side, start your PHP script with a statement to GET the value of "keyname." Since you set "keyname" equal to the stringified array, by using this statement: $StringRetrieve=$_GET['keyname']; you end up setting the PHP variable $StringRetrieve equal to the stringified array.

At this point, you cannot do much with it, because it is still just a string. But PHP has a function to convert a string back into an array. You use this code to do it:

$RetrievedArray=json_decode($StringRetrieve,true);

This converts the stringified array into a useable PHP array. You should now find that $RetrievedArray=[["first","second"],["third","fourth"]]; and all PHP array functions will work perfectly on it.

I hope this helps.