Return JSON object from php script

Question

I am making an AJAX GET request using jQuery to a PHP file. I want the PHP script to return a JSON object, however, currently it is returning a JSON string. I realise I can use JSON.parse in the jQuery code, however, any experience I have in making an AJAX call to an API a JSON object is returned. I am trying to do the same with the php script however, it is returning a string as opposed to an object.

Does anyone know what the best practice is here, and if the best practise is to return a JSON object how I would do this using PHP?

Please see the code below:

js

$.get('test.php', function(data){ console.log((data)); }); 

php

<?php $jsonAnswer = array('test' => 'true'); echo json_encode($jsonAnswer); 

Answer 1

In your PHP file, change the content type to application/json.

JS

$.get('/process.php', function(data) { console.log(data); } ); 

PHP

<?php header( "Content-type: application/json" ); $jsonAnswer = array('test' => 'true'); echo json_encode($jsonAnswer); 

Then your console should read Object {test: "true"} rather than just the JSON string.

Answer 2

Add json to the end of your get function to return json

$.get('test.php', function(data){ console.log((data)); },'json');//here 

and/or add this header in php

header('Content-Type: application/json'); 

more info here

Answer 3

Without modifying PHP script you can do:

$.get( "test.php", function( data ) { var arr = $.parseJSON(data); console.log(arr); alert(arr.test); });