CodeIgniter Controller - JSON - AJAX - php

Question

I'm trying to send a form build with CodeIgniter via AJAX and trying to get the response with JSON. However, I only see the respond when I open my developer tab (I'm not even sure, if that's actually a respond since it's showing both of the json data's).
All it shows, is the loading spinner, and after that it vanishes.
Code have been tested without AJAX and it works, so there can't be errors in PHP.
Here's my controller for resetting the password:
<?php
Class Users extends CI_Controller {
public function forgot_pass()
{
if(!$this->input->post('to_email'))
{
exit("No data");
}
$this->load->model('user');
$email = $this->input->post('to_email');
$email_addr = $this->user->get_email_address($email);
if(empty($email_addr))
{
echo json_encode(array('pls'=>0, 'msg' => "E-mail address was not found. Try again"));
}
$this->load->helper('string');
$new_password = random_string('alnum', 8);
$this->load->library('phpass');
$update_password = array( 'password' => $this->phpass->hash($new_password));
$update_password = $this->user->update_password($email, $update_password);
$this->load->library('email');
$config['newline'] = '\r\n';
$this->email->initialize($config);
$this->email->from('your#example.com', 'Your Name');
$this->email->to($email);
$this->email->subject('New password');
$this->email->message("Hey, " .$email_addr['name']. ". Your new password is: " .$new_password);
if($this->email->send())
{
echo json_encode(array('pls'=>1, 'msg' => "Password has been sent to given e-mail address"));
}
}
}
?>
And here's my AJAX call written with jQuery:
$(document).ready(function() {
$("form#forget_pass_form").on('submit', function(e){
e.preventDefault();
$("#loading_spinner").show();
var from = $(this);
$.ajax({
url: from.attr('action'),
type: from.attr('method'),
data: $(from).serialize(),
}).done(function(data) {
if(data.pls == 0) {
$("#forgot-pass-success").hide();
$("#forgot-pass-error").show();
$("#forgot-pass-error").fadeIn(1000).html(data.msg);
}
if(data.pls == 1) {
$("#forgot-pass-error").hide();
$("#forgot-pass-success").show();
$("#forgot-pass-success").fadeIn(1000).html(data.msg);
}
$("#loading_spinner").hide();
});
return false;
});
});

Answer 1

Firstly, can you try setting the correct header in the Controller?
header('Content-Type', 'application/json');
Or better yet:
$this->output->set_content_type('application/json');
As a side note, you should make sure you are always returning JSON data, so I would remove the exit() message and put a default JSON response at the bottom of the method.
Don't forget, when you echo your JSON, you can put return; afterwards to stop any more code running afterwards in that method.

Answer 2

Most of your code is ok. But you need to change some lines, both in your js, and controller.
Change 1(In Ajax function)
Change your ajax function and add dataType: "json" option
$.ajax({
url: from.attr('action'),
type: from.attr('method'),
dataType: "json",
data: $(from).serialize(),
}).done(function(data) {
....
});
Change 2 (In controller)
exit("No data");
to
exit(json_encode(array('pls'=>0, 'msg' => "No data")));
Change 3 (In controller)
echo json_encode(array('pls'=>0, 'msg' => "E-mail address was not found. Try again"));
to
exit(json_encode(array('pls'=>0, 'msg' => "E-mail address was not found. Try again")));
explanation
First change tell your script to handle the response data as Json
Second change is to keep all your return type same, if not when you sending only the no data response you are not handling this option from youe js.
And the last change make sure you stop further processing when sending email fails, and stop from showing both json.

Answer 3

I would like to suggest you about json return.
First in your ajax you have to use dataType: 'json'
$.ajax ({
url: from.attr('action'),
type: from.attr('method'),
data: $(from).serialize(),
dataType: 'json',
}).done(function(data) {
..your code..
});
CodeIgniter have output class, why don't you use output class to respond to ajax from CI.
$output = array('pls' => 1,
'msg' => "Password has been sent to given e-mail address"
);
$this->output->set_content_type('application/json')
->set_output(json_encode($output));
Use output class, this is more efficient then echo
I hope it will helps you for better code style.