Create a Javascript array from a PHP array - php

Question

I am having trouble converting from a PHP array to a Javascript array and then accessing the value. I have tried JSON encoding and decoding.
PHP:
$simpleArray= [];
$childProducts = Mage::getModel('catalog/product_type_configurable')
->getUsedProducts(null,$_product);
foreach($childProducts as $child) { //cycle through simple products to find applicable
$simpleArray[$child->getVendor()][$child->getColor()] = $child->getPrice();
var_dump ($simpleArray);
}
Javascript:
var simpleArray = <?=json_encode($simpleArray)?>;
//..lots of unrelated code
for(var i=0; i < IDs.length; i++)
{
console.log(simpleArray);
//which color id is selected
var colorSelected = $j("#attribute92 option:selected").val();
console.log('Value of color selected is ' + colorSelected);
$j('.details'+data[i].vendor_id).append('<li class="priceBlock">$'+simpleArray[i][colorSelected]+'</li>');
}
Edit:
I have gotten rid of the simpleArrayJson declaration in the php and changed the first line of the javascript.

Answer 1

The is no reason for you to json_decode() the value you are trying to output. Just echo it directly:
var simpleArray = <?= $simpleArrayJson ?>;
This will output a javascript object literal.

Answer 2

Remove from the php.
$simpleArrayJson=json_encode($simpleArray, JSON_FORCE_OBJECT);
here you are converting the php array into a json string.
Change in the javascript
var simpleArray = <?= json_encode($simpleArray, JSON_FORCE_OBJECT); ?>;
Here you are just outputting the sting. previously you where doing this
var simpleArray = <?=(array) json_decode($simpleArrayJson)?>
which after json_decode was returning an array, which you where casting to an array which then was cast to a string by the <?= so what ended up going to your browser was something like:
var simpleArray = Array;

Answer 3

try a for in loop.
for( item in data ) {
console.log(data[item]);
}
this is because json has keys that match the indexes of the array that was json_encoded, instead of necessarily 0->n indexes.
Edit thanks to comments changed data.item to data[item]