got stuck converting MySql output in JSON array with php - php

Question

I am making an iphone app. a part of that app allows users to search for a company on location.
I have a MySql database containing the companies that can be searched for, and a php file on my website to receive the searched data, and to return the companyName and companyLocation for all the found companies to my app. it looks like this:
<?php
if (isset($_GET["companyCitySearchField"])){
$companyCity = $_GET["companyCitySearchField"];
$result = search($companyCity);
echo $result;
}
function makeSqlConnection()
{
$DB_HostName = "******";
$DB_Name = "*******";
$DB_User = "*******";
$DB_Pass = "*******";
$con = mysql_connect($DB_HostName,$DB_User,$DB_Pass) or die(mysql_error());
mysql_select_db($DB_Name,$con) or die(mysql_error());
return $con;
}
function disconnectSqlConnection($con)
{
mysql_close($con);
}
function search($companyCity)
{
$con = makeSqlConnection();
$query = mysql_query("SELECT companyName, companyCity from Company WHERE companyCity = '$companyCity'");
$companies = array();
while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($query)) {
$companies['companies'][] = $row;
print json_encode($companies);
}
disconnectSqlConnection($con);
}
?>
this works fine when only one company is found. it gives me a perfect JSON array:
{"companies":[{"companyName":"Dijkstra","companyCity":"Geldermalsen"}]}
everything fine so far.
Now, I create another company in my database, also with Geldermalsen as location.
2 companies are found in the database now. the JSON array it return now, doesn't make sense:
{"companies":[{"companyName":"Dijkstra","companyCity":"Geldermalsen"}]}{"companies":[{"companyName":"Dijkstra","companyCity":"Geldermalsen"},{"companyName":"testaccount","companyCity":"Geldermalsen"}]}
for some reason, it seems to make 2 separate array's. one for the first found company, and one with both.
I have been searching the web, stackoverflow, google and even the book 'PHP and MySql for dummies' for days, and I have changed my code numerous times, and whatever I try it keeps on doing this.
Does anyone know what I should do to get one array containing all found companies with this script, instead of these 2?
any help would be very welcome, Thank you in advance!

Answer 1

You are echoing out JSON for each row, not for the fully built array. Move your print statement outside the loop.
$companies = array();
while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($query)) {
$companies['companies'][] = $row;
}
print json_encode($companies);
Or better yet, you might not want to echo out anything at all in the search function, but leave that up to the caller. It seems you already might be intending to do this here:
$result = search($companyCity);
echo $result;
The only problem is that the search() function doesn't return any value so $result would be null. You should make up your mind about where you are going to echo the result to the client and be consistent about it.