Getting variable from mySql to jQuery via ajax - php

Question

I'm trying to get a variable to jQuery from mySql database.
Here's the php code, getTime.php:
include('connect.php');
$sql = "select * from timer";
$query = mysql_query($sql);
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($query)) {
$hours = $row['hours'];
$minutes = $row['minutes'];
//echo $hour.":".$minutes;
}
$timeHour = $_POST['hours'];
echo $timeHours;
Here's the ajax POST request for another file:
var timeHour = "";
$.ajax({
type: "POST",
url: "ajax/getTime.php",
data: timeHour
});
$(document).ready(function() {
alert(timeHour);
});
But the alertBox doesn't show anything.
It should be really easy, but i haven't found an example that it explains it.
UPDATE
Thanks! But now i have another problem - I want to use my variables "timerHours" and "timerMinutes"...
$.ajax({
type: "POST",
url: "getTime.php",
success: function(data){
//alert(data);
timerArr = data.split(":")
timerHours=timerArr[0];
timerMinutes=timerArr[1];
}
});
... but it gives 'undefined:undefined' - when i alert data - it works fine.
var today = new Date();
var endTime= new Date(today.getFullYear(), today.getMonth(), today.getDate(), timerHours, timerMinutes , 00);
console.log(timerHours+":"+timerMinutes);//Console: undefined:undefined
var second = (endTime.getMinutes()-today.getMinutes())*60+(endTime.getSeconds()-today.getSeconds());
And if I put it on the doTime function and print it to the html it's working fine too.
function do_time() {
//console.log(timerHours+":"+timerMinutes);//Console: 21:50
second--;
$("#timer").html("Time left: "+second);//Output: Time left: NaN
$('#setTime').html("Hours: "+timerHours+" Minutes: "+timerMinutes);//Works fine too.
}

Answer 1

First of all your getTime.php probably returns nothing right now. Try calling it directly from your browser or check firebug what it is returning. Your code seems almost right but you are overriding it with a probably inexistent $_POST['hours']; Your code should look like this:
include('connect.php');
$sql = "SELECT * FROM timer";
$query = mysql_query($sql);
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($query)) {
$hours = $row['hours'];
$minutes = $row['minutes'];
}
echo $hours.':'.$minutes;
Then, another problem is that you seem to be passing nothing to data in your ajax and expect it to return something into it. AJAX data is what you pass on to your server and what gets sent back is data that you have to work with, try this out instead:
$(document).ready(function(){
$.ajax({
type: "POST",
url: "ajax/getTime.php",
function(data){
alert(data);
}
});
});
Good luck

Answer 2

Let's assume that you are trying to get the PHP time to POST to your page from an AJAX request.
include('connect.php');
$sql = "select * from timer";
$query = mysql_query($sql);
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($query)) {
$hours = $row['hours'];
$minutes = $row['minutes'];
//echo $hour.":".$minutes;
}
// $timeHour = $_POST['hours']; This isn't needed.
echo $hour.":".$minutes;
And created ajax POST request for another file:
$(document).ready(function() {
$.ajax({
type: "POST",
url: "ajax/getTime.php",
success: function(data){
alert(data);
}
});
});

Answer 3

Set up your jquery like this. The datastring variable will be passed through like $_POST variables. So if you need to pass something, put it here. If not, make it an empty string at least.
var dataString = 'hours=' + $("field#id").val();
$.ajax({
type: "POST",
url: "getTime.php",
data: dataString,
success: function(data) {
//create jquery object from the response html
var $response=$(data);
//query the jq object for the values
var hours = $response.filter('div#hours').text();
var minutes = $response.filter('div#minutes').text();
$("label#hours").val(hours);
$("label#minutes").html(minutes);
}
});
Of course, this will only return the first result for hours and minutes. If you need all of them, you would just put the above into a lool. $response.filter('div#hours').each() or something.
Then, in getTime.php:
include('connect.php');
$sql = "select * from timer";
$query = mysql_query($sql);
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($query)) {
$hours = "<div id=\"hours\">".$row['hours']."</div>";
$minutes = "<div id=\"minutes\">".$row['minutes']."</div>";
echo $hours;
echo $minutes;
}
Let me know if you have more questions.