array from php to js with ajax - php

Question

i have this code on the server side:
<?php
header('Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8');
require "../general.variables.php";
require "../functions_validation.php";
require "../functions_general.php";
require "../../db_con.php";
$keyword = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST["keyword"]);
$query = mysql_query("
SELECT user_id, user_fullname, user_area, user_city, user_quarter, user_tmb
FROM `migo_users`
WHERE (
user_fullname LIKE '%".$keyword."%' AND user_id NOT IN (".$superAdmins2string.")
)
ORDER BY tmb_set DESC, user_fname ASC
LIMIT 7;
");
$i = 0;
while ($userInfo = mysql_fetch_array($query)) {
$area_name = mysql_fetch_array(mysql_query("
SELECT area_name
FROM `migo_areas`
WHERE
area_id='".$userInfo['user_area']."';
"));
$city_name = mysql_fetch_array(mysql_query("
SELECT city_name
FROM `migo_cities`
WHERE
city_id='".$userInfo['user_city']."';
"));
if ($userInfo['user_quarter'] != 0) {
$quarter_name = mysql_fetch_array(mysql_query("
SELECT quarter_name
FROM `migo_quarters`
WHERE
quarter_id='".$userInfo['user_quarter']."';
"));
}
else {
$quarter_name['quarter_name'] = "";
}
$rsl[$i]['user_id'] = $userInfo['user_id'];
$rsl[$i]['user_fullname'] = $userInfo['user_fullname'];
$rsl[$i]['user_area_name'] = $area_name['area_name'];
$rsl[$i]['user_city_name'] = $city_name['city_name'];
$rsl[$i]['user_quarter_name'] = $quarter_name['quarter_name'];
$rsl[$i]['user_tmb'] = $userInfo['user_tmb'];
$i++;
}
echo json_encode($rsl);
mysql_close();
?>
and this code on the client side:
$.ajax({
type : 'POST',
url : 'php/general.ajax/header_search.php',
//async : false,
//cache : false,
dataType : 'json',
data: {
keyword : sb_keyword
},
success : function(data) {
var hs_hits = 0;
var hs_row_nr = 1;
var hs_results = "<div class='sb_spacing'></div><div id='sb_rows_cont'>";
if (data != null) {
$.each(data, function(index, arr) {
hs_hits++;
if (arr['user_quarter_name'] != "") {
var quarter_text = " - " + arr['user_quarter_name'];
}
else {
var quarter_text = "";
}
hs_results = hs_results + "<a class='search_links' href=profile.php?id=" + arr['user_id'] + "><div class='sbr_row' row_nr='" + hs_row_nr + "'><div class='sbr_imgFrame'><img src='images/user_48x48/" + arr['user_tmb'] + "' alt=''></div><div class='sbr_name'>" + arr['user_fullname'].replace(regexp_hs_user_fullname, '<span>$&</span>') + "</div><div class='sbr_area'>" + arr['user_area_name'] + "</div><div class='sbr_area'>" + arr['user_city_name'] + quarter_text + "</div></div></a>";
hs_row_nr++;
});
}
if (hs_hits > 0) {
hs_results = hs_results + "</div><div class='sb_spacing'></div><a class='search_links' href='search.php?name=" + sb_keyword + "'><div id='sbr_botttom'>Se flere resultater for <span class='gay'>" + sb_keyword + "</span></div></a>";
$("#sb_results").html(hs_results).show();
searchSet = 1;
total_rows = hs_hits;
$("#sb_rows_cont > a:first .sbr_row").addClass('sbr_row_act');
on_a = $("#sb_rows_cont > a:first");
first_a = on_a;
last_a = $("#sb_rows_cont > a:last");
sb_url = $(on_a).attr('href');
search_navigator_init();
}
else {
$("#sb_results").hide();
searchSet = 0;
}
},
error : function() {
alert("ajax error");
}
});
one problem tho, if the query gives 0 results, and the each function tries to run on the client side my js code stops working..
so i was wondering what i could do here.
how can i retrieve the amount of hits from the server side, before i run the each loop?

Answer 1

You're instantiating $rsl in the middle of a loop (implicitly), but you aren't entering the loop unless you have at least one entry.
Instantiate $rsl up above your while loop:
...
$i = 0;
$rsl = array();
while ($userInfo = mysql_fetch_array($query)) {
...
And now when you encode it, it is an empty array instead of null. This will also save your HTTP error_log, and generally be happier. : )

Answer 2

I would try json_encode() your PHP array to allow JavaScript to eval it as a native JS object.
echo json_encode($some_array);
Just a note, json_encode() is only available for PHP versions 5.2 and higher.

Answer 3

$.getJSON('ajax.php',{form data}, functon(data){
if(data == '') return;
});