Jquery parseJSON failing - "unexpected token o"

Question

I'd like to do a very simple AJAX request for some JSON data and then parse it. The code I am using is as follows:

$.get('/ajax/search/DSB.json', function (data) {
    searchData=$.parseJSON(data);
});

I am getting an error: "unexpected token o." I have verified that the file in question is valid JSON. I have also Googled the answer - everyone with this problem is passing a javascript object to the JSON parser, which is obviously redundant. However, I'm not sure what the problem is in this case. Thoughts?

Here's the JSON, so you can check for yourselves if it's valid (it is).

{
  "numCols": 2,
  "colNames": [
    "Disability Level",
    "Region"
  ],
  "colWidths": [
    200,
    null
  ],
  "colFilters": [
    [
      "",
      "All Disability Types",
      "Not Significantly Disabled",
      "Significantly Disabled"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "All Regions",
      "East Region",
      "North Central Region",
      "South Central Region",
      "West Region"
    ]
  ],
  "table": [
    [
      "Significantly Disabled",
      "North Central Region",
      1000013
    ],
    [
      "Not Significantly Disabled",
      "All Regions",
      1000006
    ],
    [
      "Significantly Disabled",
      "All Regions",
      1000011
    ],
    [
      "Significantly Disabled",
      "West Region",
      1000012
    ],
    [
      "All Disability Level",
      "West Region",
      1000002
    ],
    [
      "All Disability Level",
      "South Central Region",
      1000004
    ],
    [
      "Not Significantly Disabled",
      "South Central Region",
      1000009
    ],
    [
      "All Disability Level",
      "All Regions",
      1000001
    ],
    [
      "Not Significantly Disabled",
      "West Region",
      1000007
    ],
    [
      "Significantly Disabled",
      "East Region",
      1000015
    ],
    [
      "Not Significantly Disabled",
      "East Region",
      1000010
    ],
    [
      "All Disability Level",
      "East Region",
      1000005
    ],
    [
      "Significantly Disabled",
      "South Central Region",
      1000014
    ],
    [
      "All Disability Level",
      "North Central Region",
      1000003
    ],
    [
      "Not Significantly Disabled",
      "North Central Region",
      1000008
    ]
  ],
  "names": [
    [
      1000013,
      "Significantly Disabled Participants in North Central Region"
    ],
    [
      1000006,
      "Not Significantly Disabled Participants in All Regions"
    ],
    [
      1000011,
      "Significantly Disabled Participants in All Regions"
    ],
    [
      1000012,
      "Significantly Disabled Participants in West Region"
    ],
    [
      1000002,
      "All Disability Level Participants in West Region"
    ],
    [
      1000004,
      "All Disability Level Participants in South Central Region"
    ],
    [
      1000009,
      "Not Significantly Disabled Participants in South Central Region"
    ],
    [
      1000001,
      "All Disability Level Participants in All Regions"
    ],
    [
      1000007,
      "Not Significantly Disabled Participants in West Region"
    ],
    [
      1000015,
      "Significantly Disabled Participants in East Region"
    ],
    [
      1000010,
      "Not Significantly Disabled Participants in East Region"
    ],
    [
      1000005,
      "All Disability Level Participants in East Region"
    ],
    [
      1000014,
      "Significantly Disabled Participants in South Central Region"
    ],
    [
      1000003,
      "All Disability Level Participants in North Central Region"
    ],
    [
      1000008,
      "Not Significantly Disabled Participants in North Central Region"
    ]
  ]
}

Post the JSON in the file please - like you already said - I'm willing to bet the JSON is in fact not valid - run it thru JSLint — tymeJV, Oct 20 '14 at 17:49
It seems like jQuery already parsed the response. *"everyone with this problem is passing a javascript object to the JSON parser, which is obviously redundant"*: Seems to be the case here as well. Have you tried *not* using `$.parseJSON(data);`? — Felix Kling, Oct 20 '14 at 17:49
Or add `console.log(typeof data)` to the beginning of the callback function. — Pointy, Oct 20 '14 at 17:49
first validate your JSON using http://jsonformatter.curiousconcept.com/ — Mohamad Shiralizadeh, Oct 20 '14 at 17:51
@Mohamadshiralizadeh — Why should numbers be represented using the String datatype instead of the Number datatype? — Quentin, Oct 20 '14 at 17:52
It appears your web server is outputting a JSON content type (application/json), and jQuery will auto parse the JSON if it sees that - even if you are using `$.get`. — MrCode, Oct 20 '14 at 17:53
@Mohamadshiralizadeh — What way is that? Does it not support JSON properly? — Quentin, Oct 20 '14 at 17:56
@Mohamadshiralizadeh: Using the very same link you provided, you can see that the JSON posted here is valid. There is no need to change it if it's valid. — Felix Kling, Oct 20 '14 at 17:57
@Quentin check this (it's your JSON with `"` around the numbers): http://jsfiddle.net/pov45xyu/ — Mohamad Shiralizadeh, Oct 20 '14 at 17:57
@Mohamadshiralizadeh — It isn't my JSON and it doesn't have `"` around any of the numbers. — Quentin, Oct 20 '14 at 17:59
oh my god... you're right @Quentin... I just paste your JSON. if it's exactly your JSON. so why there wasn't any error.. — Mohamad Shiralizadeh, Oct 20 '14 at 18:02
@Mohamadshiralizadeh — It still isn't my JSON, and there isn't an error because JSON has a Number data type. — Quentin, Oct 20 '14 at 18:02
@Mohamadshiralizadeh: Because it's valid JSON, as you can verify with http://jsonformatter.curiousconcept.com/ (the link you posted yourself). — Felix Kling, Oct 20 '14 at 18:02

Harutyun Abgaryan · Answer 1 · 2014-10-20T18:03:16.833

-1

Remove your .parseJSON(data) function your data already type is json

If joson is string format this function not worked but your example json type is json and not string if you use parseJSON(data) returned this function error this function worket only for json string

edited Oct 20 '14 at 18:03

answered Oct 20 '14 at 17:54

Harutyun Abgaryan

2,013
1
12
15

This is the right answer, but for the wrong reasons... – John Chrysostom Oct 20 '14 at 17:57
It's not an answer! data is a string and json format – Mohamad Shiralizadeh Oct 20 '14 at 17:59
JSON is **textual** data format. `data` is a *JavaScript object*. `data` is not JSON and if it was JSON you would need `parseJSON`. – Felix Kling Oct 20 '14 at 18:00
This is the solution, but the explanation is backwards. The data has already been parsed from a string of JSON into an object. – Quentin Oct 20 '14 at 18:00
In example json is json but... – Harutyun Abgaryan Oct 20 '14 at 18:00
@Mohamadshiralizadeh — `data` is not a string. That's the problem. – Quentin Oct 20 '14 at 18:01
2

You still seem to be confusing JSON with JavaScript objects. They are two different things. `data` is a **JavaScript object**, *not* JSON. – Felix Kling Oct 20 '14 at 18:03
@Quentin he called a JSON file and got the response, the response is a string, then in `$.get` callback, he `parseJSON`. so a string is parsed to JSON. right? – Mohamad Shiralizadeh Oct 20 '14 at 18:07
@Mohamadshiralizadeh: Nope, a string *containing* JSON is parsed to a value of JS data type, in this case an *object*. You are right that the response is text, but jQuery already seems to the parse the response and passes the result (an object) to the callback function. – Felix Kling Oct 20 '14 at 18:09
@FelixKling Yes, I know that.. a `string` is parsed to an `object`. a string that contains JSON format.. – Mohamad Shiralizadeh Oct 20 '14 at 18:11
you cant try `dataType="json"` in `$.get` ajax – Harutyun Abgaryan Oct 20 '14 at 18:12
1

@Mohamadshiralizadeh: OK, just answering your question, because you said "so a string is parsed to JSON.", which is not right. – Felix Kling Oct 20 '14 at 18:12

Jquery parseJSON failing - "unexpected token o"

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