Execute scripts AJAX returns

Question

TIP: "you could simple send an json object / array from php to js, and execute every entry like "update_match('1');" using the eval() function, please stop sending js code that way"- Lucian Depold.

In the index.php, I have this code, which executes when the document is ready:

$.post('php/main.php', {elements: 1}, function(return_msg) {
    alert(return_msg);
});

The respond I get is a bunch of scripts, as expected, with the expected values. However, they do not execute! How to make them execute?

Here is the response:

<script>jsfunction(37069);</script><script>updateTextbox('');</script><script>update_match('1', '19.30 Friday 15/5', '1');</script><script>update_player('1', '1', 'recoba', 'cmf', 'teo', '0', '0');</script><script>update_player('1', '2', 'nesta', 'cb', 'tsoulou', '0', '0');</script><script>update_player('1', '3', 'raul', 'cf', 'striker', '0', '0');</script><script>update_player('1', '4', 'samuel', 'cb', 'mafia', '', '1');</script><script>update_player('1', '5', 'deisler', 'cmf', 'free_kick', '1', '');</script><script>update_player('1', '6', 'ferdinard', 'cb', 'strong', '1', '');</script><script>update_match('2', 'Match 2', '0');</script>

When I had the PHP code that produced these scripts in the bottom of the index.php, all the js functions where called correctly. Because of this question though, I had to move the code to another .php file.

i don't think this is a great approach, i cant see why you cant call the js the 'usual' way - it does seem to be all the same site after all — , Sep 13 '15 at 21:39
Yes @LucianDepold, how else could I execute a js function, with PHP ariables? — gsamaras, Sep 13 '15 at 21:39
there are other ways to execute js code. take a look at the eval function: http://www.w3schools.com/jsref/jsref_eval.asp — Lucian Depold, Sep 13 '15 at 21:40
you could simply send an json object / array from php to js, and execute every entry like "update_match('1');" using the eval() function, please stop sending js code that way — Lucian Depold, Sep 13 '15 at 21:42
Good idea @LucianDepold, thanks! I liked it so much I upvoted your top answer! — gsamaras, Sep 13 '15 at 21:47

Lucian Depold · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-13T22:52:47.380

2

Do it this way:

In PHP...

$arrayOfCalls = array();
$arrayOfCalls[]="update_match('1')";
$arrayOfCalls[]="update_match('2')";

$dummy = array();
$dummy['calls'] =$arrayOfCalls;
echo json_encode($dummy);

And in Javascript...

$.post('php/main.php', {elements: 1}, function(return_json) {
    return_json = JSON.parse(return_json);
    return_json.calls.forEach(function(code){
    eval(code);
    })
});

edited Sep 13 '15 at 22:52

answered Sep 13 '15 at 21:47

Lucian Depold

1,999
2
14
25

Don't we need to specify in the post call that the data we sent are of JSON format? – gsamaras Sep 13 '15 at 21:51
the data you send to php, or from php to js ? – Lucian Depold Sep 13 '15 at 21:52
From php to js. Also, shouldn't we use a semicolon after the parenthesis, after the `eval()` call? – gsamaras Sep 13 '15 at 21:54
1

you could specify the fourth parameter as JSON, but jquery takes an "intelligent guess" (http://api.jquery.com/jquery.post/). i think it should work without. – Lucian Depold Sep 13 '15 at 21:56
Good. I am getting this error: `Uncaught TypeError: return_json.forEach is not a function` – gsamaras Sep 13 '15 at 21:58
could you console.log the return_json, maybe it is an object not an array. – Lucian Depold Sep 13 '15 at 21:59
Let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackoverflow.com/rooms/89530/discussion-between-lucian-depold-and-gsamaras). – Lucian Depold Sep 13 '15 at 22:01
1

I had it working with: `$.post('php/main.php', {elements: 1}, function(return_json) { //console.log(return_json); return_json = JSON.parse(return_json); return_json.calls.forEach(function(code){ eval(code); }) });` – gsamaras Sep 13 '15 at 22:45
1

maybe the fourth parameter would also have done the trick, setting it to "JSON"... – Lucian Depold Sep 13 '15 at 22:51

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 13 '15 at 21:34

1

You can append the result to your page :

$.post('php/main.php', {elements: 1}, function(return_msg) {
    $('body').append(return_msg);
});

The code will be executed but I'm not sure if it's safe to do that.

answered Sep 13 '15 at 21:34

Lauromine

1,453
9
19

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 13 '15 at 21:39

The date delivered by the AJAX call is just data - or text. In order to interpret that as JavaScript, you must append it to the dom.

Two ways: first, by appending the data directly:

$.post('php/main.php', {elements: 1}, function(return_msg) {
    alert(return_msg);
    $('body').append(return_msg);
});

but there's also a shorthand method:

$.getScript('php/main.php?elements=' + 1, function () {
   // script loaded

});

Please read the docs, there are some caveats!

Thanks! +1 for the shorthand method. – gsamaras Sep 13 '15 at 21:45 — gsamaras, Sep 13 '15 at 21:45

Execute scripts AJAX returns

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