[javascript] How to JSON decode array elements in JavaScript?

I have a JavaScript array that, among others, contains a URL. If I try to simply put the URL in the page (the array is in a project involving the Yahoo! Maps API) it shows the URL as it should be.

But if I try to do a redirect or simply do an 'alert' on the link array element I get:

function(){return JSON.encode(this);}

As far as I see it this is because the browser does an JSON.encode when it renders the page, thus the link is displayed OK. I have tried several methods to make it redirect (that's what I want to do with the link) correctly (including the usage of 'eval') but with no luck.

After following some suggestions I've run eval('(' + jsonObject + ')') but it still returns the same output.

So how's this done ?

This question is related to javascript json

The answer is


If the object element you get is a function, you can try this:

var url = myArray[i]();

eval('(' + jsonObject + ')')

If the object element you get is a function, you can try this:

var url = myArray[i]();

I decode JSON this way:

eval( 'var from_json_object = ' + my_json_str + ';' );

eval('(' + jsonObject + ')')

I decode JSON this way:

eval( 'var from_json_object = ' + my_json_str + ';' );

If you get this text in an alert:

function(){return JSON.encode(this);}

when you try alert(myArray[i]), then there are a few possibilities:

  • myArray[i] is a function (most likely)
  • myArray[i] is the literal string "function(){return JSON.encode(this);}"
  • myArray[i] has a .toString() method that returns that function or that string. This is the least likely of the three.

The simplest way to tell would be to check typeof(myArray[i]).


eval('(' + jsonObject + ')')

JSON decoding in JavaScript is simply an eval() if you trust the string or the more safe code you can find on http://json.org if you don't.

You will then have a JavaScript datastructure that you can traverse for the data you need.


If you get this text in an alert:

function(){return JSON.encode(this);}

when you try alert(myArray[i]), then there are a few possibilities:

  • myArray[i] is a function (most likely)
  • myArray[i] is the literal string "function(){return JSON.encode(this);}"
  • myArray[i] has a .toString() method that returns that function or that string. This is the least likely of the three.

The simplest way to tell would be to check typeof(myArray[i]).


var obj = jQuery.parseJSON('{"name":"John"}');
alert( obj.name === "John" );

See the jQuery API.


JSON decoding in JavaScript is simply an eval() if you trust the string or the more safe code you can find on http://json.org if you don't.

You will then have a JavaScript datastructure that you can traverse for the data you need.


If you get this text in an alert:

function(){return JSON.encode(this);}

when you try alert(myArray[i]), then there are a few possibilities:

  • myArray[i] is a function (most likely)
  • myArray[i] is the literal string "function(){return JSON.encode(this);}"
  • myArray[i] has a .toString() method that returns that function or that string. This is the least likely of the three.

The simplest way to tell would be to check typeof(myArray[i]).


Suppose you have an array in PHP as $iniData with 5 fields. If using ajax -

echo json_encode($iniData);

In Javascript, use the following :

<script type="text/javascript">
    $(document).ready(function(){
        $.ajax({
            type: "GET",
            url: "ajaxCalls.php",
            data: "dataType=ini",
            success: function(msg)
            {
                var x = eval('(' + msg + ')');
                $('#allowed').html(x.allowed);              // these are the fields which you can now easily access..
                $('#completed').html(x.completed);
                $('#running').html(x.running);
                $('#expired').html(x.expired);
                $('#balance').html(x.balance);
            }
        });
    });
</script>

JSON decoding in JavaScript is simply an eval() if you trust the string or the more safe code you can find on http://json.org if you don't.

You will then have a JavaScript datastructure that you can traverse for the data you need.


If the object element you get is a function, you can try this:

var url = myArray[i]();

eval('(' + jsonObject + ')')

Suppose you have an array in PHP as $iniData with 5 fields. If using ajax -

echo json_encode($iniData);

In Javascript, use the following :

<script type="text/javascript">
    $(document).ready(function(){
        $.ajax({
            type: "GET",
            url: "ajaxCalls.php",
            data: "dataType=ini",
            success: function(msg)
            {
                var x = eval('(' + msg + ')');
                $('#allowed').html(x.allowed);              // these are the fields which you can now easily access..
                $('#completed').html(x.completed);
                $('#running').html(x.running);
                $('#expired').html(x.expired);
                $('#balance').html(x.balance);
            }
        });
    });
</script>

If the object element you get is a function, you can try this:

var url = myArray[i]();

var obj = jQuery.parseJSON('{"name":"John"}');
alert( obj.name === "John" );

See the jQuery API.


JSON decoding in JavaScript is simply an eval() if you trust the string or the more safe code you can find on http://json.org if you don't.

You will then have a JavaScript datastructure that you can traverse for the data you need.