I am trying to insert php variables into javascript.

Here is the broken code:

 var tokens = [<?
 $result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM accounts ORDER BY id DESC") or die (mysql_error()); 
 while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) { 
 $user_name = $row['user'];
 $user_id = $row['id'];
 echo "['$user_name','$user_id'],";
 }
 ?>]

I am trying to insert php variables into javascript.

Here is the broken code:

 var tokens = [<?
 $result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM accounts ORDER BY id DESC") or die (mysql_error()); 
 while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) { 
 $user_name = $row['user'];
 $user_id = $row['id'];
 echo "['$user_name','$user_id'],";
 }
 ?>]

• php
• javascript
• json
• serialization

• 1 And which is the question? Any error? – Nathan Campos Commented Nov 2, 2009 at 0:09
• I've attempted a quick clarification of the question. Hopefully Gully will confirm that this is what he's trying to do. – Peter Boughton Commented Nov 2, 2009 at 0:39
• Duplicate of stackoverflow./questions/1663750/… – Kevin Peno Commented Nov 2, 2009 at 23:36

3 Answers 3

Use PHP's json_encode & then echo out to javascript directly, e.g:

$fruit = array("banana", "apple", "strawberry", "raspberry", "orange");
$json_fruit = json_encode($fruit);

echo "var fruit = $json_fruit;";

Edit: I have updated this answer to no longer use eval() since it is not required. I had just started using JSON when I first answered this question.

You do this:

 echo "['$user_name','$user_id'],";

... meaning that it will generate this:

[ ['a','b'], ['a','b'], ['a','b'], ['a','b'], ]

Notice that it will always end with a "," and this is an incorrect syntax.

Correct syntax is :

[ ['a','b'], ['a','b'], ['a','b'], ['a','b'] ]

I'm not a PHP guy, but I'd say something like this would fix it :

 var tokens = [<?
 $result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM accounts ORDER BY id DESC") or die (mysql_error()); 
 $i = 0;
 while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) { 
 $i++;
 $user_name = $row['user'];
 $user_id = $row['id'];
 echo "['$user_name','$user_id']";
 if($i < sizeof($result)-1 ) // incorrect syntax, but you get the point
   echo ","
 }
 ?>]

PHP runs on the server. JavaScript runs on the client.

You can generate JavaScript from PHP, but you cannot run PHP in JavaScript.

(It is worthwhile reading up on how the various ponents of the web work, specifically HTTP, to understand all this better.)

If you want to perform PHP actions in response to client actions in the browser without reloading the whole page, investigate 'ajax'.