Parse PHP array

[dfowler]

Hey guys, I tried opening this on the Javascript board.  Somebody recommended AJAX, so here I am.  I know basically nothing of AJAX, so any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

I created a form that a user fills out to help determine a plan for them.  The form has three questions (how many meetings, for how long, how often).  After a user inputs the information they click a 'Calculate' button.  Using Javascript the user's inputs are multiplied to get a total estimate of minutes.  I need to take this estimate and parse a PHP array to find the corresponding plan that the estimate is closest too without going over.  For example, if the number comes out to be 450, I want to get the information about the 500 minute plan.  If it is 501, I want the 1000 minute plan.

 

My problem is that I can't figure out how to get the information I need from the php array.  I know PHP is serverside and Javascript is clientside.  So how would I get the results I need?  Is there a way to convert the php array into something I can use with the javascript?  I'll try to give as much code as I can to help out.  First here is how the array is built:

$xml = simplexml_load_file("xml/plans.xml");
foreach($xml->$_SESSION['product']->plans->$term->children() as $q) {
   foreach($q->children() as $p=>$k) {
      if($p == 'minutes') {
         $tag = trim($k);
      }
      $signupPlans2[$tag][$p] = trim($k);
      if($p == 'type'){
         $tag = "";
      }
   }
}

It ends up looking something like this:

Array
(
    [500] => Array
        (
            [minutes] => 500
            [price] => 39.95
            [description] => 1 Year; 500 minutes
            [type] => audioOnly
        )

    [1000] => Array
        (
            [minutes] => 1000
            [price] => 78.95
            [description] => 1 Year; 1,000 minutes
            [type] => audioOnly
        )

    [1500] => Array
        (
            [minutes] => 1500
            [price] => 117.95
            [description] => 1 Year; 1,500 minutes
            [type] => audioOnly
        )

    [2000] => Array
        (
            [minutes] => 2000
            [price] => 153.00
            [description] => 1 Year; 2,000 minutes
            [type] => audioOnly
        )

)

Here is the javascript attached to the 'Calculate' button:

function calculate() {
   var t2 = document.getElementById('textfield2').value;
   var t3 = document.getElementById('textfield3').value;
   var t4 = document.getElementById('textfield4').value;
   var total = t2 * t3 * t4;
   document.getElementById('total').innerHTML = total;
   document.getElementById('step2').style.display = "block";
}

The step2 element is where I want to show the correct plan.  Thanks for any help guys!

[nadeemshafi9]

you need to output it as JSON there are php classes and functions you can get that convert arrays into JSON and then you can simply assign them toi a variable in javascript and access them as person[0].arm

 

http://uk3.php.net/manual/en/function.json-encode.php

 

 

do an AJAX call to get the JSON from teh PHP file

 

 

if your PHP array is a result from a sql query then you need to convert it to an array first i think you can use toArray or somthing .

 

 

or you can output all teh plans as a javascript variable array before the scripot is written using php and then just check against that array .

[ohdang888]

i think you could do this more easily with just javascript.

 

this is a quick example:

function calculate() {
   var t2 = document.getElementById('textfield2').value;
   var t3 = document.getElementById('textfield3').value;
   var t4 = document.getElementById('textfield4').value;
   var total = t2 * t3 * t4;
   document.getElementById('total').innerHTML = total;
   document.getElementById('step2').style.display = "block";

var minutes;
var price;
var description;
var type;

if(total < 500){
minutes = 500;
price = 39.95;
description = "1 year, 1000 minutes";
type = "audioOnly";
}
alert(description);
}

[dfowler]

i think you could do this more easily with just javascript.

 

this is a quick example:

function calculate() {
   var t2 = document.getElementById('textfield2').value;
   var t3 = document.getElementById('textfield3').value;
   var t4 = document.getElementById('textfield4').value;
   var total = t2 * t3 * t4;
   document.getElementById('total').innerHTML = total;
   document.getElementById('step2').style.display = "block";

var minutes;
var price;
var description;
var type;

if(total < 500){
minutes = 500;
price = 39.95;
description = "1 year, 1000 minutes";
type = "audioOnly";
}
alert(description);
}

The problem is that the array is different and dynamically generated based on some other variables.  So I won't know the exact plans that will be in the array.  Logically it seems simple enough:

If the total is less than the minutes in array, move on, otherwise use that plan.

 

[dfowler]

you need to output it as JSON there are php classes and functions you can get that convert arrays into JSON and then you can simply assign them toi a variable in javascript and access them as person[0].arm

 

http://uk3.php.net/manual/en/function.json-encode.php

 

 

do an AJAX call to get the JSON from teh PHP file

 

 

if your PHP array is a result from a sql query then you need to convert it to an array first i think you can use toArray or somthing.

 

 

or you can output all teh plans as a javascript variable array before the scripot is written using php and then just check against that array .

The php array is from an external XML file I created that lists every single possible plan (there are a lot of them).  For the JSON, I know I can't install or modify the server settings.  Will I be able to include this to get it to work?

[nadeemshafi9]

you have an array so just do this

 

echo json_encode($yourArray);

exit; // or woteva

 

 

then in your js do the ajax to get it if you have a framework it will be easy

 

JQUERY

 

$.ajax({
   type: "POST",
   url: "getmyarray.php",
   data: "name=John&location=Boston",
   success: function(msg){
     myArray = eval(msg);

     alert(myArray[0].arm);
     //or
     alert(myArray.arm);
     // or
     for(i=0;i<myArray.length;i++){
            alert(myArray[i].arm);
      }
   }
});