handling empty string returned from JS to a PHP array

[ajoo]

Hi all !

What would be the best way to identify and handle an empty array sent from JS to PHP? This rather simple looking problem has resulted in a lot of confusion to me. 

$_POST['myArray'] = "";               // an empty string -- this is how the empty array from JS is received in PHP

Thanks !

Edited August 9, 2020 by ajoo

[kicken]

Test for what you expect, and if you don't get what you expect then handle it however you see fit.  For example:

if (!is_array($_POST['myarray'])){
   $_POST['myarray'] = [];
}

 

[ajoo]

Hi Kicken !

Thanks for the response. I have done something like what you are suggesting and it works. However I was wondering, since it would be a common issue with AJAx calls, that there would be maybe a "proper" way of handling blank strings that need to be interpreted as arrays on php side of things. 

Though my code works but does seem a bit of a hack.

Thanks again.

Edited August 9, 2020 by ajoo

[requinix]

5 hours ago, ajoo said:

Thanks for the response. I have done something like what you are suggesting and it works. However I was wondering, since it would be a common issue with AJAx calls, that there would be maybe a "proper" way of handling blank strings that need to be interpreted as arrays on php side of things. 

Send JSON. Even empty arrays are still identifiable as arrays.

[ajoo]

Hi Requinix, 

Thanks for the response and the idea of JSON ! I did read that it's not a great idea to use JSON for smaller bits of data. Any comments on that ? I'll work it through though.

Thanks. 

[requinix]

Citation needed.

[ajoo]

It was in the comments somwehere on stackflow. I am not sure I would be able to find it again. If I do find it I will definitely send a link to it.

But you may kindly tell if that would be incorrect or not.

Thanks.   

[requinix]

I expect they were making their best effort to prove somebody else wrong in order to make themselves look better. You know. StackOverflow.

JSON is fine.

[ajoo]

Thanks for the clarification requinix.  👍