Using Jquery/Javascript to access JSON embedded in XML

Question

I have a jquery function which communicates with an ASP.NET web service which looks like this

$(document).ready(function() {
                         $.support.cors = true;
             $.ajax({
                 type: "GET",
                 url: "http://www.webservice.com/blahblah.asmx/blahb123",
                 data: "tnWsGuid=TEST1",
                 dataType: "text",
                 success: function(data, status, jqxhr) {
                     xmlString = data;
                     alert(xmlString);
                 },
                 error: function (request, status, error) {
                     alert(status);
                 }

                });
        });

Alert display's this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding = "utf-8"?>
<string xmlns = "http://Walkthrough/XmlWebServices/">
{"approverName":"","emailAddress":"","companyName":"ABC","address":{"streetAddress1":"12 BlahBlah","streetAddress2":"","state":"ON","zipCode":"","country":"SO","phoneNumber":""},"tabledata:"[{"vendorPart":"AAAAA","partDescription":"N/A","price":"0.00","quantity":"28"},{"vendorPart":"BBBBBBB","partDescription":"N/A","price":"0.00","quantity":"3"},{"vendorPart":"CCCCCC","partDescription":"N/A","price":"0.00","quantity":"25"}]}
</string>

My dataType is now text. I know how to parse JSON however, now what I need to do is somehow access the JSON embedded in the XML envelope and turn it into a JSON object so I can use JQuery to parse it.

Here is what I have tried in the $.ajax function:

success: function(data, status, jqxhr) {
                     xmlString = data;
                     var jsondata = jQuery.parseJSON(xmlString.substr(xmlString.indexOf('{')));
                     alert(jsondata);
                 }

But was returned with an error of Invalid character which in the IE debugger look's like this

Any idea how I can access the data inside the xml envelope and turn it into a JSON object so I can parse it as JSON? I do not have the ability to change the web service so this must all be done within the web page.

Note that $.support.cors = true doesn't actually do anything unless the current browser supports CORS and jQuery incorrectly detects that it doesn't. — user400654
– user400654, Commented Apr 17, 2013 at 15:34
Is there a reason you have JSON inside XML and not just return the JSON directly? — Felix Kling
– Felix Kling, Commented Apr 17, 2013 at 15:34

Niels · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-17 15:37:41Z

1

You can do this:

success: function(data, status, jqxhr) {
    var xml = $($.parseXML(data)), // Parse the XML String to a Document, and Wrap jQuery
        json = xml.find("string").text(), // Get the text of the XML
        jsonObj = $.parseJSON(json); // Parse the JSON String
}

Or short notation

var jsonObj = $.parseJSON($($.parseXML(data)).find("string").text());

Live Fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/59rQA/

answered Apr 17, 2013 at 15:37

Niels

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1 Comment

Surep Over a year ago

This worked for me, tested it out and did jsonObj.companyName within the alert and it showed the right stuff! Marking this as the answer, thank you!

user571545 · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-17 15:37:08Z

1

I think your substring is adding the closing tag for to the JSON data. How about:

xmlString = $.parseXML(xmlString);
var jsondata = $.parseJSON($(xmlString).children('string').text());

answered Apr 17, 2013 at 15:37

user571545

Comments

Christophe · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-17 15:49:54Z

1

As your call is returning xml, you could use dataType:"xml" instead of "text".

You can then process the xml response:

var jsonData=$.parseJSON(data.find("string").text());

answered Apr 17, 2013 at 15:49

Christophe

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1 Comment

DrewB Over a year ago

You forgot data needs to be $(data). Other than that, I prefer this answer.

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