Array of arrays to object in javascript

Question

I am trying to make an array which then contains mutiple arrays (which are added in the each loop) and then pass the information to ajax to post off.

However, it won't add to the request, and when I try JSON.Stringify on the array, it just returns empty.

What am i doing wrong?

Thanks!

var graphics = new Array();
var customer        = "Joe Bloggs";
var email           = "[email protected]";
var contactnumber   = "12345";    
$('.graphic').each(function (i) {
    var graphic = new Array();    
    graphic['name']         = $(this).attr('data-name');
    graphic['type']         = $(this).attr('data-type');
    graphic['price']        = $(this).attr('data-price');
    graphic['model']        = $(this).attr('data-model');
    graphic['carcolor']     = $(this).attr('data-carcolor');
    graphic['graphiccolor'] = $(this).attr('data-color');
    graphic['reg']          = $(this).attr('data-reg');
    graphic['note']         = $(this).attr('data-note');    
    graphics.push(graphic);
});    
$.ajax({
    type: "POST",
    data: {
        customer:customer, 
        email:email, 
        contactnumber:contactnumber, 
        graphics:graphics
    },
    url: "assets/php/index.php",
    success: function(msg){
        $('.answer').html(msg);
    }
});

You're confusing arrays and objects. var graphic = new Array() should be var graphic = {} - otherwise it's not going to serialize correctly. — nrabinowitz
– nrabinowitz, Commented Jan 22, 2014 at 22:03
graphic inside the each is an array, however you are treating ti as if it were an object. simply change new Array() to {} and it will be more correct, however, still not in an acceptable format. To post that correctly you will need to serialize it as JSON after that. — user400654
– user400654, Commented Jan 22, 2014 at 22:03

user400654 · Accepted Answer · 2014-01-22 22:04:52Z

2

graphic inside the .each is an array, however you are treating it as if it were an object. simply change new Array() to {} and it will be more correct, however, still not in an acceptable format. To post that correctly you will need to serialize it as JSON after that.

    $('.graphic').each(function (i) {
            var graphic = {};

            graphic['name']         = $(this).attr('data-name');
            graphic['type']         = $(this).attr('data-type');
            graphic['price']        = $(this).attr('data-price');
            graphic['model']        = $(this).attr('data-model');
            graphic['carcolor']     = $(this).attr('data-carcolor');
            graphic['graphiccolor'] = $(this).attr('data-color');
            graphic['reg']          = $(this).attr('data-reg');
            graphic['note']         = $(this).attr('data-note');

            graphics.push(graphic);
    });

    $.ajax({
        type: "POST",
        data: {customer:customer, email:email, contactnumber:contactnumber, graphics:JSON.stringify(graphics)},
        url: "assets/php/index.php",
        success: function(msg){
            $('.answer').html(msg);
        }
    });

answered Jan 22, 2014 at 22:04

user400654

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3 Comments

Graeme Leighfield Over a year ago

That did it! Many thanks :) What is the different between calling new Array() and {}?

user400654 Over a year ago

well, for one, new Array() creates an array, and {} creates an object. When stringified, properties stored on the array are ignored, which is why your array appeared to be empty when you stringified it.

MMM Over a year ago

@GraemeLeighfield: {} is like new Object(), just like [] is like new Array()

MMM · Accepted Answer · 2014-01-22 22:05:01Z

2

It looks like you're used to PHP.

When you define an Array:

var graphic = new Array();

You need to treat it as an array:

graphic[0] = "foo";
graphic[1] = "bar";

...and not like an object:

var graphic = {};
graphic['my_property'] = "foobar"

When you do this:

var a = new Array();
a["something"] = 123;

Then a will be an empty array ([]) but a.something will contain 123.

However when you want to stringify a, and a is an Array, it will try to find a stringified representation of that array. And since it is empty, you get [].

So in order to fix your problem, simply change graphic so that it is an object. Note that you end up with an array of objects, not an array of arrays.

answered Jan 22, 2014 at 22:05

MMM

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