Loading a JSON file with jQuery.getJSON

Question

I am a newbie in JS and I am trying to do something very simple.

I have a JSON file named "data.json" and I want to load it, so, I do this:

$.getJSON("data.json",function(data){
    console.log(data);
});

And then I pass that loaded JSON to a function in library that does this:

$("#example1").handsontable({
    data:data,     //<--- error here
    minRows: 2,
    minCols: 3,
    minSpareRows: 1,
    currentRowClassName: 'currentRow',
    currentColClassName: 'currentCol',
    autoWrapRow: true,
    colHeaders: true
});

$("#example1").handsontable('selectCell', 3, 3);

Firebug says

ReferenceError: data is not defined
[Break On This Error]   

data:data,

I thought I already loaded the JSON into the data variable? Any suggestions?

Why do you have a data:data? Remove it and I think it will work. — turnt
– turnt, Commented Feb 19, 2013 at 23:01
I don't see where you are doing anything other than logging the data received by getJSON request. — Mike Brant
– Mike Brant, Commented Feb 19, 2013 at 23:03
possible duplicate of How to return the response from an AJAX call from a function? — Felix Kling
– Felix Kling, Commented Feb 19, 2013 at 23:16

Mark Reed · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-19 23:01:39Z

3

data is only defined inside the callback you pass to getJSON. Whatever you're ever going to do with that has to be done within that function.

So instead of (or in addition to) the console.log(data), you need to do the handsontable call (or call a function that does the handsontable call) right there in the getJSON callback.

Also, getJSON is asynchronous, which means even if you do something like assign data to a global variable inside the callback, that variable probably won't have that value yet when you get to the next line of code after the getJSON call. All you've done is issued a request - "hey, go get this JSON object, and when you finish doing that, call this function. Meanwhile, I'm going to go on about my business. Thanks!"

answered Feb 19, 2013 at 23:01

Mark Reed

96k17 gold badges149 silver badges189 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

3 Comments

user2052251 Over a year ago

Thanks for responding.. Is there a way to just read the json data from a file and assign it to a variable. But thanks for pointing that out

kinakuta Over a year ago

Alternatively assign data to a variable with scope outside the callback. Either way, it has to be done inside that callback.

Mark Reed Over a year ago

@kinakuta- but if you do that, then you still have to make sure that whatever uses that variable doesn't get triggered until the callback has been . . . called . . . back.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Loading a JSON file with jQuery.getJSON

1 Answer 1

3 Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

3 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related