eval not evaluating string array into array

Question

I have an array of objects that's being passed as a string. I would expect eval to be able to evaluate this into an the real array object, but

var arr = '"[{item:1,amount:100,quantity:1},{item:2,amount:200,quantity:2}]"';
console.log(eval(arr));

just returns what seems to be a string. Am I using it incorrectly?

Your string holds a string literal. It's doing exactly what you told it to. — SLaks
– SLaks, Commented Oct 22, 2013 at 17:54
@SLaks an array object containing to objects with the properties item, amount, and quantity. — 1252748
– 1252748, Commented Oct 22, 2013 at 17:55
But that's not what your string holds. Your string just holds a double-quoted string. — SLaks
– SLaks, Commented Oct 22, 2013 at 17:55
@SLaks no control over how I receive this element. Did you mean something else? — 1252748
– 1252748, Commented Oct 22, 2013 at 18:07

Musa · Accepted Answer · 2013-10-22 17:55:47Z

2

You'll have to do a double eval to get the data as an array

var arr = '"[{item:1,amount:100,quantity:1},{item:2,amount:200,quantity:2}]"';
console.log(eval(eval(arr)));

answered Oct 22, 2013 at 17:55

Musa

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8 Comments

Bergi Over a year ago

You even might do JSON.parse() in the inner call :-)

epascarello Over a year ago

Why is this Because you have a string inside of the string as the comments above said. Drop the outer quotes and use JSON.parse() and tada, it works.

Musa Over a year ago

@thomas What you have in arr is a string holding a js string literal, when you eval it you get the string, this string contains a js array literal when you eval that you get the array.

1252748 Over a year ago

@Bergi why would that be preferable?

1252748 Over a year ago

@epascarello When I do that I get a syntax error: "Unexpected token i"

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