PHP: json_encode() SyntaxError if use of include_once()

Question

REMARK: USING XAMPP On PHP I'm using json_encode() to return data to a JS/JQuery ajax request.

The ajax call from .js:

$.ajax({url: "/sys/search_rf/functions.php" ,
    async: false, // wait for reponse
    type: "post",
    data: { id: $('#id').val(),
            status: $('#status').val(),
            token: cToken } ,
    success: function(jsonResponse,status){ // POST success
        console.log(jsonResponse);
    jsonData = JSON.parse(jsonResponse);
            [...]
        }

It works just fine until I require_once() another .php in functions.php.

require_once(dirname(dirname(__FILE__)).'/searches.php'); // -> ../searches.php

Output debug: json_encode outputs

None of the included PHP echoes/print anything at all, except the function which returns the json_encode().

So then, I edited searches.php and left it like this (debugging purpose):

<?php

?>

So I'm 100% sure nothing is echoing, and I kept:

require_once(dirname(dirname(__FILE__)).'/searches.php'); // -> ../searches.php

in functions.php, which responds to ajax request.

But the error stills:

SyntaxError: JSON.parse: unexpected character

And if I comment it, there will be no errors!

// require_once(dirname(dirname(__FILE__)).'/searches.php'); // -> ../searches.php

I suppose every time I require_once() it 'echoes' something. I don't really know.

I also checkd all EOL/Encoding of all files. All in Unix Format encoded in UTF-8.

This workaround will do, but I think it's not the proper solution:

jsonData = JSON.parse( jsonResponse.trim() );

.trim()

The error says everything, you're passing some characters to json response. Try removing closing php tags ?> and make sure nothing is printed before the response. You have some weird ??? that are causing this problem, so the json_encode cannot actually encode the string because it's not valid json string. — lokers
– lokers, Commented Apr 6, 2014 at 18:16
use ob_start/ob_end_clean to be sure that nobody write here) — vp_arth
– vp_arth, Commented Apr 6, 2014 at 18:16
Make sure your searches.php exists and turn off your error reporting. May be you get some errors in including the file or searches.php spits some errors or warnings. — Sarvap Praharanayuthan
– Sarvap Praharanayuthan, Commented Apr 6, 2014 at 18:17
?> removing should solve the issue... There are only pair questionmarks(cr/lf?) in response — vp_arth
– vp_arth, Commented Apr 6, 2014 at 18:19
tried both. ob_start();/ob_end_clean(); and removing the ?>. It ONLY WORKS if I do not require_once(dirname(dirname(__FILE__)).'/searches.php'); even though it has nothing on it. — Azevedo
– Azevedo, Commented Apr 6, 2014 at 18:25

souslov · Accepted Answer · 2014-04-06 22:02:45Z

2

You should remove closing php tag and all spaces before opening php tag. Also check if you use UTF-8 without BOM in your file.

edited Apr 6, 2014 at 22:02

answered Apr 6, 2014 at 18:14

souslov

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8 Comments

Azevedo Over a year ago

tried both. ob_start();/ob_end_clean(); and removing the ?>. It ONLY WORKS if I do not require_once(dirname(dirname(FILE)).'/searches.php'); even though it has nothing on it.

souslov Over a year ago

Can you post somewhere json code,that you get and can't parse and the other you can? pastebin.com would be ok.

Azevedo Over a year ago

It is in the image attached to the post. See, if i copy/paste from debug to notepad they will look exactly the same! But this app JSONedit seems to catch the dirty chars as '??'

Azevedo Over a year ago

I did tried it, But if I don't parse it will be a simple string

souslov Over a year ago

Check if you use UTF-8 without BOM in your file.

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