Debug variable sent by Jquery (AJAX) at PHP code at server

Question

I have a host server at a web-hosting and my PHP file is lodated in a folder at server. From my HTML form, I send some data using Jquery AJAX and I like to view all those variables in my PHP code at server side. My Jquery AJAX code is as follow.

function sendtoServer() {

     $.ajax({
        url: "advertisementdatavalidationatserver.php",
        type: "POST",
        data: $("#landedForm").serialize(), 
        success:  function(ret){

});
}

My PHP code at server is

<?php
$data = array();
$data['error'] = false;

if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {

    if(!isset($_POST['purpose'])){ 
        $data['error'] = true;
        $data['message'][] = "Purposeerror";
    }

    if(!isset($_POST['type'])){ 
        $data['error'] = true;
        $data['message'][] = "Typeerror";
    }

    if ($_POST['type'] == "With_RC" || $_POST['type'] == "With_BrickNorcal") { 

        if ($_POST['stories'] == "Stories"){
            $data['error'] = true;
            $data['message'][] = "Storieserror";        
        }


        if ($_POST['bedrooms'] == "Bedrooms") {        
            $data['error'] = true;
            $data['message'][] = "Bedroomserror";        
        }

        if ($_POST['bathrooms'] == "Bathrooms") {        
            $data['error'] = true;
            $data['message'][] = "Bathroomserror";        
        }

    }

    if ($_POST['divs_states'] == "Division") {        
            $data['error'] = true;
            $data['message'][] = "Divisionerror";        
    }

    if ($_POST['township'] == "Township") {        
            $data['error'] = true;
            $data['message'][] = "Townshiperror";        
    }

    if ($_POST['price']=="") {        
            $data['error'] = true;
            $data['message'][] = "Priceerror";        
    }else if (!preg_match('/^\d+$/', $_POST['price']) ) {        
            $data['error'] = true;
            $data['message'][] = "Priceinvalid";        
    } 

    if ($_POST['length']=="") {        
            $data['error'] = true;
            $data['message'][] = "Lengtherror";        
    }else if (!preg_match('/^\d+$/', $_POST['length']) ) {        
            $data['error'] = true;
            $data['message'][] = "Lengthinvalid";        
    } 

    if ($_POST['width']=="") {        
            $data['error'] = true;
            $data['message'][] = "Widtherror";        
    }else if (!preg_match('/^\d+$/', $_POST['width']) ) {        
            $data['error'] = true;
            $data['message'][] = "Widthinvalid";        
    }    

    if(!isset($_POST['haveaircon'])){ 
        $data['error'] = true;
        $data['message'][] = "Airconerror";
    }

    if ($_POST['possession'] == "Possession") {        
            $data['error'] = true;
            $data['message'][] = "Possessionerror";        
    }

    if($_POST['date']==""){ 
        $data['error'] = true;
        $data['message'][] = "Dateerror";
    }

    if($_POST['textarea'] == "Please enter additional information here..." || $_POST['textarea'] ==""){ 
        $data['error'] = true;
        $data['message'][] = "Textareaerror";
    }

    if(!isset($_POST['agentowner'])){ 
        $data['error'] = true;
        $data['message'][] = "Agentownererror";
    }

    if($_POST['name'] == ""){ 
        $data['error'] = true;
        $data['message'][] = "Nameerror";
    }

    if($_POST['phone'] == ""){ 
        $data['error'] = true;
        $data['message'][] = "Phoneerror";
    }else if((strlen($_POST['phone']) < 6) || !preg_match('/^\d+$/', $_POST['phone'])){
        $data['error'] = true;
        $data['message'][] = "Phoneinvalid";
    }

    if(!isset($_POST['email']) || empty($_POST['email'])){ 
        $data['error'] = true;
        $data['message'][] = "Emailrequired";
    }else if(!filter_var($_POST["email"], FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
        $data['error'] = true;
        $data['message'][] = "Emailinvalid";
    }

    if(!$data['error']){
        // No errors, save into database

        $con = mysql_connect("localhost","thitsun_admin","z4iufn8n##");

        if (!$con)
        {
           $data['error'] = true;
           $data['message'][] = "Connectionerror";
           die('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error());
        }else{

           mysql_select_db("thitsun_properties_database", $con);

           $purpose = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['purpose']);           
           $type = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['type']);
           $stories = NULL;
           $bedrooms = NULL;
           $bathrooms = NULL;
           if ($_POST['type'] == "With_RC" || $_POST['type'] == "With_BrickNorcal") { 
                $stories = intval($_POST['stories']);
                $bedrooms = intval($_POST['bedrooms']);
                $bathrooms = intval($_POST['bathrooms']);
           }
           $divs_states = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['divs_states']);
           $township = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['township']);
           $price = intval($_POST['price']);
           $length = intval($_POST['length']);
           $width = intval($_POST['width']);

           if($_POST['haveaircon'] == "yes")
               $haveaircon = "yes";
           else
               $haveaircon = "no";
           if($_POST['havetelephone'] == "yes")
               $havetelephone = "yes";
           else
               $havetelephone = "no";

           $possession = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['possession']);
           $date = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['date']);
           $textarea = null;
           if($_POST['textarea'] != "Please enter additional information here..." || $_POST['textarea'] != ""){ 
              $textarea = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['textarea']);
           }

           $agentowner = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['agentowner']);
           $name = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['name']);
           $phone = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['phone']);
           $email = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['email']);

           $address = NULL;
           if($_POST['address'] != "Please key in full address if you are ok..." || $_POST['address'] != ""){ 
              $address = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['address']);
           }          

           $query = "INSERT INTO `thitsun_properties_database`.`registered_properties`(`id`, `purpose`, `type`, `num_stories`, `bedrooms`, `bathrooms`, `div_state`, `township`, `price`, `length`, `width`, `have_phone`, `have_aircon`, `possession`, `available_date`, `description`, `agentowner`, `name`, `phone`, `email`, `address`, `submitteddate`) VALUES (NULL,'$purpose', '$type','$stories', '$bedrooms', '$bathrooms', '$divs_states', '$township', '$price', '$length', '$width', '$havetelephone', '$haveaircon', '$possession', '$date', '$textarea', '$agentowner', '$name', '$phone', '$email', '$address',CURRENT_TIMESTAMP);";
   // `id`, `purpose`, `type`, `num_stories`, `bedrooms`, `bathrooms`, `div_state`, `township`, `price`, `length`, `width`, `have_phone`, `have_aircon`, `possession`, `available_date`, `description`, `agentowner`, `name`, `phone`, `email`, `address`, //`submitteddate`


    //'$purpose', '$type','$stories', '$bedrooms', '$bathrooms', '$divs_states', '$township', '$price', '$length', '$width', '$havetelephone', '$haveaircon', '$possession', '$date', '$textarea', '$agentowner', '$name', '$phone', '$email', //'$address',CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
           if(mysql_query($query,$con) or die("Insertion Failed:".mysql_error()))
           {
              if(mysql_affected_rows($con)!=1){
                 $data['error'] = true;
                 $data['message'][] = "Connectionerror";
              }
           }

            mysql_close($con);
        }

    }
}

// then echo the $data array you have built as JSON to use in jquery. 
//This will be what is returned in your AJAX request
header('Content-Type: application/json; charset=UTF-8');
echo json_encode($data);
?>

I like to debug all these variables like $name, $email, $phone before they are put into database. Of course, I can check once they are successfully saved into database. But in some cases, if they can't be saved into database, I need to check what are the value inside these variables.

All discussions said to use print, print_r or echo. I used them, but I don't see any output or frankly is no idea where to see those outputs. I checked in the console (F12), but nothing is there.

My query is I have PHP code in a .php file located in host sever. How can I view the variables sent via AJAX at PHP code?

Thanks

You have to look at your generated html, they are printed there. Call the php url from your browser and you will see the output. — Daniel Higueras
– Daniel Higueras, Commented Jan 7, 2016 at 14:13
var_dump($_POST['type']); die(); Do not do this in a prod environment. — Kisaragi
– Kisaragi, Commented Jan 7, 2016 at 14:16
Possible duplicate of What's the difference between echo, print, and print_r in PHP? — Abdulla Nilam
– Abdulla Nilam, Commented Jan 7, 2016 at 14:19
@Abdulla No its more complicated that that, he want to know how he can view the data provided on an AJAX call to a server script, so he can see what gets sent to the server on th server — RiggsFolly
– RiggsFolly, Commented Jan 7, 2016 at 14:21

RiggsFolly · Accepted Answer · 2016-01-07 14:27:28Z

3

The way I do this is to write the output of a print_r($_POST) to a file on the server because as you say there is no console or window that you can see the data coming into the server script that services your AJAX call

<?php
$data = array();
$data['error'] = false;

if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
    file_put_contents('somefilename.txt', print_r($_POST,true), FILE_APPEND);

    // your other code

Using the FILE_APPEND option will add each call to the end of your file so you can check changes made in the javascript(AJAX) code with each change you make there

answered Jan 7, 2016 at 14:27

RiggsFolly

94.7k22 gold badges108 silver badges152 bronze badges

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

Comments

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 12:31:21Z

1

print, echo, print_r, var_dump and other print functions output to the viewport - in most cases, this will be the browser.

If your file index.php contains:

<?php echo "Hello, world!" ?>

visiting //index.php will show

Hello, world!

Similarly, if executing via command line, such as > php index.php you'll see the output in the terminal directly.

To see the differences between print, print_r, echo and var_dump, please see this post.

edited May 23, 2017 at 12:31

CommunityBot

11 silver badge

answered Jan 7, 2016 at 14:17

Ben

8,9519 gold badges48 silver badges82 bronze badges

Comments

Kisaragi · Accepted Answer · 2016-01-07 14:24:03Z

1

Add this in the first few lines of advertisementdatavalidationatserver.php:

var_dump($_POST);
die();

Open web tools (chrome F12 for example) Click 'Network' tab. Make ajax request. Click reaponse. The response will contain a dump of $_POST

answered Jan 7, 2016 at 14:24

Kisaragi

2,2183 gold badges19 silver badges28 bronze badges

1 Comment

batuman Over a year ago

Thanks that makes sense. Let me test.

jkon · Accepted Answer · 2016-01-07 14:25:13Z

1

Here is a function that logs anything in the error log file of the current directory , if you like to log them in a certain directory just add it before the third argument of error_log

  <?php
    //example of usage
    _log("this is a string");
    _log(array("key",4));


    function _log($msg)
    {
        if(is_string($msg))
        {
            error_log("\n".$msg,3,"error_log");
        }
        else
        {
            error_log("\n".print_r($msg,true),3,"error_log");
        }
    }
    ?>

answered Jan 7, 2016 at 14:25

jkon

1917 bronze badges

Comments

n2o · Accepted Answer · 2016-01-07 14:21:29Z

0

A print intitiated by PHP is interpreted by a webserver like Apache, Nginx, ... . For example you have the file index.php with the following content:

<html>
  <title>Hello World</title>
  <body>
    <?php
      print("Hello, World!");
    ?>
  </body>
</html>

and you add this file into the folder of your webserver, e.g. /var/www/index.php and you access your webserver with your browser, you can see the output of your PHP-prints.

edited Jan 7, 2016 at 14:21

answered Jan 7, 2016 at 14:16

n2o

6,5154 gold badges31 silver badges49 bronze badges

2 Comments

batuman Over a year ago

Does it works, if solely PHP code in the server received data sent via AJAX?

n2o Over a year ago

You might want to look at this post, where AJAX posts to a PHP scripts are described: stackoverflow.com/questions/22179620/sending-data-via-ajax

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Debug variable sent by Jquery (AJAX) at PHP code at server

5 Answers 5

Comments

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

2 Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

5 Answers 5

Comments

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

2 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related