json

NAME

x6.json

FUNCTION

The Javascript object x6.json is used to send any request to the web server, either for a new complete page or for data and HTML fragments. Examples include requesting a single row from a table, requesting search results, fetching HTML fragments, or popping up a new window.

Andromeda uses the term JSON instead of AJAX because the term AJAX does not describe how Andromeda works. Specifically, Andromeda PHP pages return JSON data instead of XML (hence no "X" in AJA"X"), and many calls are actually synchronous (hence no "A" in "A"JAX).

The x6.json object is always present on all pages, and you can use it in Javascript code on any custom page.

NOTES

Andromeda handles all of the values returned in the request automatically. On custom pages you do not have to code a response handler because Andromeda handles the response for you.

The PHP code that handles a JSON request sends data back by using the routines x4Debug, x4Data, x4HTML, x4Script, x4Error. While the complete PHP-API documentation on those functions will give you most of what you need, we must note here how the returned data is handled:

x4Debug - ignored, but you can examine the results in firebug.
x4Error - any errors sent back by this function are reported to the user and x6.json.execute returns false.
x4HTML - calls to this function in PHP code provide an element Id and a fragment of HTML. The HTML replaces the innerHTML of the specific item.
x4Data - calls to this function in PHP code provide a name and some data value (including arrays and objects). The result can be examined when the call completes in x6.data..
x4Script - provides script that should execute on the browser when the call returns.

EXAMPLE

The basic usage of x6.json is to initialize a call with x6.json.init, and then to add parameters with x6.json.addParm, and finally to execute and process the call with x6.json.execute and x6.json.process.

There are also special-purpose methods like x6.json.inputs that will take all of the inputs inside of an object and add them to the request.

You can also use the function x6.json.windowLocation to execute the call as a new page request, and x6.json.newWindow to execute the call as a new page request in a tab.

      <script>
      // Initialize the call
      x6.json.init('x4Page','myCustomPage');
      // Name the server-side PHP method to call
      x6.json.addParm('x4Action','getSomething');
      // Add some parms
      x6.json.addParm('parm1','value');
      x6.json.addParm('parm2','value');
      // Execute and process in one step.  Note that this
      // is synchronous, there is no need for a callback
      // function.
      x6.json.execute(true);

      for(var x in x6.data.returnedStuff) {
        ....
      }
      </script>

This call requires an Extended-Desktop page to be defined in PHP that will service the request. A super-simple example is here, more information is provided in the Extended-Desktop documentation.

      <?php
      # This is file application/x4MyCustomPage.php
      class x4MyCustomPage extends androX4 {
          # this function handles the call given above
          function getSomething() {
               $parm1 = gp('parm1');
               $parm2 = gp('parm2');
               $sql = "Select blah blah blah";
               $rows = SQL_AllRows($sql);
               x4Data('returnedStuff',$rows
          }
      }
      ?>

Sometimes you make a call that returns replacement HTML for a single object. In this case your PHP code supplies the HTML by calling x4HTML with the value of '*MAIN*' for the first parameter, as in x4HTML('*MAIN*',$html); Such a call is handled this way in script:

      <script>
      x6.json.init('x4Page','myCustomPage');

      // We need the conditional in case the server returns
      // an error and we should not replace the html
      if(x6.json.execute()) {
         x6.json.process('nameofItemToReplace');
      }
      </script>

Child Topics
init
addParm
inputs
serialize
windowLocation
newWindow
executeAsync
execute
process
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