Json parsing error - Value <br of type java.lang.String cannot be converted to JSONObject

Question

I've been trying to connect my android app to my local web server but the app keeps crashing every time it tries to parse the data. I'm not sure why it brings up '

JSONParser Class

public class JSONParser {

static InputStream is = null;
static JSONObject jObj = null;
static String json = "";

// constructor
public JSONParser() {

}

// function get json from url
// by making HTTP POST or GET mehtod
public JSONObject makeHttpRequest(String url, String method,
        List<NameValuePair> params) {

    // Making HTTP request
    try {

        // check for request method
        if(method == "POST"){
            // request method is POST
            // defaultHttpClient
            DefaultHttpClient httpClient = new DefaultHttpClient();
            HttpPost httpPost = new HttpPost(url);
            httpPost.setEntity(new UrlEncodedFormEntity(params));

            HttpResponse httpResponse = httpClient.execute(httpPost);
            HttpEntity httpEntity = httpResponse.getEntity();
            is = httpEntity.getContent();

        }else if(method == "GET"){
            // request method is GET
            DefaultHttpClient httpClient = new DefaultHttpClient();
            String paramString = URLEncodedUtils.format(params, "utf-8");
            url += "?" + paramString;
            HttpGet httpGet = new HttpGet(url);

            HttpResponse httpResponse = httpClient.execute(httpGet);
            HttpEntity httpEntity = httpResponse.getEntity();
            is = httpEntity.getContent();
        }           


    } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    } catch (ClientProtocolException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }

    try {
        BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(
                is, "iso-8859-1"), 8);
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
        String line = null;
        while ((line = reader.readLine()) != null) {
            sb.append(line + "\n");
        }
        is.close();
        json = sb.toString();
        json = json.replaceAll("db_connect.php", "");
    } catch (Exception e) {
        Log.e("Buffer Error", "Error converting result " + e.toString());
    }

    // try parse the string to a JSON object
    try {
        jObj = new JSONObject(json);
    } catch (JSONException e) {
        Log.e("JSON Parser", "Error parsing data " + e.toString());
    }

    // return JSON String
    return jObj;

}

NewProductActivity

public class NewProductActivity extends Activity {

// Progress Dialog
private ProgressDialog pDialog;

JSONParser jsonParser = new JSONParser();
EditText inputName;
EditText inputPrice;
EditText inputDesc;

// url to create new product
private static String url_create_product = "http://192.168.1.150/android_connect/create_product.php";

// JSON Node names
private static final String TAG_SUCCESS = "success";

@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.add_product);

    // Edit Text
    inputName = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.inputName);
    inputPrice = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.inputPrice);
    inputDesc = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.inputDesc);

    // Create button
    Button btnCreateProduct = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnCreateProduct);

    // button click event
    btnCreateProduct.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {

        @Override
        public void onClick(View view) {
            // creating new product in background thread
            new CreateNewProduct().execute();
        }
    });
}

/**
 * Background Async Task to Create new product
 * */
class CreateNewProduct extends AsyncTask<String, String, String> {

    /**
     * Before starting background thread Show Progress Dialog
     * */
    @Override
    protected void onPreExecute() {
        super.onPreExecute();
        pDialog = new ProgressDialog(NewProductActivity.this);
        pDialog.setMessage("Creating Product..");
        pDialog.setIndeterminate(false);
        pDialog.setCancelable(true);
        pDialog.show();
    }

    /**
     * Creating product
     * */
    protected String doInBackground(String... args) {
        String name = inputName.getText().toString();
        String price = inputPrice.getText().toString();
        String description = inputDesc.getText().toString();

        // Building Parameters
        List<NameValuePair> params = new ArrayList<NameValuePair>();
        params.add(new BasicNameValuePair("name", name));
        params.add(new BasicNameValuePair("price", price));
        params.add(new BasicNameValuePair("description", description));

        // getting JSON Object
        // Note that create product url accepts POST method
        JSONObject json = jsonParser.makeHttpRequest(url_create_product,
                "POST", params);

        // check log cat fro response
        Log.d("Create Response", json.toString());

        // check for success tag
        try {
            int success = json.getInt(TAG_SUCCESS);

            if (success == 1) {
                // successfully created product
                Intent i = new Intent(getApplicationContext(), AllProductsActivity.class);
                startActivity(i);

                // closing this screen
                finish();
            } else {
                // failed to create product
            }
        } catch (JSONException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }

        return null;
    }

    /**
     * After completing background task Dismiss the progress dialog
     * **/
    protected void onPostExecute(String file_url) {
        // dismiss the dialog once done
        pDialog.dismiss();
    }

}

create_product.php

<?php 
$response = array();

if (isset($_POST['name']) && isset($_POST['price']) && isset($_POST['description'])) {

$name = $_POST['name'];
$price = $_POST['price'];
$description = $_POST['description'];

require_once '/db_connect.php';

$db = new DB_CONNECT();

$result = mysql_query("INSERT INTO products(name, price, description) VALUES('$name', '$price', '$description')");

// check if row inserted or not
if ($result) {
    $response["success"] = 1;
    $response["message"] = "Product successfully created.";

    echo json_encode($response);
} else {
    $response["success"] = 0;
    $response["message"] = "Oops! An error occurred.";

    echo json_encode($response);
}
} else {
// required field is missing
$response["success"] = 0;
$response["message"] = "Required field(s) is missing";

echo json_encode($response);
}
?>

EDIT: added the create_product script

Any help would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi i had the same problem, with almost the same piece of code, the solution is easy, most of the time the error hides in the php code, and when the parsing begins it throws the php error in JSON and it cannot convert it. The error is like "br error in line 15" and then come the json data.

SO: only you need to follow the code with your LogCat:

Log.d("No here error!", "Im inside if function");

To follow where exaclty the problem starts, but the most IMPORTANT is go inside the JSONParser Class and add this line inside the exception catch and do this:

 try {
    jObj = new JSONObject(json);
} catch (JSONException e) {
    //This line is what u need to add
    Log.d("Whats wrong?", json.toString());
    Log.e("JSON Parser", "Error parsing data " + e.toString());
}

After running the app it will still get you the error but in logcat it will describe what data u get from JSON, use it wisely!