CODEWITHSUNDEEP
phpjavascript
Lothar
Lothar

Reputation: 3489

Using PHP within Javascript functions

What is the best way to handle mixing PHP into Javascript? Should it not be done? Should it be done in a certain way? I am working on a project and I found the following javascript function: 

function getStuff() {
                <?php
                $stuff = "0:Select";
                foreach ($this->stuff as $k => $v){
                    $stuff = $stuff . ";" . $v['stuff_id'] . ":" . $v['stuff_name'];
                }
                ?>

                return "<?= $stuff ?>";
            }

Assuming I need the data that the PHP is providing what is the ideal way to get it? This doesn't seem like it to me but the person that wrote this is my boss so I want to ask before trying to change it.

FYI, this JS is used in a view script and the data for $this->stuff is passed in from the controller that uses it.

Upvotes: 3

Views: 818

Answers (3)

indianwebdevil
indianwebdevil

Reputation: 5127

There are so many ways of mixing up ur js with PHP. One thing you always keep in mind is

Your PHP is executed first in the server, before JS gets executed.

Looks like you are trying to dynamically add something to your selectbox. If that is the case you can do something like this

<?php
function createSelectbox( $selItems ) {
    $selTxt = "<select>";

    foreach ($selItems as $id => $value)
        $selTxt .= "<option id='" .$id. "'>". $value. "</option>";

    $selTxt .="</select>";

    return $selTxt;
}   


?>
<html>
    <head> </head>
<body>
<?php
$selItems = Array( 1 => "One", 2 => "Two", 3=> "Three" );
echo createSelectbox($selItems);
?>  
</body>
</html>

Upvotes: 1

ocodo
ocodo

Reputation: 30248

This is pretty horrible, a better way to do it is request the data over an Ajax request, in a suitable format (e.g. JSON)

To expand on why it's "horrible". Obviously this function was built in a quick-n-dirty fashion to get the job done, ongoing debugging and maintenance of the function is hampered by this approach. Separating out the delivery of server-side data and client side processing helps keep things simple and easier to trace.

Upvotes: 1

Alex Mcp
Alex Mcp

Reputation: 19315

A great way to do it is to prepare the data into JSON, and then make it a variable on the page. You can have complex structures (associative arrays full of arrays n-deep), and have that represented as an object literal in javascript.

In general, you're right to have an aversion to jumping in and out of PHP tags like that. It's ugly and quite hard to read/maintain.

Upvotes: 3

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