Javascript - Parsing JSON returns syntax error

Question

I am getting an error when trying to parse JSON:

 SyntaxError: Unexpected token u in JSON at position 0(…)   eFormsAtoZIndex.aspx:6558

Full Code: http://pastebin.com/LXpJN8GF

Relevant Code:

$(document).ready(function() {
    var rebuild = getParameterByName("rebuild");
    var createdStructures = $('#AtoZContentDiv').children().length;
    if ((rebuild !== undefined && rebuild !== null && rebuild.indexOf("true") === 0) || (createdStructures === 0)) {
        // clean up pre-existing data
        cleanUp();

        // create container structure
        createFormLinkContainers();

        // Call SP web services to retrieve the information and create the A to Z
        retrieveListData();
        completeInitialization();
    } else {
        try {
            aggregateAll = jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnAggregateAll').val());
            console.log(jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnAggregateAll').val()));
            aggregatePersonal = jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnAggregatePersonal').val());
            aggregateBusiness = jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnAggregateBusiness').val());
            ministryAggregate = jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnMinistryAggregate').val());
            caAggregate = jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnCAAggregate').val());
            sTaxAggregate = jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnSTaxAggregate').val());
            bTaxAggregate = jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnBTaxAggregate').val());
            leTaxAggregate = jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnLETaxAggregate').val());
        } catch (err) {
            console.log(err);
        }

        var type = getParameterByName("filter");
    }
    $("#tab-all").click(function() {
        loadit('all');
    });

    $("#tab-business").click(function() {
        loadit('business');
    });

    $(document).on('click', '#tab-personal', function(e) {
        loadit('personal');
    });

    buildFilterMenu();
    loadit('all');

});

function createJSONStructure(title, desc, index, type, formLink, documentLink, pubType, processId, ministry, ca, stax, btax, letax) {
    if (desc !== undefined && desc !== null) {
        desc = desc.replace(/&lt;/g, "<").replace(/&gt;/g, ">");
    } else {
        desc = "";
    }
    var typeArr = [];
    type = type.replace(/&amp;/, "&");

    var tempType = type.split("&");

    for (i = 0; i < tempType.length; i++) {
        typeArr.push(tempType[i].trim());
    }

    if (formLink === undefined || formLink === null || formLink.length === 0) {
        formLink = "";
    }

    if (documentLink === undefined || documentLink === null || documentLink.length === 0) {
        documentLink = "";
    }

    // subject, business and life event taxonomies must cater for multiple entries
    var staxStructure = buildTaxonomyJSONStructure(stax, "stax");
    var btaxStructure = buildTaxonomyJSONStructure(btax, "btax");
    var letaxStructure = buildTaxonomyJSONStructure(letax, "letax");

    var json = {
        'name': title,
        'desc': desc,
        'type': typeArr,
        'pubType': pubType,
        'pdflink': documentLink.split(",")[0].replace(/\'/g, "&#39;"),
        'formlink': formLink.split(",")[0].replace(/\'/g, "&#39;"),
        'processid': processId,
        'index': index,
        'ministry': ministry.replace(/\,/g, " "),
        'ca': ca.replace(/\,/g, " "),
        'stax': staxStructure,
        'btax': btaxStructure,
        'letax': letaxStructure
    };
    return json;
}



function completeInitialization() {
    if (checkDataLoaded()) {
        // add the Navigation to the containers once all the data is inserted
        addNavigationToContainers();


        var type = getParameterByName("filter");
        if (type == null || type.length == 0) {
            type = "all";
        }

        loadit(type);

        buildFilterMenu();

        filter(type);

        $('#hdnAggregateAll').val(stringify(aggregateAll));
        console.log(aggregateAll);
        $('#hdnAggregatePersonal').val(stringify(aggregatePersonal));
        $('#hdnAggregateBusiness').val(stringify(aggregateBusiness));
        $('#hdnMinistryAggregate').val(stringify(ministryAggregate));
        $('#hdnCAAggregate').val(stringify(caAggregate));
        $('#hdnSTaxAggregate').val(stringify(sTaxAggregate));
        $('#hdnBTaxAggregate').val(stringify(bTaxAggregate));
        $('#hdnLETaxAggregate').val(stringify(leTaxAggregate));
    } else {
        retryCount += 1;

        // Check that the maximum retries have not been exceeded
        if (retryCount <= maxRetries) {
            setTimeout("completeInitialization();", 1000 * retryCount);
        }
    }
}

Can anyone point out what is wrong with the JSON structure or JS or how I can debug items within it?

EDIT (As per Jaromanda X's and CH Buckingham reply):

$('#hdnAggregateAll').val(JSON.stringify(aggregateAll));
console.log(aggregateAll);          $('#hdnAggregatePersonal').val(JSON.stringify(aggregatePersonal));          $('#hdnAggregateBusiness').val(JSON.stringify(aggregateBusiness));          $('#hdnMinistryAggregate').val(JSON.stringify(ministryAggregate));
$('#hdnCAAggregate').val(JSON.stringify(caAggregate));
$('#hdnSTaxAggregate').val(JSON.stringify(sTaxAggregate));
$('#hdnBTaxAggregate').val(JSON.stringify(bTaxAggregate));
$('#hdnLETaxAggregate').val(JSON.stringify(leTaxAggregate));

ERROR:

10:42:24.274 TypeError: item is undefined
createFormLinks/<()eformsAtoZIndex.aspx:5644
.each()jquery-1.11.1.min.js:2
createFormLinks()eformsAtoZIndex.aspx:5638
processResult()eformsAtoZIndex.aspx:5507
m.Callbacks/j()jquery-1.11.1.min.js:2
m.Callbacks/k.fireWith()jquery-1.11.1.min.js:2
x()jquery-1.11.1.min.js:4
.send/b()jquery-1.11.1.min.js:4
1eformsAtoZIndex.aspx:5644:1

On line:

if (item.processid !== "0")

In Block:

function createFormLinks(formItems, index)
    {
        // create all links on the page and add them to the AtoZContent div for now
        var parentContainer = $("#AtoZContentDiv");

        if (parentContainer === null)
        {
            // if it doesn't exist, we exist cause I can't reliably add a new control to the body and get the display 
            // location correct
            return;
        }

        // sort form link array first
        formItems = sortResults(formItems, 'name', true);

        var count = 0;

        $.each(formItems, function(i, item)
        {   
            var link;
            count = count + 1;

            //add links to parent container
            if (item.processid !== "0")
            {
                 link = item.formlink;
            }
            else if (item.pdflink !== "")
            {
                 link = item.pdflink;
            }

            var container = $("#AtoZContent-" + index);
            var itemType = "all";

            if (item.type !== null && item.type !== undefined && item.type.length === 1) itemType = item.type[0];



            var str = "<div id='divFormLink-" + index + "-" + count + "' type='" + itemType + "' ";

        if (item.name !== undefined && item.name !== null)
            {
                str = str + " ministry='" + stripPunctuation(item.ministry) + "' ";
                str = str + " ca='" + stripPunctuation(item.ca) + "' ";

                // now, we need to handle these differently since they can have multiple values
                str = str + " stax='";
                for (i = 0; i < item.stax.length; i++)
                {
                    str = str + stripPunctuation(item.stax[i]);
                }
                str = str + "' ";

                str = str + " btax='";
                for(i = 0; i < item.btax.length; i++)
                {
                    str = str + stripPunctuation(item.btax[i]);
                }
                str = str + "' ";

                str = str + " letax='";
                for(i = 0; i < item.letax.length; i++)
                {
                    str = str + stripPunctuation(item.letax[i]);
                }
                str = str + "' ";
            }

            str = str + " index='" + index + "' style='word-wrap: break-word;'></div>";
        container.append(str);

            var innerDiv = $("#divFormLink-" + index + "-" + count);
            appendIcon(innerDiv, item.pubType);
            innerDiv.append("<a id='formLink-" + index + "-" + count + "' href='" + link + "'>" + item.name + "</a>");
            innerDiv.append("<div id='formDesc-" + index + "-" + count + "'>" + item.desc + "</div><br />");

        });
    }

for one thing, if null, or a Number, or a Boolean, or a Date, or anything that isn't an Object is passed to your stringify function, it returns undefined - which when coerced to a string will give you that exact error when you try to parse it. Why are you complicating your stringify function if it's expected to return a JSON string? just use JSON.stringify and be done with it — Jaromanda X
– Jaromanda X, Commented Sep 19, 2016 at 13:38
Agree with Jaromanda X, remove your custom stringify, use JSON.stringify. See if your problem goes away. — Cooper Buckingham
– Cooper Buckingham, Commented Sep 19, 2016 at 16:50
@CHBuckingham I get a type error: TypeError: item is undefined. See updated question for the changes I made. — Brian
– Brian, Commented Sep 20, 2016 at 8:44
I think you have an undefined in your array, the reason it's because in function processResult() you define the variable json inside an if statement, but you add the variable to the array in any case. Line 155 of your pastebin link. — Mario Santini
– Mario Santini, Commented Sep 22, 2016 at 7:21

Anton Chukanov · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-23 13:39:30Z

10

+25

On the line 155 you push json even if it's undefined.

if (pubType=="eForm" || pubType=="PDF") {  
    var json = createJSONStructure(title, desc, index, type.toLowerCase(), formLink, documentLink, pubType, processId, ministry, ca, stax, btax, letax);
}
formItems.push(json);

And after it your are trying to get item.processid of undefined. You can define variables in if-block, but in the case you should to add some validation.

$.each(formItems, function(i, item) {   
    var link;
    count = count + 1;

    if (item == null) {
        return;
    }

    //add links to parent container
    if (item.processid !== "0")
    ...
});

answered Sep 23, 2016 at 13:39

Anton Chukanov

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1 Comment

TylerY86 Over a year ago

I don't know what the heck Brian is doing, or why he hasn't marked this answer correct, this had to have been a pressing matter at the time. This is clearly the (only) correct answer.

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