JQuery: ajax request return value "undefined" inside same function

Question

I have this piece of code:

function CallAPI(paramString) {
    var returnVal;
    var jqxhr = $.get(
        "http://url/../"
    )
    .success(function (data) { returnVal = data; })
    .error(function (xhr, ajaxOptions, thrownError) { alert("Error!\n xhr.status = [" + xhr.status + "]\n xhr.statusText: [" + xhr.statusText + "]\najaxOptions = [" + ajaxOptions + "]"); })
    .complete(function () { alert("Request complete."); });

    alert("returnVal: [" + returnVal+ "]");
}

The "returnVal" in the last alert is returned as "undefined", but when i debug with Firebug, I see the request response is either "true" or "false". The value is send back from the request as pure string, not specific format (JSON, HTML, ..)

Why does "returnVal" not return the request's response value? Thanks

devnull · Accepted Answer · 2011-07-08 12:44:41Z

1

Because you use it outside the ajax call and, as ajax calls are asynchronous, the alert pops up faster than you get the response. You have to use the returnVal variable inside the success handler, to be sure that you get the value returned by the response.

edited Jul 8, 2011 at 12:44

answered Jul 8, 2011 at 12:24

devnull

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2 Comments

user706058 Over a year ago

Isn't that what I have?: .success(function (data) { returnVal = data; })

devnull Over a year ago

move the alert call inside the handler and you'll get what i mean :)

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