AJAX: battling to parse the xml data. Please Help!

[cGamez010]

hi, i still struggle with xml parsing, it's kinda like quantum physics in my opinion. :P

here is the xml that i need to parse, there is always an order with leads as children. these leads have various properties, and the last 3 properties have attributes. The php can generate a different order, by service, by supplier and by region by supplying an o querystring variable to the xml generator, with values 0 through 2...

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<root>
    <order name="Test Region 7">
        <lead>
            <id>95</id>
            <consumer>Pierre du Toit;pierre@greywacke.co.za</consumer>
            <subject>test subject</subject>
            <attribs>Test Attribute 1 = Test Value 1&lt;br /&gt;Test Attribute 2 = Test Value 3</attribs>
            <message>test message</message>
            <sent>1</sent>
            <created>2009-12-31 17:43:57</created>
            <service id="1" name="Test Service 1" cost="20" />
            <supplier id="6" name="Test Supplier 1" w3a="http://www.greywacke.co.za/" contact="Pierre du Toit" position="Graphic Design &amp; AJAX" mail="pierre@greywacke.co.za" tel="27729154799" bal="800" />
            <region id="8" name="Test Region 7" />
        </lead>
    </order>
</root>

below is the javascript xml parser function.

Previous approach removed.

i am attempting to pass the oarr array to the addorder() function looking as follows:

Test Region 7,95|Pierre du Toit;pierre@greywacke.co.za|test subject|Test Attribute 1 = Test Value 1<br />Test Attribute 2 = Test Value 3|test message|1|2009-12-31 17:43:57|1;Test Service 1|20|6;Test Supplier 1;|http://www.greywacke.co.za/;Pierre du Toit;Graphic Design & AJAX;pierre@greywacke.co.za;27729154799;800|8;Test Region 7

i do the "multidimentional" arrays ready to be split by delimiter in the dhtml code. the xml parsing code needs to be ready for multiple order and lead tags however. but sofar i haven't even gotten to the addorder() function yet!
Edit:
okay i've edited the function a bit, but now i get of all things a syntax error pointing to the else after checking the return state 0o

here is the updated function

// xml parser
function alertContents() {
// === BEGIN IF 0 ===
    if (http_request.readyState == 4) {
// === BEGIN IF 1 ===
        if (http_request.status == 200) {
            var xmldoc = http_request.responseXML;
            //alert(this.responseText);
            var order = xmldoc.getElementsByTagName("order");
// === BEGIN FOR 0 ===
            for (var o = 0; o < order.length; o++) {
                var r = 0;
                var olen = parseInt(order[o].childNodes.length / 2);
                var oarr = new Array(olen);
                oarr[r] = order[o].attributes[0].value;
                var leads = order[o].getElementsByTagName("lead");
// === BEGIN FOR 1 ===
                for (var l = 0; l < leads.length; l++) {
// === BEGIN FOR 2 ===
                    for (var a = 0; a < leads[l].childNodes.length; a++) {
                        var lead = leads[l];
                        var t = 0;
                        var tarr = new Array();
// FOUND THE PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                        for (s = 0; s < lead.childnodes.length; s++) {
// !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                        var prop = props[s];
                        if (prop.childNodes.length > 0) {
                            tarr[t] = prop.firstChild.data;
                            t++;
                        } else if (prop.tagName == "service") {
                            var varr = new Array();
                            for (var v = 0; v < prop.attributes.length; v++) {
                                varr[v] = prop.attributes[v].value;
                            }
                        } else if (prop.tagName == "supplier") {
                            var parr = new Array();
                            for (var p = 0; p < prop.attributes.length; p++) {
                                parr[p] = prop.attributes[p].value;
                            }
                        } else if (prop.tagName == "region") {
                            var garr = new Array();
                            for (var g = 0; g < prop.attributes.length; g++) {
                                garr[g] = prop.attributes[g].value;
                            }
                        }
                        tarr[t] = varr.join(";");
                        t++;
                        tarr[t] = parr.join(";");
                        t++;
                        tarr[t] = garr.join(";");
                        t++;
                        larr[e] = tarr.join("|");
                        e++;
// === END FOR 2 ===
                    }
// === END FOR 1 ===
                }
                oarr[r] = larr.join(".");
                r++;
                alert(oarr);
                //addorder("list_leads", oarr);
// === END FOR 0 ===
            }
            if (xmldoc.getElementsByTagName("sql")[0]) if (xmldoc.getElementsByTagName("sql")[0].firstChild) var sql = xmldoc.getElementsByTagName("sql")[0].firstChild.data; if (sql != "") alert(sql);
// === ELSE END IF 1 ===
        } else {
            alert('There was a problem with the request.');
        }
        document.getElementById("ajaxbg").style.visibility = "hidden";
// === END IF 0 ===
    }
}

and here is the error which still stands :nuts:

Error: syntax error
Source File: http://localhost/fab/scripts/ajax_leads.js
Line: 101, Column: 4
Source Code:
} else {

this line is underlined in the code, but i don't see how that or anything near it could be the problem 0o

[slacker3]

i don't even understand your question (), but xml parsing should be quite easy:

http://www.w3schools.com/Xml/xml_parser.asp

[cGamez010]

i've been through w3schools myself... i can't see the source of the error as it has to be one of those misplaced errors... i'll add some comments to try make it easier. the problem that i face now is different cos i have changed my approach to the parsing.
i don't get where that error comes from? 0o

[slacker3]

it seems like you're doing an
for () {
] else

// parse order tags
            var order = xmldoc.getElementsByTagName("order");
            for (var o = 0; o < order.length; o++) {

...
...

// below is my current problem, i don't see where this error could be coming from 0o
        } else {
            alert('There was a problem with the request.');
        }

btw,
http://www.jslint.com/

[misson]

The right curly brace on line 94 matches the left curly brace after the "for (var o = 0; o < order.length; o++)" statement (line 38, by my calculations). It looks like you're missing a right curly brace before line 94.

Look for an auto-indenting, paren-matching editor. Emacs is one option; Eclipse will select blocks, which you can also use to check what bracket another bracket will match. It will help you with problems like this.

[cGamez010]

no i am not slacker :happysad: the begin if, begin for, end for and else have been marked with comments
will look into it mission
Edit:
mission: strange, i've repasted the function, marked the loops and ifs with comments now and i still don't see whats wrong. it really seems to be a misplaced error that.

[slacker3]

kate never lies




:P

[cGamez010]

that for is ended though. i don't trust any ide unfortunately... :happysad:
try the latest code where i marked the ifs and fors with comments.
i still get the error. :eek4:
Edit:
ps: i don't believe ur ide is highlighting the error, it is merely showing that section of code is contracted. dreamweaver does the same.
Edit:
okay yay success!!!

i found the bugger, was a for loop that i forgot to take out, it was hidden in the hierarchiel tabbing. here is the updated code, but still got a bit of debugging to do, as it returned the following array:

.122..pierre du toit;pierre@greywacke.co.za..test subject..Test Attribute 1 = Test Value 1<br />Test Attribute 2 = Test Value 3..test message..1..2010-01-01 19:49:33..1;Test Service 1;20..6;Test Supplier 1;http://www.greywacke.co.za/;Pierre du Toit;Graphic Design & AJAX;pierre@greywacke.co.za;27729154799;800..8;Test Region 7.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

here is the updated function, for some reason i don't seem to be able to find the order tags first and only attribute?:

// xml parser
function alertContents() {
	if (http_request.readyState == 4) {
		if (http_request.status == 200) {
			var xmldoc = http_request.responseXML;
			//alert(this.responseText);
			var order = xmldoc.getElementsByTagName("order");
			for (var o = 0; o < order.length; o++) {
				var r = 0;
				var oarr = new Array();
				if (order[o].childNodes.length > 0) {
					if (order[o].childNodes.length > 0) {
						oarr[r] = order[o].getAttribute("name");
						r++;
						var leads = order[o].getElementsByTagName("lead");
						for (var l = 0; l < leads.length; l++) {
							var e = 0
							var larr = new Array();
							var props = leads[l].childNodes;
//=== BEGIN PROBLEMATIC CODE ==========================
							for (var a = 0; a < props.length; a++) {
								if (props[a].childNodes.length > 0) {
									var t = 0;
									var tarr = new Array();
									var prop = props[a];
									if (prop.childNodes.length > 0) {
										if (prop.firstChild.data) {
											tarr[t] = prop.firstChild.data;
											t++;
										}
									} else if (prop.tagName == "service") {
										var varr = new Array();
										for (var v = 0; v < prop.attributes.length; v++) {
											varr[v] = prop.attributes[v].value;
										}
										tarr[t] = varr.join(";");
										t++;
									} else if (prop.tagName == "supplier") {
										var parr = new Array();
										for (var p = 0; p < prop.attributes.length; p++) {
											parr[p] = prop.attributes[p].value;
										}
										tarr[t] = parr.join(";");
										t++;
									} else if (prop.tagName == "region") {
										var garr = new Array();
										for (var g = 0; g < prop.attributes.length; g++) {
											garr[g] = prop.attributes[g].value;
										}
										tarr[t] = garr.join(";");
										t++;
									}
									larr[e] = tarr.join(".");
									e++;
								}
							}
//=== END PROBLEMATIC CODE ==========================
						}
						oarr[r] = larr.join("|");
						r++;
						alert(oarr);
						//addorder("list_leads", oarr);
					}
				}
			}
			//if (xmldoc.getElementsByTagName("sql")[0]) if (xmldoc.getElementsByTagName("sql")[0].firstChild) var sql = xmldoc.getElementsByTagName("sql")[0].firstChild.data; if (sql != "") alert(sql);
		} else {
			alert('There was a problem with the request.');
		}
		document.getElementById("ajaxbg").style.visibility = "hidden";
	}
}

okay the function parses all the tags correctly, except for the service, supplier and region tags which have attributes.

this is the array returned by the above code:

Test Supplier 1,125|test;pierre@greywacke.co.za|test subject|Test Attribute 1 = Test Value 1<br />Test Attribute 2 = Test Value 3|test message|1|2010-01-02 21:13:26

it is however missing the following values being appended:

|1;Test Service 1|20|6;Test Supplier 1;|http://www.greywacke.co.za/;Pierre du Toit;Graphic Design & AJAX;pierre@greywacke.co.za;27729154799;800|8;Test Region 7

which are the attributes for the service, supplier and region tags. what's wrong thats causing it not to retrieve them? 0o

i've highlighted the problematic section of code, please help before this has to be posted to a new thread!

[misson]

If only E4X was supported on more browsers.

Try breaking down the one large function into smaller functions, each of which performs a single, well-defined task. You'll notice things like you're overwriting larr each time through the for (var l loop.

[cGamez010]

the problematic area is in red. it gets the inner values, just not the attribute properties for some reason (tags service, supplier and region in the xml. i'd prefer to keep the xml parsing to one function.