Question

I have php problem with formatting output from a CSV to make it available as json for jquery ui.autocomplete.

fruit.csv:

apple, bananna, jackfruit, 
... etc

jquery from here:

http://jqueryui.com/demos/autocomplete/#default

$( "#fruits" ).autocomplete({
            source: '/path/to/fruit.json'
        });

PHP to convert CSV into json:

        // Callback function to output CSV as json object
        function _custom_json_from_csv() {
            $fruit_path = '/path/to/fruit.csv';
            $fruits = array_map("str_getcsv", file($fruit_path));
            drupal_json_output(array(array_values($fruits)));
            exit;
        }

       // Below are CMS codes for detailed illustration
            function drupal_json_output($var = NULL) {
              // We are returning JSON, so tell the browser.
              drupal_add_http_header('Content-Type', 'application/json');

              if (isset($var)) {
                echo drupal_json_encode($var);
              }
            }

            function drupal_json_encode($var) {
              // The PHP version cannot change within a request.
              static $php530;

              if (!isset($php530)) {
                $php530 = version_compare(PHP_VERSION, '5.3.0', '>=');
              }

              if ($php530) {
                // Encode <, >, ', &, and " using the json_encode() options parameter.
                return json_encode($var, JSON_HEX_TAG | JSON_HEX_APOS | JSON_HEX_AMP | JSON_HEX_QUOT);
              }

              // json_encode() escapes <, >, ', &, and " using its options parameter, but
              // does not support this parameter prior to PHP 5.3.0.  Use a helper instead.
              include_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/includes/json-encode.inc';
              return drupal_json_encode_helper($var);
            }

// parts of json-encode.inc - drupal_json_encode_helper(), responsible for json output:
    case 'array':
      // Arrays in JSON can't be associative. If the array is empty or if it
      // has sequential whole number keys starting with 0, it's not associative
      // so we can go ahead and convert it as an array.
      if (empty($var) || array_keys($var) === range(0, sizeof($var) - 1)) {
        $output = array();
        foreach ($var as $v) {
          $output[] = drupal_json_encode_helper($v);
        }
        return '[ ' . implode(', ', $output) . ' ]';
      }
      // Otherwise, fall through to convert the array as an object.

    case 'object':
      $output = array();
      foreach ($var as $k => $v) {
        $output[] = drupal_json_encode_helper(strval($k)) . ':' . drupal_json_encode_helper($v);
      }
      return '{' . implode(', ', $output) . '}';

If there is a solution to directly consume CSV by jquery, that will be great. But no clue by now.

My problem is function _custom_json_from_csv() outputs non-expected format for ui.autocomplete. Note excessive of [[[…]]]:

[[["apple", "bananna", "jackfruit"]]]

While ui.autocomplete wants:

["apple", "bananna", "jackfruit"]

Any direction to format the function as expected by jquery ui.autocomplete?

PS: I don’t use #autocomplete_path form API, and instead using ui.autocomplete, for reasons:

1) the code is stored in a theme settings, no hook_menu is available by theme, I want to avoid a module for this need whenever possible.

2) There is a plan somewhere at d.o. to use ui.autocomplete, so consider this adventurous

3) My previous question from jquery viewpoint has led me to instead correct the output of json, rather than making jquery adapt to json.

4) This is more my php issue rather than drupal

Thanks

UPDATE:
Removing one array from drupal_json_output(array(array_values($fruits))); to drupal_json_output(array_values($fruits)); successfully reduced one [] (what is the name of this?). Obviously a miss from previous format with the leading group.
[[“apple”, “bananna”, “jackfruit”]]

I need to remove one more []

Answer 1

I think your code is “correct”, if you had:

apple, bananna, jackfruit
peanut, walnut, almont
carrot, potato, pea

then your function would end up as … etc

[[apple, bananna, jackfruit],[peanut, walnut, almont],[carrot, potato, pea]]

Which appears sensible.

If you only want one row, why can’t you just use the result of

$FileContents = file($fruit_path); 
$fruits = str_getcsv($FileContents[0]);

as that will turn an array of values in the first row, not an array of arrays of all the rows