Question

I have this method:

function getUserName(guid) {
    var name = "Unbekannt";

    $.getJSON(urlCurrent, {
        "method" : "get_user_info",
        "guid" : guid,
        "auth_token" : temporaryAuthToken
    }, function(data) {
        if (data.status == 0) {
            alert(data.result[0].name);
            name = data.result[0].name;
        }
    });

    return name;
}

Nearly all is working: the Ajax-Request gets data and fires the callback-function, so that

alert(data.result[0].name);

shows a popup with this value: “Forename Surname”

But then at

return name;

the method returns “Unbekannt”, although name should have the new value “Forename Surname”.
What happened and where´s the mistake?

Thx a lot

Answer 1

I would return the promise object from the function and act on it.

function getUserName(guid) {
    return $.getJSON(urlCurrent, {
        "method" : "get_user_info",
        "guid" : guid,
        "auth_token" : temporaryAuthToken
    });
}

getUserName(guid).done(function(data) {
    if (data.status == 0) {
        alert(data.result[0].name);
    }
});

And, if you wanted to do the status check up front, .then is good for that.

function getUserName(guid) {
    return $.getJSON(urlCurrent, {
        "method" : "get_user_info",
        "guid" : guid,
        "auth_token" : temporaryAuthToken
    }).then(function(data){
        return $.Deferred(function(def){
            if (data.status == 0) {
                return def.resolve(data);
            }
            return def.reject(data);
        });
    });
}

getUserName(guid).done(function(data) {
    alert(data.result[0].name);
});