Returning JSON in CFFunction and appending it to layer is causing an error

Question

I'm using the qTip jQuery plugin to generate a dynamic tooltip. I'm getting an error in my JS, and I'm unsure if its source is the JSON or the JS. The tooltip calls the following function: (sorry about all this code, but it's necessary)

<cffunction 
name="fGameDetails"
access="remote"
returnType="any"
returnformat="JSON"
output="false"
hint="This grabs game details for the games.cfm page">
    <!---Argument, which is the game ID--->
<cfargument 
    name="gameID"
    type="numeric"
    required="true"
    hint="CFC will look for GameID and retrieve its details">
<!---Local var--->
<cfset var qGameDetails = "">
<!---Database query--->
<cfquery name="qGameDetails" datasource="#REQUEST.datasource#">
SELECT
    titles.titleName AS tName,
    titles.titleBrief AS tBrief,
    games.gameID,
    games.titleID,
    games.releaseDate AS rDate,
    genres.genreName AS gName,
    platforms.platformAbbr AS pAbbr,
    platforms.platformName AS pName,
    creviews.cReviewScore AS rScore,
    ratings.ratingName AS rName
FROM
    games
        Inner Join platforms ON platforms.platformID = games.platformID
        Inner Join titles ON titles.titleID = games.titleID
        Inner Join genres ON genres.genreID = games.genreID
        Inner Join creviews ON games.gameID = creviews.gameID
        Inner Join ratings ON ratings.ratingID = games.ratingID
WHERE 
    (games.gameID = #ARGUMENTS.gameID#);
</cfquery>
<cfreturn qGameDetails>
</cffunction>

This function returns the following JSON:

{
    "COLUMNS": [
        "TNAME",
        "TBRIEF",
        "GAMEID",
        "TITLEID",
        "RDATE",
        "GNAME",
        "PABBR",
        "PNAME",
        "RSCORE",
        "RNAME"
    ],
    "DATA": [
        [
            "Dark Void",
            "Ancient gods known as 'The Watchers,' once banished from our world by superhuman Adepts, have returned with a vengeance.",
            154,
            54,
            "January, 19 2010 00:00:00",
            "Action & Adventure",
            "PS3",
            "Playstation 3",
            3.3,
            "14 Anos"
        ]
    ]
}

The problem I'm having is every time I try to append the JSON to the layer #catalog, I get a syntax error that says "missing parenthetical." This is the JavaScript I'm using:

$(document).ready(function() 
{
    $('#catalog a[href]').each(function()
    {
        $(this).qtip( {
            content: {
            url: '/gamezilla/resources/components/viewgames.cfc?method=fGameDetails',
            data: { gameID: $(this).attr('href').match(/gameID=([0-9]+)$/)[1] },
            method: 'get'
        },
        api: {
            beforeContentUpdate: function(content) {
            var json = eval('(' + content + ')');
            content = $('<div />').append(
                $('<h1 />', {
                    html: json.TNAME
                }));
            return content;
            }
        },
        style: {
            width: 300,
            height: 300,
            padding: 0,
            name: 'light',
            tip: {
                corner: 'leftMiddle',
                size: {
                    x: 40,
                    y : 40
                }
            }
        },
        position: {
            corner: {
                target: 'rightMiddle',
                tooltip: 'leftMiddle'
            }
        }
        });
    });
});

Any ideas where I'm going wrong? I tried many things for several days and I can't find the issue.

Many thanks!

Answer 1

As it turns out, it's the ColdFusion debugger causing the ajax to go all weird. I found this out a long time ago, but only revisited the issue now. The first thing one should do when encountering an error of this nature is shut-off the CF debugger to check if it is causing the problem.

Answer 2

there is an extra bracket at the bottom of your javascript, after the "position" bracket is closed.

Answer 3

Do a console.log(arguments) for the first line of the beforeContentUpdate function (before the eval), to make sure that the content arg is what you expect is to be?

Answer 4

It seems that beforeContentUpdate is not working. So I would suggest to use onRender callback:

$(document).ready(function () {
    $('#catalog a[href]').each(function () {
        var link = $(this);
        $(this).qtip({
            content: 'loading...',
            api: {
                onRender: function () {
                    var self = this;
                    $.ajax({
                        url: '/gamezilla/resources/components/viewgames.cfc?method=fGameDetails',
                        dataType: 'json',
                        data: { gameID: link.attr('href').match(/gameID=([0-9]+)$/)[1] },
                        success: function (data) {
                            self.updateContent(data.DATA[0][0]);
                        }
                    });
                }
            },
            style: {
                width: 300,
                height: 300,
                padding: 0,
                name: 'light',
                tip: {
                    corner: 'leftMiddle',
                    size: {
                        x: 40,
                        y: 40
                    }
                }
            },
            position: {
                corner: {
                    target: 'rightMiddle',
                    tooltip: 'leftMiddle'
                }
            }
        });
    });
});

Answer 5

change var json = eval('(' + content + ')'); to var json = eval(content); and html: json.TNAME to html: json.COLUMNS.TNAME