Passing variable to function and back

Question

I'm trying to figure out why this isn't working. I thought I understood scope...

var admin_data = false;
function getPlayerAdmin(){
    var formData = {
        'player_id' : $('#post-v').attr('data-val')
    };
    $.ajax({
        type: 'post',
        url: '/popins/player/controls',
        data : formData,
        dataType : 'json',
        success: function(admin_data) {
            if(admin_data.controls.is_admin == true){
                admin_data = true;
            }else{
                admin_data = false;
            }
        }
    });
}
alert(admin_data);

So basically admin_data is being set to true, however it doesn't change it when I alert it after. How do I pass this back down?

Thanks!

So far I have this now:

var admin_data = false;

adminData(function(admin_data) {
    if(admin_data_vals.controls.is_admin == true){
        admin_data = true;
    }else{
        admin_data = false;
    }
});

function getPlayerAdmin(adminData){
    var formData = {
        'player_id' : $('#post-v').attr('data-val')
    };
    $.ajax({
        type: 'post',
        url: '/popins/player/controls',
        data : formData,
        dataType : 'json',
        success: adminData
        },
        error : function(jqXHR, textStatus, errorThrown){
            console.log(jqXHR);
        }
    });
}
alert(admin_data);

3rd attempt:

var admin_data = false;
function getPlayerAdmin(admin_data){
    var formData = {
        'player_id' : $('#post-v').attr('data-val')
    };
    $.ajax({
        type: 'post',
        url: '/popins/player/controls',
        data : formData,
        dataType : 'json',
        success: function(admin_data_vals, admin_data) {
            if(admin_data_vals.controls.is_admin == true){
                admin_data = true;
            }else{
                admin_data = false;
            }
        },
        error : function(jqXHR, textStatus, errorThrown){
            console.log(jqXHR);
        }
    });
}
getPlayerAdmin();
alert(admin_data);

Possible duplicate of [How do I return the response from an asynchronous call?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14220321/how-do-i-return-the-response-from-an-asynchronous-call) — 4castle, Nov 07 '16 at 21:01
The gist is that you need to call a function from inside the success handler which uses the data, or use Promises. I highly recommend reading the first few answers though. You will learn a lot about how asynchronous code works. — 4castle, Nov 07 '16 at 21:06
Because the request has not been completed.. Yet you are already displaying the result.. When doing an ajax call. There is a delay before the data received. If you check the flow of your code. You're expecting that the request is already complete before it runs your alert call — Semi-Friends, Nov 07 '16 at 21:08
Now that makes sense, thanks guys. I know about async, I just figured it applied to the function itself, I didn't know it waited and jumped to said next functions. Damn. — christopher.web, Nov 07 '16 at 21:10
I've been looking it at for like 30 minutes. I don't understand it because there is no callback variable. — christopher.web, Nov 07 '16 at 21:42
I've updated my question which is what I believe to be what he is explaining... — christopher.web, Nov 07 '16 at 21:52

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 07 '16 at 21:37

1

You can do many things here to resolve this with things like promises, deferred objects, etc., but you could simply just do your logic in the success/error callbacks if there isn't much complexity to what you need to do with the response.

success: function(adminData) { // Should probably change the parameter name
                               // to not be the same as the variable you are setting
  if (adminData.controls.is_admin == true) {
    admin_data = true;
    alert(admin_data);
  } else {
    admin_data = false;
    alert(admin_data);
  }
}

answered Nov 07 '16 at 21:37

JB06

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This doesn't return the variable to be used in another function. – christopher.web Nov 07 '16 at 21:49
Sure it does, replace alert with your function – JB06 Nov 07 '16 at 21:51
You're missing the point. I'm trying to get admin_data variable in another function. I can't load that function in the success. – christopher.web Nov 07 '16 at 21:54
Why can't you? How does your function look like? – Felix Nov 07 '16 at 21:59

Passing variable to function and back

1 Answers1