javascript - working with JSON data array from Ajax response?

Question

Is it possible to work with a response from AJAX request in PHP? I am not really a JS dev so i am polling my hair out with this one.

I have sort of hacked this together:

      var base_url = 'http://dev.local/westview/public';

  $('select.child_id').change(function() {

var child_id = $('#child_id');
var dataString = 'child_id=' + child_id;

$.ajax({
  type: "POST",
  url: base_url + "/finance/payment-history",
  data: dataString,
  dataType: 'html',
  success: function(html) { 
    alert(html);
  },

});
return false; 

});

The function appears to work ok, it gives me an alert with the correct data.

{"payments":[{"id":"19","child_id":"21","club":"Breakfast Club","term":"Half Term 3","amount":"15.00","pdate":"2015-02-25","notes":"","created_at":"2015-02-11 12:16:32","updated_at":"2015-02-11 12:16:32","starting_debt":"0","debt_start_date":"2015-01-05"},{"id":"20","child_id":"21","club":"After School Club","term":"Half Term 3","amount":"11.50","pdate":"2015-02-25","notes":"","created_at":"2015-02-11 12:16:49","updated_at":"2015-02-11 12:16:49","starting_debt":"0","debt_start_date":"2015-01-05"}]}

I need to be able output this to the user so that it is readable. A lot of guides I find describe replacing data but as it stands there is no data until a child_id is selected.. i then want it show the above data in a readable way.

I have no idea how to start working with the data in my view file(php).

Thanks

[EDIT]updated with working code:

var base_url = 'http://dev.local/westview/public';

$('select.child_id').change(function() {

  var response = "";
  var child_id = $('#child_id').val();
  var dataString = 'child_id=' + child_id;

  $.ajax({
    type: "POST",
    url: base_url + "/finance/payment-history",
    data: dataString,
    success: function(response) { 

      var json_obj = $.parseJSON(response);

      var output = "<ul>";

      for (i=0; i < json_obj.payments.length; i++)
      {
        var payment = json_obj.payments[i];
        var date = moment(payment.pdate).format('Do MMM YYYY');
        output += "<li>&pound;" + payment.amount + " - " + date + " (" + payment.club + ")</li>";
      }

      output += "</ul>";

      $('.history-section').html(output);

    },
    dataType: "html"
  });
});

Answer 1

Do like this.

var data = $.parseJSON("your_json");
var output= "<ul>";

for (i=0; i < data.payments.length; i++){
    output += "<li>" + data.payments[i].id + ", " + data.payments[i].child_id + "</li>";
}

output += "</ul>";