How can I parse this string into an array?

Question

I have a string representation of the following array, generated from Signature Pad:

var myData = "[{lx:47,ly:28,mx:47,my:27},{lx:47,ly:32,mx:47,my:28},{lx:47,ly:40,mx:47,my:32},{lx:48,ly:50,mx:47,my:40},{lx:49,ly:59,mx:48,my:50},{lx:49,ly:66,mx:49,my:59},{lx:51,ly:72,mx:49,my:66},{lx:54,ly:76,mx:51,my:72},{lx:56,ly:76,mx:54,my:76},{lx:58,ly:76,mx:56,my:76},{lx:59,ly:76,mx:58,my:76},{lx:61,ly:76,mx:59,my:76},{lx:62,ly:76,mx:61,my:76},{lx:64,ly:76,mx:62,my:76},{lx:66,ly:73,mx:64,my:76},{lx:70,ly:69,mx:66,my:73},{lx:73,ly:64,mx:70,my:69},{lx:75,ly:61,mx:73,my:64},{lx:79,ly:56,mx:75,my:61},{lx:82,ly:51,mx:79,my:56},{lx:84,ly:46,mx:82,my:51},{lx:85,ly:43,mx:84,my:46},{lx:87,ly:40,mx:85,my:43},{lx:88,ly:35,mx:87,my:40},{lx:90,ly:34,mx:88,my:35},{lx:92,ly:33,mx:90,my:34},{lx:93,ly:32,mx:92,my:33},{lx:94,ly:32,mx:93,my:32},{lx:96,ly:33,mx:94,my:32},{lx:96,ly:35,mx:96,my:33},{lx:99,ly:37,mx:96,my:35},{lx:101,ly:42,mx:99,my:37},{lx:101,ly:46,mx:101,my:42},{lx:101,ly:50,mx:101,my:46},{lx:101,ly:54,mx:101,my:50},{lx:102,ly:57,mx:101,my:54},{lx:104,ly:58,mx:102,my:57},{lx:105,ly:59,mx:104,my:58},{lx:107,ly:60,mx:105,my:59},{lx:108,ly:60,mx:107,my:60},{lx:109,ly:60,mx:108,my:60},{lx:110,ly:60,mx:109,my:60},{lx:112,ly:58,mx:110,my:60},{lx:114,ly:57,mx:112,my:58},{lx:116,ly:54,mx:114,my:57},{lx:119,ly:53,mx:116,my:54},{lx:120,ly:50,mx:119,my:53},{lx:123,ly:49,mx:120,my:50},{lx:127,ly:48,mx:123,my:49},{lx:130,ly:48,mx:127,my:48},{lx:132,ly:48,mx:130,my:48},{lx:134,ly:49,mx:132,my:48},{lx:136,ly:50,mx:134,my:49},{lx:137,ly:52,mx:136,my:50},{lx:139,ly:56,mx:137,my:52},{lx:140,ly:59,mx:139,my:56},{lx:140,ly:60,mx:140,my:59},{lx:143,ly:61,mx:140,my:60},{lx:144,ly:61,mx:143,my:61},{lx:146,ly:61,mx:144,my:61},{lx:151,ly:61,mx:146,my:61},{lx:156,ly:61,mx:151,my:61},{lx:161,ly:61,mx:156,my:61},{lx:167,ly:60,mx:161,my:61},{lx:173,ly:60,mx:167,my:60},{lx:178,ly:60,mx:173,my:60},{lx:185,ly:60,mx:178,my:60},{lx:192,ly:60,mx:185,my:60},{lx:198,ly:60,mx:192,my:60},{lx:207,ly:60,mx:198,my:60},{lx:214,ly:60,mx:207,my:60},{lx:221,ly:60,mx:214,my:60},{lx:226,ly:60,mx:221,my:60},{lx:229,ly:60,mx:226,my:60},{lx:233,ly:60,mx:229,my:60},{lx:234,ly:60,mx:233,my:60},{lx:235,ly:60,mx:234,my:60},{lx:237,ly:60,mx:235,my:60},{lx:238,ly:60,mx:237,my:60},{lx:239,ly:60,mx:238,my:60},{lx:241,ly:60,mx:239,my:60},{lx:244,ly:60,mx:241,my:60},{lx:245,ly:60,mx:244,my:60},{lx:246,ly:60,mx:245,my:60},{lx:248,ly:59,mx:246,my:60},{lx:248,ly:58,mx:248,my:59},{lx:248,ly:57,mx:248,my:58}]";

I tried to convert it to an array:

JSON.parse(myData);

But I get the following error message:

SyntaxError: Unexpected token l

What am I doing wrong? I can't see the mistake:( I tried pasting the exact same data without the quotes in the console and it creates an array:

var myData = [{lx:47,ly:28,mx:47,my:27},{lx:47,ly:32,mx:47,my:28},{lx:47,ly:40,mx:47,my:32},{lx:48,ly:50,mx:47,my:40},{lx:49,ly:59,mx:48,my:50},{lx:49,ly:66,mx:49,my:59},{lx:51,ly:72,mx:49,my:66},{lx:54,ly:76,mx:51,my:72},{lx:56,ly:76,mx:54,my:76},{lx:58,ly:76,mx:56,my:76},{lx:59,ly:76,mx:58,my:76},{lx:61,ly:76,mx:59,my:76},{lx:62,ly:76,mx:61,my:76},{lx:64,ly:76,mx:62,my:76},{lx:66,ly:73,mx:64,my:76},{lx:70,ly:69,mx:66,my:73},{lx:73,ly:64,mx:70,my:69},{lx:75,ly:61,mx:73,my:64},{lx:79,ly:56,mx:75,my:61},{lx:82,ly:51,mx:79,my:56},{lx:84,ly:46,mx:82,my:51},{lx:85,ly:43,mx:84,my:46},{lx:87,ly:40,mx:85,my:43},{lx:88,ly:35,mx:87,my:40},{lx:90,ly:34,mx:88,my:35},{lx:92,ly:33,mx:90,my:34},{lx:93,ly:32,mx:92,my:33},{lx:94,ly:32,mx:93,my:32},{lx:96,ly:33,mx:94,my:32},{lx:96,ly:35,mx:96,my:33},{lx:99,ly:37,mx:96,my:35},{lx:101,ly:42,mx:99,my:37},{lx:101,ly:46,mx:101,my:42},{lx:101,ly:50,mx:101,my:46},{lx:101,ly:54,mx:101,my:50},{lx:102,ly:57,mx:101,my:54},{lx:104,ly:58,mx:102,my:57},{lx:105,ly:59,mx:104,my:58},{lx:107,ly:60,mx:105,my:59},{lx:108,ly:60,mx:107,my:60},{lx:109,ly:60,mx:108,my:60},{lx:110,ly:60,mx:109,my:60},{lx:112,ly:58,mx:110,my:60},{lx:114,ly:57,mx:112,my:58},{lx:116,ly:54,mx:114,my:57},{lx:119,ly:53,mx:116,my:54},{lx:120,ly:50,mx:119,my:53},{lx:123,ly:49,mx:120,my:50},{lx:127,ly:48,mx:123,my:49},{lx:130,ly:48,mx:127,my:48},{lx:132,ly:48,mx:130,my:48},{lx:134,ly:49,mx:132,my:48},{lx:136,ly:50,mx:134,my:49},{lx:137,ly:52,mx:136,my:50},{lx:139,ly:56,mx:137,my:52},{lx:140,ly:59,mx:139,my:56},{lx:140,ly:60,mx:140,my:59},{lx:143,ly:61,mx:140,my:60},{lx:144,ly:61,mx:143,my:61},{lx:146,ly:61,mx:144,my:61},{lx:151,ly:61,mx:146,my:61},{lx:156,ly:61,mx:151,my:61},{lx:161,ly:61,mx:156,my:61},{lx:167,ly:60,mx:161,my:61},{lx:173,ly:60,mx:167,my:60},{lx:178,ly:60,mx:173,my:60},{lx:185,ly:60,mx:178,my:60},{lx:192,ly:60,mx:185,my:60},{lx:198,ly:60,mx:192,my:60},{lx:207,ly:60,mx:198,my:60},{lx:214,ly:60,mx:207,my:60},{lx:221,ly:60,mx:214,my:60},{lx:226,ly:60,mx:221,my:60},{lx:229,ly:60,mx:226,my:60},{lx:233,ly:60,mx:229,my:60},{lx:234,ly:60,mx:233,my:60},{lx:235,ly:60,mx:234,my:60},{lx:237,ly:60,mx:235,my:60},{lx:238,ly:60,mx:237,my:60},{lx:239,ly:60,mx:238,my:60},{lx:241,ly:60,mx:239,my:60},{lx:244,ly:60,mx:241,my:60},{lx:245,ly:60,mx:244,my:60},{lx:246,ly:60,mx:245,my:60},{lx:248,ly:59,mx:246,my:60},{lx:248,ly:58,mx:248,my:59},{lx:248,ly:57,mx:248,my:58}];

Answer 1

Strings are required here. Therefore use "lx" instead of lx

var myData = '[{"lx":47,"ly":28 // and so on

Answer 2

The JSON specification is more strict than JavaScript itself. Specifically, JSON requires all object keys to be enclosed in double quotes. In the JSON spec, an object key must be a string token, and a string token begins and ends with a double quote character.

Thus, you'll need to quote your object keys:

var myData = '[{"lx":47,"ly":28,"mx":47,"my":27},...'

EDIT: According to the Signature Pad API, you can use getSignatureString() to serialize your pad into a valid JSON string.