Javascript - Parsing JSON returns syntax error

Question

I am getting an error when trying to parse JSON:

 SyntaxError: Unexpected token u in JSON at position 0(…)   eFormsAtoZIndex.aspx:6558

Full Code: http://pastebin.com/LXpJN8GF

Relevant Code:

$(document).ready(function() {
    var rebuild = getParameterByName("rebuild");
    var createdStructures = $('#AtoZContentDiv').children().length;
    if ((rebuild !== undefined && rebuild !== null && rebuild.indexOf("true") === 0) || (createdStructures === 0)) {
        // clean up pre-existing data
        cleanUp();

        // create container structure
        createFormLinkContainers();

        // Call SP web services to retrieve the information and create the A to Z
        retrieveListData();
        completeInitialization();
    } else {
        try {
            aggregateAll = jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnAggregateAll').val());
            console.log(jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnAggregateAll').val()));
            aggregatePersonal = jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnAggregatePersonal').val());
            aggregateBusiness = jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnAggregateBusiness').val());
            ministryAggregate = jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnMinistryAggregate').val());
            caAggregate = jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnCAAggregate').val());
            sTaxAggregate = jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnSTaxAggregate').val());
            bTaxAggregate = jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnBTaxAggregate').val());
            leTaxAggregate = jQuery.parseJSON($('#hdnLETaxAggregate').val());
        } catch (err) {
            console.log(err);
        }

        var type = getParameterByName("filter");
    }
    $("#tab-all").click(function() {
        loadit('all');
    });

    $("#tab-business").click(function() {
        loadit('business');
    });

    $(document).on('click', '#tab-personal', function(e) {
        loadit('personal');
    });

    buildFilterMenu();
    loadit('all');

});

function createJSONStructure(title, desc, index, type, formLink, documentLink, pubType, processId, ministry, ca, stax, btax, letax) {
    if (desc !== undefined && desc !== null) {
        desc = desc.replace(/&lt;/g, "<").replace(/&gt;/g, ">");
    } else {
        desc = "";
    }
    var typeArr = [];
    type = type.replace(/&amp;/, "&");

    var tempType = type.split("&");

    for (i = 0; i < tempType.length; i++) {
        typeArr.push(tempType[i].trim());
    }

    if (formLink === undefined || formLink === null || formLink.length === 0) {
        formLink = "";
    }

    if (documentLink === undefined || documentLink === null || documentLink.length === 0) {
        documentLink = "";
    }

    // subject, business and life event taxonomies must cater for multiple entries
    var staxStructure = buildTaxonomyJSONStructure(stax, "stax");
    var btaxStructure = buildTaxonomyJSONStructure(btax, "btax");
    var letaxStructure = buildTaxonomyJSONStructure(letax, "letax");

    var json = {
        'name': title,
        'desc': desc,
        'type': typeArr,
        'pubType': pubType,
        'pdflink': documentLink.split(",")[0].replace(/\'/g, "&#39;"),
        'formlink': formLink.split(",")[0].replace(/\'/g, "&#39;"),
        'processid': processId,
        'index': index,
        'ministry': ministry.replace(/\,/g, " "),
        'ca': ca.replace(/\,/g, " "),
        'stax': staxStructure,
        'btax': btaxStructure,
        'letax': letaxStructure
    };
    return json;
}



function completeInitialization() {
    if (checkDataLoaded()) {
        // add the Navigation to the containers once all the data is inserted
        addNavigationToContainers();


        var type = getParameterByName("filter");
        if (type == null || type.length == 0) {
            type = "all";
        }

        loadit(type);

        buildFilterMenu();

        filter(type);

        $('#hdnAggregateAll').val(stringify(aggregateAll));
        console.log(aggregateAll);
        $('#hdnAggregatePersonal').val(stringify(aggregatePersonal));
        $('#hdnAggregateBusiness').val(stringify(aggregateBusiness));
        $('#hdnMinistryAggregate').val(stringify(ministryAggregate));
        $('#hdnCAAggregate').val(stringify(caAggregate));
        $('#hdnSTaxAggregate').val(stringify(sTaxAggregate));
        $('#hdnBTaxAggregate').val(stringify(bTaxAggregate));
        $('#hdnLETaxAggregate').val(stringify(leTaxAggregate));
    } else {
        retryCount += 1;

        // Check that the maximum retries have not been exceeded
        if (retryCount <= maxRetries) {
            setTimeout("completeInitialization();", 1000 * retryCount);
        }
    }
}

Can anyone point out what is wrong with the JSON structure or JS or how I can debug items within it?

EDIT (As per Jaromanda X's and CH Buckingham reply):

$('#hdnAggregateAll').val(JSON.stringify(aggregateAll));
console.log(aggregateAll);          $('#hdnAggregatePersonal').val(JSON.stringify(aggregatePersonal));          $('#hdnAggregateBusiness').val(JSON.stringify(aggregateBusiness));          $('#hdnMinistryAggregate').val(JSON.stringify(ministryAggregate));
$('#hdnCAAggregate').val(JSON.stringify(caAggregate));
$('#hdnSTaxAggregate').val(JSON.stringify(sTaxAggregate));
$('#hdnBTaxAggregate').val(JSON.stringify(bTaxAggregate));
$('#hdnLETaxAggregate').val(JSON.stringify(leTaxAggregate));

ERROR:

10:42:24.274 TypeError: item is undefined
createFormLinks/<()eformsAtoZIndex.aspx:5644
.each()jquery-1.11.1.min.js:2
createFormLinks()eformsAtoZIndex.aspx:5638
processResult()eformsAtoZIndex.aspx:5507
m.Callbacks/j()jquery-1.11.1.min.js:2
m.Callbacks/k.fireWith()jquery-1.11.1.min.js:2
x()jquery-1.11.1.min.js:4
.send/b()jquery-1.11.1.min.js:4
1eformsAtoZIndex.aspx:5644:1

On line:

if (item.processid !== "0")

In Block:

function createFormLinks(formItems, index)
    {
        // create all links on the page and add them to the AtoZContent div for now
        var parentContainer = $("#AtoZContentDiv");

        if (parentContainer === null)
        {
            // if it doesn't exist, we exist cause I can't reliably add a new control to the body and get the display 
            // location correct
            return;
        }

        // sort form link array first
        formItems = sortResults(formItems, 'name', true);

        var count = 0;

        $.each(formItems, function(i, item)
        {   
            var link;
            count = count + 1;

            //add links to parent container
            if (item.processid !== "0")
            {
                 link = item.formlink;
            }
            else if (item.pdflink !== "")
            {
                 link = item.pdflink;
            }

            var container = $("#AtoZContent-" + index);
            var itemType = "all";

            if (item.type !== null && item.type !== undefined && item.type.length === 1) itemType = item.type[0];



            var str = "<div id='divFormLink-" + index + "-" + count + "' type='" + itemType + "' ";

        if (item.name !== undefined && item.name !== null)
            {
                str = str + " ministry='" + stripPunctuation(item.ministry) + "' ";
                str = str + " ca='" + stripPunctuation(item.ca) + "' ";

                // now, we need to handle these differently since they can have multiple values
                str = str + " stax='";
                for (i = 0; i < item.stax.length; i++)
                {
                    str = str + stripPunctuation(item.stax[i]);
                }
                str = str + "' ";

                str = str + " btax='";
                for(i = 0; i < item.btax.length; i++)
                {
                    str = str + stripPunctuation(item.btax[i]);
                }
                str = str + "' ";

                str = str + " letax='";
                for(i = 0; i < item.letax.length; i++)
                {
                    str = str + stripPunctuation(item.letax[i]);
                }
                str = str + "' ";
            }

            str = str + " index='" + index + "' style='word-wrap: break-word;'></div>";
        container.append(str);

            var innerDiv = $("#divFormLink-" + index + "-" + count);
            appendIcon(innerDiv, item.pubType);
            innerDiv.append("<a id='formLink-" + index + "-" + count + "' href='" + link + "'>" + item.name + "</a>");
            innerDiv.append("<div id='formDesc-" + index + "-" + count + "'>" + item.desc + "</div><br />");

        });
    }

Answer 1

On the line 155 you push json even if it's undefined.

if (pubType=="eForm" || pubType=="PDF") {  
    var json = createJSONStructure(title, desc, index, type.toLowerCase(), formLink, documentLink, pubType, processId, ministry, ca, stax, btax, letax);
}
formItems.push(json);

And after it your are trying to get item.processid of undefined. You can define variables in if-block, but in the case you should to add some validation.

$.each(formItems, function(i, item) {   
    var link;
    count = count + 1;

    if (item == null) {
        return;
    }

    //add links to parent container
    if (item.processid !== "0")
    ...
});