what error is this Uncaught SyntaxError: Unexpected token < when using eval in jquery?

Question

i've got a simple ajax call:

function message(){
    $.ajax({
        type: "GET",
        url: "/file/timestamp="+ timestamp,
        async: true,
        cache: false,
        success: function(data){
            var json = eval('('+data+')');
            console.log(json);
        }
    });
}

and i get an error Uncaught SyntaxError: Unexpected token < at this line: var json = eval('('+data+')');

any ideas?

thanks.

edit: some more details from the error:

$.ajax.successajax.js:9
f.Callbacks.njquery.js:2
f.Callbacks.o.fireWithjquery.js:2
wjquery.js:4
f.support.ajax.f.ajaxTransport.send.d

here is some php if is helping

public function fileAction()
{
    $this->getHelper('viewRenderer')->setNoRender();

    $filename = '/test/text.txt';

    $front  = Zend_Controller_Front::getInstance();
    $data   = $front->getRequest()->getParams();

    $lastModif      = !empty($data['timestamp']) ? $data['timestamp'] : 0;
    $currentModif   = filemtime($filename);

    while($currentModif <= $lastModif){
        usleep(10000);
        clearstatcache();
        $currentModif = filemtime($filename);
    }

    $response = array();
    $response['msg'] = file_get_contents($filename);
    $response['timestamp'] = $currentModif;

    echo json_encode($response);
}

if i run this action i get json: {"msg":"message","timestamp":1331599879} but for some reason the response is not this but some html

Answer 1

It depends on what's inside data. You're running eval, so whatever's in data is being run. Please post the data here,.