I am using AJAX in order to access data from a php file. I have problem with the format of retrieved data from database, please help.

So, this is my ajax function splice. It retrieves data from find_account.php

function processReqChange() {
    // only if req shows "loaded"
    if (req.readyState == 4) {
        // only if "OK"
        if (req.status == 200) {
            form_prof.prof_id.value = req.responseText;
    form_prof.prof_name.value = req.responseText;
    form_prof.prof_username.value = req.responseText;
    form_prof.prof_password.value = req.responseText;
        }
        else {
            alert("Problem in retrieving the XML data:\n" + req.statusText);
        }
    }
}

find_account.php

<?php

include("connect.php");
session_start();

$account = $_GET['account'];
$query = "SELECT * FROM profs WHERE profs_name = '".$account."'";
$result = mysql_query($query);
$num = mysql_num_rows($result);

if(empty($num))
{
echo 'DATA NOT FOUND';
}
else
{
    $arr = mysql_fetch_array($result);
    $id = $arr['profs_number'];
$name = $arr['profs_name'];
$username = $arr['profs_username'];
$password = $arr['profs_password'];
}

header("Content-type: text/plain");
echo $id;
echo $name;
echo $username;
echo $password;
?>

and I have 4 input boxes in my HTML from where the req.responseText puts the value

and everytime I search the name in the input field for example:

Search: [ Dorothy Perkins ]

The output goes like [id,name,username,password]:

[20111Dorothy [email protected]] [same with 1st field] [same] [same]

Wherein I want it to be like...

[20111]  [Dorothy Pekins]  [[email protected]]  [123456]

Where [ ] are input fields. Please help me arrange my format, I am so confused. I am new to this.

You have to write the data in some format from your PHP code (XML, json, or simply separate the values with a comma), and parse it from your javascript.

For example, in PHP:

echo $id . "," . $name . "," . $username . "," . $password;

And then in the javascript:

values = req.responseText.split(",");
form_prof.prof_id.value = values[0]
form_prof.prof_name.value = values[1];
form_prof.prof_username.value = values[2];
form_prof.prof_password.value = values[3];

Of course you may have to do something more complicated if the values may contain a comma.

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