Your ajax expect json as of the settings.

If you return correct the json string, then the data parameter in the ajax should be a valid JSON object.

You will need not to use eval.

...

                url: url,
                dataType: "json",
                success: function (data)
                {
                      countries = data;
                 },

....

Refer to the jQuery json dataTypes.

Regards

I am using below Ajax call to get data for drop down.  I am not able to return data in the format which dropdowns want

{ '1': 'USA', '2': 'England' }

// Ajax call

 $.ajax({
                async: false,
                contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8",
                url: url,
                dataType: "json",
                success: function (data)
                {
                      countries =eval( data);// data.d;//(data);
                 },
                 error: function (XMLHttpRequest, textStatus, errorThrown)
                {                           

                      alert("Error in function, countries: " + XMLHttpRequest.status + "\r\n" + textStatus + "\r\n" + errorThrown);
                }
          });

//ServerSide code

 public object  GetCountries()
        {
            var data = "";
            List<testData> lstData = new List<testData>();
            lstData.Add(new testData { Id = "1", country = "USA" });
            lstData.Add(new testData { Id = "2", country = "England" });
            for (int i = 0; i < lstData.Count; i++)
            {

               data = data  +"'" +lstData[i].Id + "'" + ":'" + lstData[i].country+"'" ;
                if (i != lstData.Count - 1)
                    data = data + ',';

            }
           data = "{" + data + "}";
         
         return data;

        }
Above code returns as "{ '1': 'USA', '2': 'England' }" which is string and not an object.  How   do I convert "{ '1': 'USA', '2': 'England' }" to { '1': 'USA', '2': 'England' } on client side?

It all depends on how you construct the grid and the function which generates this  "select" string.

Check it.

Regards

How to construct and return below object from  server side to bind dropdown column in jqgrid, I am using c#  on server side.

 { '1': 'USA', '2': 'England' };

When  I construct above string at server side and return,  it comes like "{ '1': 'USA', '2': 'England' }" which it considers as a string and not object  { '1': 'USA', '2': 'England' } which is without quotation mark.