title: Error parsing JSON data, org.json.jsonexception, java.lang.String can not be converted
body: <p>I've got an error in the LogCat when I'm trying to update a score via PHP to MYSQL.
  The given error:
  "Error parsing data org.json.JSONException: Value &lt; form of type java.lang.String cannot be converted to JSONObject".
  I'm quite new to this so I don't know how to fix this...</p>
  
  <p>Here is my code:</p>
  
  <p><strong>Android code for updating the score:</strong></p>
  
  <pre><code>int scoreEL;
  String username;
  
  
  if(DifficultyMenu.scoreEL1 &lt; scoreEL1){
              new UpdateScores().execute();
  
          }
  
  
  
  
  class UpdateScores extends AsyncTask&lt;String, String, String&gt; {
  
      @Override
      protected String doInBackground(String... args) {
          // TODO Auto-generated method stub
         int success;
         try {
             List&lt;NameValuePair&gt; params = new ArrayList&lt;NameValuePair&gt;();
             params.add(new BasicNameValuePair("username", username));
             params.add(new BasicNameValuePair("stars", String.valueOf(scoreEL1)));
  
             Log.d("request!", "starting");
  
             JSONObject json = jsonParser.makeHttpRequest(
                    LOGIN_URL_1, "POST", params);
  
             Log.d("Login attempt", json.toString());
  
             success = json.getInt(TAG_SUCCESS);
             if (success == 1) {
              Log.d("Updated successful!", json.getString(TAG_MESSAGE));
  
              finish();
              return json.getString(TAG_MESSAGE);
             }else{
              Log.d("Login Failure!", json.getString(TAG_MESSAGE));
              return json.getString(TAG_MESSAGE);
  
             }
         } catch (Exception e) {
             e.printStackTrace();
         }
  
         return null;
  
   }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p><strong>JSONParser class:</strong></p>
  
  <pre><code>public class JSONParser {
  
  static InputStream is = null;
  static JSONObject jObj = null;
  static String json = "";
  
  // constructor
  public JSONParser() {
  
  }
  
  
  public JSONObject getJSONFromUrl(final String url) {
  
      // Making HTTP request
      try {
          // Construct the client and the HTTP request.
          DefaultHttpClient httpClient = new DefaultHttpClient();
          HttpPost httpPost = new HttpPost(url);
  
          // Execute the POST request and store the response locally.
          HttpResponse httpResponse = httpClient.execute(httpPost);
          // Extract data from the response.
          HttpEntity httpEntity = httpResponse.getEntity();
          // Open an inputStream with the data content.
          is = httpEntity.getContent();
  
      } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
          e.printStackTrace();
      } catch (ClientProtocolException e) {
          e.printStackTrace();
      } catch (IOException e) {
          e.printStackTrace();
      }
  
      try {
          // Create a BufferedReader to parse through the inputStream.
          BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(
                  is, "iso-8859-1"), 8);
          // Declare a string builder to help with the parsing.
          StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
          // Declare a string to store the JSON object data in string form.
          String line = null;
  
          // Build the string until null.
          while ((line = reader.readLine()) != null) {
              sb.append(line + "\n");
          }
  
          // Close the input stream.
          is.close();
          // Convert the string builder data to an actual string.
          json = sb.toString();
      } catch (Exception e) {
          Log.e("Buffer Error", "Error converting result " + e.toString());
      }
  
      // Try to parse the string to a JSON object
      try {
          jObj = new JSONObject(json);
      } catch (JSONException e) {
          Log.e("JSON Parser", "Error parsing data " + e.toString());
      }
  
      // Return the JSON Object.
      return jObj;
  
  }
  
  
  // function get json from url
  // by making HTTP POST or GET mehtod
  public JSONObject makeHttpRequest(String url, String method,
          List&lt;NameValuePair&gt; params) {
  
      // Making HTTP request
      try {
  
          // check for request method
          if(method == "POST"){
              // request method is POST
              // defaultHttpClient
              DefaultHttpClient httpClient = new DefaultHttpClient();
              HttpPost httpPost = new HttpPost(url);
              httpPost.setEntity(new UrlEncodedFormEntity(params));
  
              HttpResponse httpResponse = httpClient.execute(httpPost);
              HttpEntity httpEntity = httpResponse.getEntity();
              is = httpEntity.getContent();
  
          }else if(method == "GET"){
              // request method is GET
              DefaultHttpClient httpClient = new DefaultHttpClient();
              String paramString = URLEncodedUtils.format(params, "utf-8");
              url += "?" + paramString;
              HttpGet httpGet = new HttpGet(url);
  
              HttpResponse httpResponse = httpClient.execute(httpGet);
              HttpEntity httpEntity = httpResponse.getEntity();
              is = httpEntity.getContent();
          }           
  
      } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
          e.printStackTrace();
      } catch (ClientProtocolException e) {
          e.printStackTrace();
      } catch (IOException e) {
          e.printStackTrace();
      }
  
      try {
          BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(
                  is, "iso-8859-1"), 8);
          StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
          String line = null;
          while ((line = reader.readLine()) != null) {
              sb.append(line + "\n");
          }
          is.close();
          json = sb.toString();
      } catch (Exception e) {
          Log.e("Buffer Error", "Error converting result " + e.toString());
      }
  
      // try parse the string to a JSON object
      try {
          jObj = new JSONObject(json);
      } catch (JSONException e) {
          Log.e("JSON Parser", "Error parsing data " + e.toString());
      }
  
      // return JSON String
      return jObj;
  
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>}</p>
  
  <p><strong>PHPcode:</strong></p>
  
  <pre><code>&lt;?php
  if($_POST['submit']){
  
  $stars= $_POST['stars'];
  $username = $_POST['username'];
  
  $connect = mysql_connect("*****", "****", "*****") or die("Can't connect to database!");
  mysql_select_db("a9698368_webserv") or die("Can't select database!");
  
  try{
  
      $checkUsername = mysql_query("SELECT username FROM users WHERE username =      '$username'");
      $checkuser = mysql_fetch_assoc($checkUsername);
      if($username == $checkuser){
          $response["success"] = 0;
          $response["message"] = "User doesn't exist!";
          die(json_encode($response));
      }
  
  }
  catch (PDOException $ex) {
      $response["success"] = 0;
      $response["message"] = "Database Error. Please Try Again!";
      die(json_encode($response));
  }
  
  
  try{
  
  mysql_query("
  UPDATE users SET easy_level1 = '$stars' WHERE username = '$username'
  ");
  }
  catch (PDOException $ex) {
      $response["success"] = 0;
      $response["message"] = "Database Error. Please Try Again!";
      die(json_encode($response));
  }
  
  try{
  $check = mysql_query("
  SELECT easy_level1 FROM users WHERE username = '$username'
  ");
  }
  catch (PDOException $ex) {
      $response["success"] = 0;
      $response["message"] = "Can't check if the new score is successfully updated!";
      die(json_encode($response));
  }
  
  if($check !== $stars){
      $updated = true;
  }
  
  if ($updated) {
      $response["success"] = 1;
      $response["message"] = "Updated successful!";
      die(json_encode($response));
  } else {
      $response["success"] = 0;
      $response["message"] = "Can't update the stars!";
      die(json_encode($response));
  }
  
  mysql_close();
  
  }
  else{
  
  echo"
  &lt;form action='updateEL1.php' method='POST'&gt;
  Username: &lt;input type='text' name='username'&gt;&lt;br&gt;
  Stars: &lt;input type='text' name='stars'&gt;&lt;br&gt;
  &lt;input type='submit' name='submit' value='Update'&gt;
  &lt;/form&gt;
  ";
  }
  ?&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Can somebody help me?</p>
  
  <p>Thanks in advance!</p>