How to parse JSON data with jQuery / JavaScript?

Setting dataType:'json' will parse JSON for you:

$.ajax({
  type: 'GET',
  url: 'http://example/functions.php',
  data: {get_param: 'value'},
  dataType: 'json',
  success: function (data) {
    var names = data
    $('#cand').html(data);
  }
});

Or else you can use parseJSON:

var parsedJson = $.parseJSON(jsonToBeParsed);

Then you can iterate the following:

var j ='[{"id":"1","name":"test1"},{"id":"2","name":"test2"},{"id":"3","name":"test3"},{"id":"4","name":"test4"},{"id":"5","name":"test5"}]';

...by using $().each:

var json = $.parseJSON(j);
$(json).each(function (i, val) {
  $.each(val, function (k, v) {
    console.log(k + " : " + v);
  });
}); 

JSFiddle

Assuming your server side script doesn't set the proper Content-Type: application/json response header you will need to indicate to jQuery that this is JSON by using the dataType: 'json' parameter.

Then you could use the $.each() function to loop through the data:

$.ajax({ 
    type: 'GET', 
    url: 'http://example/functions.php', 
    data: { get_param: 'value' }, 
    dataType: 'json',
    success: function (data) { 
        $.each(data, function(index, element) {
            $('body').append($('<div>', {
                text: element.name
            }));
        });
    }
});

or use the $.getJSON method:

$.getJSON('/functions.php', { get_param: 'value' }, function(data) {
    $.each(data, function(index, element) {
        $('body').append($('<div>', {
            text: element.name
        }));
    });
});