jQuery - AJAX - Zend Framework:

Create JSON response for jQuery

You can create new controller, or use any exist: 
  1. <?php
  2. require_once 'Zend/Controller/Action.php';
  3.  
  4. /**
  5.  * Ajax Controller
  6.  */
  7. class AjaxController extends Zend_Controller_Action
  8. {
  9.     /**
  10.      * index Action
  11.      * @return void
  12.      */
  13.     public function indexAction()
  14.     {
  15.         // check is AJAX request or not
  16.         if (!$this->getRequest() -> isXmlHttpRequest()) {
  17.              $this->getResponse()-> setHttpResponseCode(404)
  18.                                  -> sendHeaders();
  19.             $this->renderScript('empty.phtml');
  20.             return false;
  21.         }
  22.         // requery php library
  23.         require_once 'jQuery.php';
  24.         // assign to div with id = 'test' current time
  25.         jQuery('div#test')->html(date('H:i:s'));
  26.     }
  27. }
Template index.phtml - only jQuery response. 
  1. <?php
  2.     require_once 'jQuery.php';
  3.     // only jQuery response, nothing more
  4.     jQuery::getResponse();
  5. ?>
Include JavaScript in current action of controller (where your use AJAX) 
  1.     $this->view->headScript()->appendFile('/public/js/jquery.js');
  2.     $this->view->headScript()->appendFile('/public/js/jquery.php.js');
Call AJAX in your current template 
  1. <a href="#" onclick="javascript:$.php('<?php echo $this->Url(array('controller'=>'ajax', 'action'=>'index'))?>',{});return false;">click me</a>