Is it possible to re-use an array taken from PHP via JSON in a $.ajax function?

Question

Here is the deal: This area is a preparation for a dynamic chart where I'm opening a new select input when my first select input is selected. With its value(from the first), I'm doing a SQL query and getting the country data filtered by the first select. It is all working fine, but I do want to re-use this array which came from PHP to create up to 4 new more selects. As it is staying inside the $.ajax success, I'm not sure if I can use it outside.

Here is my code:

$(document).ready(function() {
   $('#indicators').change(function() {
      $('#country1').fadeIn('slow');
      var indic_val = $(this).val();
      $.ajax({
        url: 'scripts/chart_handler.php',
        dataType: "json",
        type: 'post',
        data: {'indicator' : indic_val},
        async:false,
        success: (function ( data ){
            $.each(data, function(i, key) {
                $('#country1').append('<option value="'+ key +'">'+ key +'</option>');
            });
        }),
      });
   }); 
});

Answer 1

pretty simple actually. Just declare a variable that is accessible outside the current AJAX call and is therefore persistent for that scope (inside the anonymus function inside the ready-function).

$(document).ready(function() {
    var jsonData; // this is the variable where we will store the data
    $('#indicators').change(function() {
        $('#country1').fadeIn('slow');
        var indic_val = $(this).val();
        $.ajax({
            url: 'scripts/chart_handler.php',
            dataType: "json",
            type: 'post',
            data: {'indicator' : indic_val},
            async:false,
            success: (function ( data ){
                jsonData = data; //that's all what you need
                $.each(data, function(i, key) {
                    $('#country1').append('<option value="'+ key +'">'+ key +'</option>');
                });
            }),
        });
    });
});

Answer 2

Yes you can. Create a function and pass the data as argument:

success: (function ( data ){
         myFunction(data);
        $.each(data, function(i, key) {
            $('#country1').append('<option value="'+ key +'">'+ key +'</option>');
        });
    }),

function myFunction(data){
  // do your stuff
}