issue #4 (don't try to parse plain text or html responses) discussion | IE9 support

[nyndesigns]

On line 101 of the library, it performs a test on the data element (which has been determined to be a string) to "decide" whether or not to process the string - or ignore it.

if ( /taconite/.test(data) )
$.taconite(data);

The issue I'm facing (only present in IE9 at this point) is in the case that the string contains html & javascript which contain the word taconite.

When I load my image gallery tool into the DOM - it contains html with additional javascript in it. When one of the javascrpt functions within the code runs - it performs an ajax request and processes the results through $.taconite().

Once the html is loaded into the DOM - the test checks the new string - sees the text "taconite" and so it attempts to process the string. I can see why this needs to be included, but are there any thoughts or ideas on a more robust test (perhaps check the "context" of where the word taconite appears - is it pure javascipt / or html with javascript with it <some_tag></some_tag><script>...taconite...</script>).

[nyndesigns]

I'll continue documenting my progress here for search purposes.

For reference: Line 180 within convert()

    if (window.DOMParser) {
        var parser = new DOMParser();
        doc = parser.parseFromString(s, 'text/xml');
    }
    else {
        doc = $("<xml>")[0];
        doc.async = 'false';
        doc.loadXML(s);
    }

When the string gets reprocessed - The string is converted: IE 8 and below fail the first test (as expected), and use the else portion of the code... but not IE9! Removing this code returns functionality - I'll follow this up by writing a proposed fix and leave it here.

[nyndesigns]

Temporary Fix:

Replace (line 180):

    if (window.DOMParser) {
    var parser = new DOMParser();
    doc = parser.parseFromString(s, 'text/xml');
    }
    else {
        doc = $("<xml>")[0];
        doc.async = 'false';
        doc.loadXML(s);
    }

With:

    if (window.DOMParser) {

        try {
            var parser = new DOMParser();
            doc = parser.parseFromString(s, 'text/xml');
        } catch(e) {
            doc = $("<xml>")[0];
            doc.async = 'false';
            doc.loadXML(s);             
        }

    }
    else {
        doc = $("<xml>")[0];
        doc.async = 'false';
        doc.loadXML(s);
    }

[malsup]

Why does your ajax response include html and script that invokes taconite? Just return your html inside taconite xml commands. Is there a reason you can't do so?

[nyndesigns]

That's the desirable way of doing it - however.. there is legacy code that has to be loaded into a colorbox dynamically (The entire system is dynamically generated per encrypted user requests - I won't give you the irrelevant details) - One particular action launches a colorbox - which contains an entire "mini-system".. After the html is a script tag which contains several generated (instanced) functions. Unfortunately - it would take several days to weeks to rebuild it.

In any case.. this is not the source of the issue.. the "real error" occurs after the test case pases and it calls $.taconite(data).

The issue in question is line number 180. Unlike previous versions of Windows - window.DOMParser returns true in IE 9 (something I noticed after reading an IE 9 beta forum). Unfortunately when it enters the condition, it errors out and throws the exception.

Outside of testing for IE on the if condition, or perhaps delving into the nature of the error that IE9 encounters - I found a small segment within the w3c boards that suggested something similar to my temp fix posted above, where they used a second try/catch scenario to handle the case where IE 9 enters the condition ( ,,, if (window.DOMParser) ,,. ) and throws an exception.

Adding the second try/catch fixed this IE 9 specific issue.

PS. Sorry - I keep hitting Comment & Close