Can the execution of JavaScript be halted in all browsers if a remote JavaScript file fails to load?

I have a standalone script file that I need to load from an external server:

<script type="text/javascript" src="//third_party_server/logger.js"></script> 

Sometimes, the remote script may not be available (404 error), but including it should not impact my application's functionality because my app does not depend on this script for operation (it serves as an analytics tracker)

Is it safe to include this script without causing any blocking or javascript errors in my app that could hinder other scripts from running?

I am considering adding the async and defer attributes to ensure lazy loading of the script. Will this suffice? Compatibility with IE8 and higher is crucial for my app.

My current approach is as follows:

<script async defer type="text/javascript" src="//third_party_server/logger.js"></script> 

<script type="text/javascript">
console.log("I want this code to run regardless of whether the above script returns a 404 error or not!");
</script>

Answer №1

Is it possible to safely incorporate this script without causing any blocking or javascript errors that could hinder the functioning of other scripts in my application?

Indeed, you can

A 404 error does not impede the execution of javascript in any way; only actual errors do.
As long as the server responds with a 404 status and doesn't hang, the failure to load the script will not cause any significant delay.

This can be verified by testing different browsers and logging the time taken to check a 404 or broken link.
The fact that the browser logs the time demonstrates that such scripts do not interrupt the execution of javascript. The thread always moves on to the next script tag unless an error occurs in a script. If the URL is not found, no browser will raise an error; rather, it continues once the URL remains unresolved.

<script>console.time('Test');</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.broken.url/file.js"></script>
<script>console.timeEnd('Test');</script>

FIDDLE

Testing in IE, Chrome, Firefox, and Opera reveals that all browsers require less than 0.0002 seconds to resolve a broken link. The duration to resolve a 404 varies depending on how swiftly the server responds, but for Google's servers, it consistently takes less than 0.2 seconds across all browsers before returning the 404 status code, enabling the browser to continue executing subsequent scripts.

Even including up to 20 scripts that all return a 404 generally consumes less than half a second for the server to handle and progress.

FIDDLE

In simple terms, you can confidently insert any script that includes a broken link or returns a 404 without negative consequences or browser hangs. Modern browsers typically take just a few milliseconds to realize that a script cannot be loaded and proceed forward.

However, avoid incorporating scripts that actually load but contain fatal errors, as they will halt the entire thread and prevent the execution of subsequent scripts.

Answer №2

Prior to loading the script from //some_server/logger.js, ensure that all functions it uses are defined as empty functions. This will prevent any exceptions from being thrown if you try to use these functions before the script is fully loaded.

<script type="text/javascript">
   functionInLogger = function() {
   };
   functionInLogger2 = function() {
   };
   ...
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="//some_server/logger.js"></script> 

<script type="text/javascript">
   functionInLogger(); 
   functionInLogger2();
   console.log("This will always work");
</script>

Once the script is successfully loaded, the empty functions will be replaced with the actual functionality provided by the script.

I have not come across any widely used browser that halts execution upon encountering a 404 error. According to the W3 standard (W3), in case of a failed load, the script block simply triggers an "error" event at the element without stopping further execution.

When the user agent is required to execute a script block, it must run the following steps:

...

If the load resulted in an error (for example a DNS error, or an HTTP 404 error) Executing the script block must just consist of firing a simple event named error at the element.

Answer №3

To ensure that your page renders smoothly without any delays, it is recommended to place the script at the bottom of the page, after all other important scripts have loaded.

Alternatively, you can also load the script after the document has fully loaded, which prevents additional load time when the script is not found. Here's an example:

$(document).ready(function() {
    $('head').append('<script type="text/javascript" src="//some_server/logger.js"></script>');
});

Another option is to use the $.getScript method:

$(document).ready(function() {
    $.getScript('//some_server/logger.js', function(data, textStatus) {
        /*optional stuff to do after getScript */ 
    });
});

* The examples above assume that you are using jQuery

Answer №4

In my opinion, a great tool to consider using is RequireJS.

According to Wikipedia: This allows developers to specify dependencies that need to be loaded before a module can be executed, preventing the module from trying to use external code that may not yet be available.

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