How to force a script reload and re-execute?
JavascriptHtmlFeedScript TagJavascript Problem Overview
I have a page that is loading a script from a third party (news feed). The src url for the script is assigned dynamically on load up (per third party code).
<div id="div1287">
<!-- dynamically-generated elements will go here. -->
</div>
<script id="script0348710783" type="javascript/text">
</script>
<script type="javascript/text">
document.getElementById('script0348710783').src='http://oneBigHairyURL';
</script>
The script loaded from http://oneBigHairyURL then creates and loads elements with the various stuff from the news feed, with pretty formatting, etc. into div1287 (the Id "div1287" is passed in http://oneBigHairyURL so the script knows where to load the content).
The only problem is, it only loads it once. I'd like it to reload (and thus display new content) every n seconds.
So, I thought I'd try this:
<div id="div1287">
<!-- dynamically-generated elements will go here. -->
</div>
<script id="script0348710783" type="javascript/text">
</script>
<script type="javascript/text">
loadItUp=function() {
alert('loading...');
var divElement = document.getElementById('div1287');
var scrElement = document.getElementById('script0348710783');
divElement.innerHTML='';
scrElement.innerHTML='';
scrElement.src='';
scrElement.src='http://oneBigHairyURL';
setTimeout(loadItUp, 10000);
};
loadItUp();
</script>
I get the alert, the div clears, but no dynamically-generated HTML is reloaded to it.
Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
Javascript Solutions
Solution 1 - Javascript
How about adding a new script tag to <head> with the script to (re)load? Something like below:
<script>
function load_js()
{
var head= document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0];
var script= document.createElement('script');
script.src= 'source_file.js';
head.appendChild(script);
}
load_js();
</script>
The main point is inserting a new script tag -- you can remove the old one without consequence. You may need to add a timestamp to the query string if you have caching issues.
Solution 2 - Javascript
Here's a method which is similar to Kelly's but will remove any pre-existing script with the same source, and uses jQuery.
<script>
function reload_js(src) {
$('script[src="' + src + '"]').remove();
$('<script>').attr('src', src).appendTo('head');
}
reload_js('source_file.js');
</script>
Note that the 'type' attribute is no longer needed for scripts as of HTML5. (http://www.w3.org/html/wg/drafts/html/master/scripting-1.html#the-script-element)
Solution 3 - Javascript
Creating a new script tag and copying the contents of the existing script tag, and then adding it, works well.
var scriptTag = document.createElement('script');
scriptTag.innerText = "document.body.innerHTML += 'Here again ---<BR>';";
var head = document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0];
head.appendChild(scriptTag);
setInterval(function() {
head.removeChild(scriptTag);
var newScriptTag = document.createElement('script');
newScriptTag.innerText = scriptTag.innerText;
head.appendChild(newScriptTag);
scriptTag = newScriptTag;
}, 1000);
This won't work if you expect the script to change every time, which I believe is your case. You should follow Kelly's suggestion, just remove the old script tag (just to keep the DOM slim, it won't affect the outcome) and reinsert a new script tag with the same src, plus a cachebuster.
Solution 4 - Javascript
Small tweak to Luke's answer,
function reloadJs(src) {
src = $('script[src$="' + src + '"]').attr("src");
$('script[src$="' + src + '"]').remove();
$('<script/>').attr('src', src).appendTo('head');
}
and call it like,
reloadJs("myFile.js");
This will not have any path related issues.
Solution 5 - Javascript
Use this function to find all script elements containing some word and refresh them.
function forceReloadJS(srcUrlContains) {
$.each($('script:empty[src*="' + srcUrlContains + '"]'), function(index, el) {
var oldSrc = $(el).attr('src');
var t = +new Date();
var newSrc = oldSrc + '?' + t;
console.log(oldSrc, ' to ', newSrc);
$(el).remove();
$('<script/>').attr('src', newSrc).appendTo('head');
});
}
forceReloadJS('/libs/');
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.2.23/angular.min.js"></script>
Solution 6 - Javascript
I know that is to late, but I want to share my answer. What I did it's save de script's tags in a HTML file, locking up the scripts on my Index file in a div with an id, something like this.
<div id="ScriptsReload"><script src="js/script.js"></script></div>
and when I wanted to refresh I just used.
$("#ScriptsReload").load("html_with_scripts_tags.html", "", function(
response,
status,
request
) {
});