jQuery.AreYouSure Plugin not working

Question

I have spent the last few days trying to properly install the jQuery.AreYouSure? plugin with inconsistent results. I decided to use this plugin based on information from this post: Warn user before leaving web page with unsaved changes. I've also read through the plugin's documentation on GitHub: jQueryAreYouSure

Here's what I've done:

1. I refresh the page.
2. I've been copying the code from the custom.js file into the console in chrome.
3. I make a change to the form
4. I either click on the refresh button or another site link to navigate away without saving.

My result: Sometimes I get the alert message but more times then not, I do not. I also cannot not replicate or understand when I do receive the alert. Sometimes it may come when I first click to leave page and at other times it may appear when I clicked around a few times.

javascripts/application.js:

// This is a manifest file that'll be compiled into application.js, which will include all the files
// listed below.
//
// Any JavaScript/Coffee file within this directory, lib/assets/javascripts, vendor/assets/javascripts,
// or any plugin's vendor/assets/javascripts directory can be referenced here using a relative path.
//
// It's not advisable to add code directly here, but if you do, it'll appear at the bottom of the
// compiled file.
//
// Read Sprockets README (https://github.com/rails/sprockets#sprockets-directives) for details
// about supported directives.
//
//= require jquery
//= require jquery_ujs
//= require bootstrap-sprockets
//= require turbolinks
//= require areyousure/areyousure
//= require_tree .

javascripts/areyousure/areyousure.js:

/*!
 * jQuery Plugin: Are-You-Sure (Dirty Form Detection)
 * https://github.com/codedance/jquery.AreYouSure/
 *
 * Copyright (c) 2012-2014, Chris Dance and PaperCut Software http://www.papercut.com/
 * Dual licensed under the MIT or GPL Version 2 licenses.
 * http://jquery.org/license
 *
 * Author:  [email protected]
 * Version: 1.9.0
 * Date:    13th August 2014
 */
(function($) {

  $.fn.areYouSure = function(options) {

    var settings = $.extend(
      {
        'message' : 'You have unsaved changes!',
        'dirtyClass' : 'dirty',
        'change' : null,
        'silent' : false,
        'addRemoveFieldsMarksDirty' : false,
        'fieldEvents' : 'change keyup propertychange input',
        'fieldSelector': ":input:not(input[type=submit]):not(input[type=button])"
      }, options);

    var getValue = function($field) {
      if ($field.hasClass('ays-ignore')
          || $field.hasClass('aysIgnore')
          || $field.attr('data-ays-ignore')
          || $field.attr('name') === undefined) {
        return null;
      }

      if ($field.is(':disabled')) {
        return 'ays-disabled';
      }

      var val;
      var type = $field.attr('type');
      if ($field.is('select')) {
        type = 'select';
      }

      switch (type) {
        case 'checkbox':
        case 'radio':
          val = $field.is(':checked');
          break;
        case 'select':
          val = '';
          $field.find('option').each(function(o) {
            var $option = $(this);
            if ($option.is(':selected')) {
              val += $option.val();
            }
          });
          break;
        default:
          val = $field.val();
      }

      return val;
    };

    var storeOrigValue = function($field) {
      $field.data('ays-orig', getValue($field));
    };

    var checkForm = function(evt) {

      var isFieldDirty = function($field) {
        var origValue = $field.data('ays-orig');
        if (undefined === origValue) {
          return false;
        }
        return (getValue($field) != origValue);
      };

      var $form = ($(this).is('form')) 
                    ? $(this)
                    : $(this).parents('form');

      // Test on the target first as it's the most likely to be dirty
      if (isFieldDirty($(evt.target))) {
        setDirtyStatus($form, true);
        return;
      }

      $fields = $form.find(settings.fieldSelector);

      if (settings.addRemoveFieldsMarksDirty) {              
        // Check if field count has changed
        var origCount = $form.data("ays-orig-field-count");
        if (origCount != $fields.length) {
          setDirtyStatus($form, true);
          return;
        }
      }

      // Brute force - check each field
      var isDirty = false;
      $fields.each(function() {
        $field = $(this);
        if (isFieldDirty($field)) {
          isDirty = true;
          return false; // break
        }
      });

      setDirtyStatus($form, isDirty);
    };

    var initForm = function($form) {
      var fields = $form.find(settings.fieldSelector);
      $(fields).each(function() { storeOrigValue($(this)); });
      $(fields).unbind(settings.fieldEvents, checkForm);
      $(fields).bind(settings.fieldEvents, checkForm);
      $form.data("ays-orig-field-count", $(fields).length);
      setDirtyStatus($form, false);
    };

    var setDirtyStatus = function($form, isDirty) {
      var changed = isDirty != $form.hasClass(settings.dirtyClass);
      $form.toggleClass(settings.dirtyClass, isDirty);

      // Fire change event if required
      if (changed) {
        if (settings.change) settings.change.call($form, $form);

        if (isDirty) $form.trigger('dirty.areYouSure', [$form]);
        if (!isDirty) $form.trigger('clean.areYouSure', [$form]);
        $form.trigger('change.areYouSure', [$form]);
      }
    };

    var rescan = function() {
      var $form = $(this);
      var fields = $form.find(settings.fieldSelector);
      $(fields).each(function() {
        var $field = $(this);
        if (!$field.data('ays-orig')) {
          storeOrigValue($field);
          $field.bind(settings.fieldEvents, checkForm);
        }
      });
      // Check for changes while we're here
      $form.trigger('checkform.areYouSure');
    };

    var reinitialize = function() {
      initForm($(this));
    }

    if (!settings.silent && !window.aysUnloadSet) {
      window.aysUnloadSet = true;
      $(window).bind('beforeunload', function() {
        $dirtyForms = $("form").filter('.' + settings.dirtyClass);
        if ($dirtyForms.length == 0) {
          return;
        }
        // Prevent multiple prompts - seen on Chrome and IE
        if (navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase().match(/msie|chrome/)) {
          if (window.aysHasPrompted) {
            return;
          }
          window.aysHasPrompted = true;
          window.setTimeout(function() {window.aysHasPrompted = false;}, 900);
        }
        return settings.message;
      });
    }

    return this.each(function(elem) {
      if (!$(this).is('form')) {
        return;
      }
      var $form = $(this);

      $form.submit(function() {
        $form.removeClass(settings.dirtyClass);
      });
      $form.bind('reset', function() { setDirtyStatus($form, false); });
      // Add a custom events
      $form.bind('rescan.areYouSure', rescan);
      $form.bind('reinitialize.areYouSure', reinitialize);
      $form.bind('checkform.areYouSure', checkForm);
      initForm($form);
    });
  };
})(jQuery);

I created javascripts/custom.js:

$('form').areYouSure( {'message':'You have unsaved changes on this page. Do you want to leave this page and discard your changes or stay on this page?'} );

Answer 1

Removed turbolinks by removing //= require turbolinks from the application.js file.

(Currently Jan 2018)

jquery.AreYouSure only works when the page is refreshed if turbolinks is active.