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I´m having troubles with AJAX navigation, the problem is that the javascript files loaded remains in the browser after the new content is loaded even they aren't in the DOM anymore, and they appears as VM files in the browser console and execute the code inside it. I don't want that happen because the javascript file it supposed to be replaced when the new content comes via AJAX.
My DOM structure is like this:
<body>
<header></header>
<main id="contentToBeReplaced">
<p>New content with its own js</p>
<script>
var script = "js/new.js";
$.getScript(script);
</script>
</main>
<footer></footer>
<script src="js/main.js"></script>
</body>
Every time a page is loaded with its own javascript file appears a new VM file and keeps all the olders, and thats a problem:
So, whats the problem and how can I fix this? I need to prevent duplicated files and remove the js file when a new its loaded.
825
Each unique entry in Javascript global execution context can only represent a single object or a variable. The repeated loading of the same function to the global context will replace the function code again and again.
You should manage the scripts being lazy-loaded in such a way that they represent the same entry in your global context (or the framework you use)
Look at the following sample js codes which are assumed to be lazy loaded at two different times
//script 1
var dynFun = function() {
console.log('Loaded early');
{
//script 2
var dynFun = function() {
console.log('Loaded late');
{
Now if you load the script one and execute dynFun(), it will log out "Loaded early". Now, at this point, if you load second script and execute dynFun() again, it will log out "Loaded late" .
However, if each of these functions initiate automatic processes like setTimeout, they will continue to function until the page is closed.
In such occasions, your dynamic scripts should first do some clean up first.
var timeTracker; //This is global
var dynFun = function() {
if (timeTracker)
clearTimeout(timeTracker)
timeTracker = setTimeout(someFn, 1000)
{
Remember - you cannot get to decide deallocation of memory in garbage-collected languages like JS. You can only trick the clean up process by manipulating references to the objects.
99
After many research I was able to solve the problem. As far I know there is no absolutely way to "unload" javascript files without refresh the page, or clean the cache of memory browser programmatically.
Since most of my code inside these dynamic javascript files are related to events functions, I was binding events to the document instead of each element with this syntax:
$(document).on("click", "#myElement", function () {
});
For this reason every time the javascript file was loaded the events were binded over and over, and executed multiple times from the VM files. When you remove an element from the DOM, his binded event it´s also removed, unless is binded to document like mine. So I changed the on() method to bind the event directly to the element:
$("#myElement").on("click", function() {
});
After this change my problem has gone because the portion of html I replace with AJAX removes that elements with its events, without the need of use off() to manually remove the binded events, also main functions that will be executed in multiple pages should be placed in the main js.
However, @CharlieH makes a good point in his answer.
40
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