Javascript reference without protocol - (starting with //)

Question

I develope a plugin that is currently being used in thousands of websites. The code to install the plugin includes a reference to a javascript without the protocol, for example:

//www.mysite.com/js/script.js

This works fine on the majority of the websites, requesting from https or http version depending on the current protocol.

However, from time to time, let's 0,5%, there are websites that don't recognize this way of referencing a js script. When I look the website code I find:

http://www.userwebsite.com//www.mysite.com/js/script.js

This is not a browser specific issue, because I test it with any browser and I still have the issue.. it's more a website specific problem.

I've read everywhere that this is the recommended practice, and can't find the source of the problem. Any ideas?

- Most of the sites that use the plugin are WordPress sites
- The js reference is included directly into the HTML, inside the body

Do the websites that don't recognize the url have the same doctype as the others? — undefined
– undefined, Commented Jul 31, 2013 at 10:44
No, the one I'm looking now, has a <!DOCTYPE html>, the same as others, but this has the problem — Sebastián Odena
– Sebastián Odena, Commented Jul 31, 2013 at 10:47

acme · Accepted Answer · 2013-07-31 11:16:16Z

2

If it's already in the website code (the HTML source) then it can't be a browser or JavaScript issue. As you already assumed correctly, it must be a server side problem.

Maybe the pages where your plugin is placed on are converting those links. And they don't recognize the double slashes so they think it's a relative url on the server hence prepending the protocol and domain.

Maybe they use some sort of code optimization / JavaScript minification that is changing your links.

answered Jul 31, 2013 at 11:16

acme

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1 Comment

Sebastián Odena Over a year ago

Sure... it must be a server problem. As you say, it is already in the HTML code. Thanks.

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