CrossRider extension not working properly. Is it a bug?

Question

We are using CrossRider to develop an extension for Internet Explorer. I'm using debug mode with the following code in extension.js:

/************************************************************************************
  This is your Page Code. The appAPI.ready() code block will be executed on every page load.
  For more information please visit our docs site: http://docs.crossrider.com
*************************************************************************************/

appAPI.ready(function($) {
    if (appAPI.isMatchPages("mail.google.com/*")) {
        alert('mail.google.com');
    } else if (appAPI.isMatchPages("*.mail.yahoo.com/*")) {
        alert('mail.yahoo.com');
    } else if (appAPI.isMatchPages("*.mail.live.com/*")) {
        alert('mail.live.com');
    } else if (appAPI.isMatchPages("*.webmail.aol.com/*", "*.mail.aol.com/*", "mail.aol.com/*")) {
        alert('mail.aol.com');
    } else if (appAPI.isMatchPages("http://mail.rambler.ru/mail/compose.cgi*")) {
        alert('mail.rambler.ru');
    }
});

I receive the alerts when I open new tabs or refresh pages at https://mail.google.com/mail/?pli=1#inbox, https://us-mg6.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=ch8u1egr4gthf and https://mail.aol.com/38815-816/aol-6/en-us/suite.aspx, but when I open a tab at https://bay180.mail.live.com/default.aspx - I receive the alert only when I open a new tab, not when I refresh the page (I didn't check http://mail.rambler.ru/mail/compose.cgi). What is the problem? Is it a bug in CrossRider or is it a feature? I don't understand why there is no alert when refreshing the page.

I tested your code using my Live Mail account and received the alert as expected. [**Disclosure**: I am a Crossrider employee] — Shlomo, Nov 04 '14 at 12:46
@Shlomo on my computer with Internet Explorer 11 on Windows I don't receive the alert on https://bay180.mail.live.com/default.aspx after refreshing the page. — Uri, Nov 04 '14 at 13:55
I tested on Win 8.1/IE 11. If you provide your extension id and the file/line number where your code snippet can be found, I'm happy to test it for you. — Shlomo, Nov 04 '14 at 14:42
@Shlomo The link is http://crossrider.com/apps/43889/ide, I think the id is 43889? I removed all the code from both extension.js and background.js, except the above code. But I tested it in debug mode, I'm not sure if this bug exists in production/staging mode. I'm also using Windows 8.1. — Uri, Nov 04 '14 at 15:05
I'll take a look either later today or tomorrow morning. In the meantime, can you test in staging or production to see if it's a specific Debug Mode issue and report back your findings? Thanks — Shlomo, Nov 04 '14 at 15:07
@Shlomo I tested in staging without using debug mode and the same error exists (I don't receive an alert after refreshing https://bay180.mail.live.com/default.aspx). I didn't test in production but we are not ready for production yet. — Uri, Nov 04 '14 at 15:16
I installed extension 43889 on IE 11/Win 8.1 and received the alert as expected ([43889-Alert](http://content.screencast.com/users/CrossriderSupport/folders/Snagit/media/612468c3-5d02-408e-ba8b-d0f579092d44/11.05.2014-11.05.png">), [43889-Manage-AddOns](http://content.screencast.com/users/CrossriderSupport/folders/Snagit/media/00f105af-deed-45a0-b01f-2b5249970ada/11.05.2014-11.00.png">)). Can you try on another computer? — Shlomo, Nov 05 '14 at 09:13
@Shlomo I checked with another computer with Windows 8.1 and Internet Explorer 11. This bug appears about one third of the times I refreshed *.mail.live.com (about 7 of 20 times I refreshed there was no alert). — Uri, Nov 05 '14 at 09:38
It works every time for me. I'm guessing at your site some of the content hasn't completed loading and hence [appAPI.ready](http://docs.crossrider.com/#!/api/appAPI-method-ready) (like [jQuery.ready](http://api.jquery.com/ready/)) isn't triggered (or is triggered only later when the content completes rendering). If you need the response more immediately, try moving your code outside appAPI.ready. — Shlomo, Nov 05 '14 at 13:19

score 3 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 10:28

First i must start with recommendations regarding crossrider development

Even that you develop mainly/only for IE, use chrome for the dev workflow and periodically test on IE
Work with devtools open + inspect background page (if you are using any background code) + enable pause on uncaught exceptions chrome://extensions/ https://stackoverflow.com/a/10082021/711152 https://developer.chrome.com/devtools/docs/javascript-debugging#pause-on-uncaught-exceptions
In chrome you can run code as extension code from the dev tools console! https://stackoverflow.com/a/8581276/711152 The installed extensions should appear in the frames list. you can find your extension chrome id at chrome://extensions/
Sometimes (in callbacks?) crossrider run your code inside try block and console.log errors instead of lettings them bubble, so the pause on uncaught exceptions won't kick in. If you wrap your code inside the callback with setTimeout it will overcome thier mechanism. it good for debugging when you can't solve the problem using the error message, don't do it always unless you know what you are doing. to read more about this: http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2102373&seqNum=3
Don't just use alerts for debugging, use debugger token & console.log Setting breakpoints via the sources tab won't work (and you won't find it there). your code is evaled. debugger token will do the trick https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Statements/debugger
The debugger statement should also work with IE dev tools
Also IE 11 has pause on uncaught exceptions http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ie/dn255007(v=vs.85).aspx

TL;TR

To debug your specific case i would use that code: (you can even run it via chrome console as mentioned above)

console.log('extension code run start');
appAPI.ready(function($) {

    console.log('extension ready');
    console.log('extension id:' + appAPI.appInfo.id);
    console.log('extension env:' + appAPI.appInfo.environment);
    console.log('extension version:' + appAPI.appInfo.version);

    var urlPatterns = [
        'mail.google.com/*',
        '*.mail.yahoo.com/*',
        '*.mail.live.com/*',
        '*.webmail.aol.com/*',
        '*.mail.aol.com/*',
        'mail.aol.com/*',
        'http://mail.rambler.ru/mail/compose.cgi*',
        'mail.rambler.ru'
    ], i;

    for (i = 0; i < urlPatterns.length; i ++) {
        console.log(urlPatterns[i] + '--' + appAPI.isMatchPages(urlPatterns[i]));
    }
});

Imo it is possible that i Crossrider behaves differently after page reload. not sure if that's the case here.

Thanks, but I can't run the extension in debug mode in Google Chrome, I get this error message: "`[blocked] The page at 'https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox' was loaded over HTTPS, but ran insecure content from 'http://localhost/Projects/Thin%20Client/trunk/CrossRider/extension.js?rnd=1416128179974': this content should also be loaded over HTTPS.`". — Uri, Nov 16 '14 at 09:00
Try to run your server also with HTTPS,even without certificate. then navigate to it and approve the warning message. then i belive it will work — Bnaya, Nov 16 '14 at 09:13

CrossRider extension not working properly. Is it a bug?

1 Answers1