"Failed to load resource" in click handler; blocks image loading and XHR

• Component: Page Loading
• Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

[Anthon Pang]

The error appears in Web Inspector and no corresponding HTTP request appears in the web server logs.  I stepped through the execution in Safari 5.0.3, and the click handler is triggered.

This is a significant issue that impacts major apps like Google Analytics.  The only workaround appears to be setting the anchor's target attribute so that the page loads in a new window, e.g., target="_blank".  Opening a new window disrupts the user experience and is frowned upon.

References:
- Safari 4 Event Tracking on a Download and External Links Not Working
  http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google%20Analytics/thread?tid=42311d8d5f74f239&hl=en
-__utm.gif Failed to load resource in Webkit when tracking clicks with Event Listeners 
  http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google%20Analytics/thread?tid=19d16348ea784a25&hl=en

Editorial note:  this could be a duplicate of bug:25359 but that bug is light on details; also, the symptoms are similar to to bug:46491 but is triggered differently.

[Anthon Pang]

Created attachment 83037 [details]
Example

[Alexey Proskuryakov]

Did you test with nightly builds from <http://nightly.webkit.org>? I think that some of these ping mechanisms should work now.

[Anthon Pang]

Created attachment 83075 [details]
Another example with beforeUnload handler

Added a beforeUnload handler to the example to introduce a delay, in case the ping request was being interrupted by the default action due to some timing issue.

[Anthon Pang]

The only difference with the latest nightly (r78800) is that Web Inspector  went from:

    Failed to load resource.

to:

    GET http://url-of-ping-request undefined (undefined)

[Anthon Pang]

Created attachment 83076 [details]
Updated example with beforeunload handler.

[Brian Burg]

Please re-open if this is still an issue in nightly builds.