Dynamically load a JavaScript file

Question

How can you reliably and dynamically load a JavaScript file? This will can be used to implement a module or component that when 'initialized' the component will dynamically load all needed JavaScript library scripts on demand.

The client that uses the component isn't required to load all the library script files (and manually insert <script> tags into their web page) that implement this component - just the 'main' component script file.

How do mainstream JavaScript libraries accomplish this (Prototype, jQuery, etc)? Do these tools merge multiple JavaScript files into a single redistributable 'build' version of a script file? Or do they do any dynamic loading of ancillary 'library' scripts?

An addition to this question: is there a way to handle the event after a dynamically included JavaScript file is loaded? Prototype has document.observe for document-wide events. Example:

document.observe("dom:loaded", function() {
  // initially hide all containers for tab content
  $$('div.tabcontent').invoke('hide');
});

What are the available events for a script element?

Answer 1

Here is a simple one with callback and IE support:

function loadScript(url, callback) {

    var script = document.createElement("script")
    script.type = "text/javascript";

    if (script.readyState) { //IE
        script.onreadystatechange = function () {
            if (script.readyState == "loaded" || script.readyState == "complete") {
                script.onreadystatechange = null;
                callback();
            }
        };
    } else { //Others
        script.onload = function () {
            callback();
        };
    }

    script.src = url;
    document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(script);
}

loadScript("https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.6.1/jquery.min.js", function () {

     //jQuery loaded
     console.log('jquery loaded');

});

Answer 2

does anyone have a better way?

I think just adding the script to the body would be easier then adding it to the last node on the page. How about this:

function include(url) {
  var s = document.createElement("script");
  s.setAttribute("type", "text/javascript");
  s.setAttribute("src", url);
  document.body.appendChild(s);
}

Answer 3

Here a simple example for a function to load JS files. Relevant points:

• you don't need jQuery, so you may use this initially to load also the jQuery.js file
• it is async with callback
• it ensures it loads only once, as it keeps an enclosure with the record of loaded urls, thus avoiding usage of network
• contrary to jQuery $.ajax or $.getScript you can use nonces, solving thus issues with CSP unsafe-inline. Just use the property script.nonce

var getScriptOnce = function() {

    var scriptArray = []; //array of urls (closure)

    //function to defer loading of script
    return function (url, callback){
        //the array doesn't have such url
        if (scriptArray.indexOf(url) === -1){

            var script=document.createElement('script');
            script.src=url;
            var head=document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0],
                done=false;

            script.onload=script.onreadystatechange = function(){
                if ( !done && (!this.readyState || this.readyState == 'loaded' || this.readyState == 'complete') ) {
                    done=true;
                    if (typeof callback === 'function') {
                        callback();
                    }
                    script.onload = script.onreadystatechange = null;
                    head.removeChild(script);

                    scriptArray.push(url);
                }
            };

            head.appendChild(script);
        }
    };
}();

Now you use it simply by

getScriptOnce("url_of_your_JS_file.js");

Answer 4

An absurd one-liner, for those who think that loading a js library shouldn't take more than one line of code :P

await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {let js = document.createElement("script"); js.src="mylibrary.js"; js.onload=resolve; js.onerror=reject; document.body.appendChild(js)});

Obviously if the script you want to import is a module, you can use the import(...) function.

Answer 5

Keep it nice, short, simple, and maintainable! :]

// 3rd party plugins / script (don't forget the full path is necessary)
var FULL_PATH = '', s =
[
    FULL_PATH + 'plugins/script.js'      // Script example
    FULL_PATH + 'plugins/jquery.1.2.js', // jQuery Library 
    FULL_PATH + 'plugins/crypto-js/hmac-sha1.js',      // CryptoJS
    FULL_PATH + 'plugins/crypto-js/enc-base64-min.js'  // CryptoJS
];

function load(url)
{
    var ajax = new XMLHttpRequest();
    ajax.open('GET', url, false);
    ajax.onreadystatechange = function ()
    {
        var script = ajax.response || ajax.responseText;
        if (ajax.readyState === 4)
        {
            switch(ajax.status)
            {
                case 200:
                    eval.apply( window, [script] );
                    console.log("library loaded: ", url);
                    break;
                default:
                    console.log("ERROR: library not loaded: ", url);
            }
        }
    };
    ajax.send(null);
}

 // initialize a single load 
load('plugins/script.js');

// initialize a full load of scripts
if (s.length > 0)
{
    for (i = 0; i < s.length; i++)
    {
        load(s[i]);
    }
}

This code is simply a short functional example that could require additional feature functionality for full support on any (or given) platform.

Answer 6

There's a new proposed ECMA standard called dynamic import, recently incorporated into Chrome and Safari.

const moduleSpecifier = './dir/someModule.js';

import(moduleSpecifier)
   .then(someModule => someModule.foo()); // executes foo method in someModule