html5mode on IE9 leads to redirect loop behavior on every digest during initial page load

[chrisirhc]

Edit: Fixed URL in step 1.

This can lead to unresponsive pages as the browser attempts to make N number of requests during page load where N is the number of digests that occur after setting up $location.

Note that this is also occurring on angularjs.org. It's just less severe because there are few digests that occur after page load. As such, it maybe related to #6820 .

Reproducible: always
Browsers: IE9 (Most probably affects IE7 and IE8 too, but I haven't tested it)
Affects: Regression from AngularJS 1.2.24 and 1.3.0-RC.0

Steps to reproduce:

1. Open IE9. Set it up to preserve logs across navigation (Tools -> Clear Entries on Navigate -> Uncheck Console and Network)
   Go to the following page:
   http://run.plnkr.co/plunks/EHfYEeONdOFa6Xu4owUx/test/index.html
2. Observe that the logs show Navigating to <plunker>/#/test/index.html the same page multiple times.

As seen here, IE is actually making many requests that are aborted (possibly DDoSing some websites, depending on the number of digest cycles):

Expected behavior:

• Navigate to hashbang URL once and wait for it to load.

Source Plunker:
http://plnkr.co/edit/EHfYEeONdOFa6Xu4owUx?p=preview

This is caused by 2ece4d0 (#6976), since fireUrlChange sets newLocation to null (on this line) and it doesn't account for the fact that setting href is async on IE9.

As setting location.href isn't synchronous on IE9, each digest cycle is actually clearing the locationUrl state (that's used to save the navigating state for IE9) so the digest initiates another change to location.href on every digest and the browser actually sends another request instead of continuing to navigate to the same href set previously (in the previous digest cycle).

[jeffbcross]

Thanks for opening. I could reproduce when following your steps (although your link in step 1 is wrong. I used http://run.plnkr.co/GnOn2iv3QBy6pfTq/test/index.html)

Here is the log I ended up with:

LOG: Begin page load 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: Navgiating to http://run.plnkr.co/GnOn2iv3QBy6pfTq/#/test/index.html 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: Begin page load 
LOG: Navgiating to http://run.plnkr.co/GnOn2iv3QBy6pfTq/#/test/index.html 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: Navgiating to http://run.plnkr.co/GnOn2iv3QBy6pfTq/#/test/index.html 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: Navgiating to http://run.plnkr.co/GnOn2iv3QBy6pfTq/#/test/index.html 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: Navgiating to http://run.plnkr.co/GnOn2iv3QBy6pfTq/#/test/index.html 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: Navgiating to http://run.plnkr.co/GnOn2iv3QBy6pfTq/#/test/index.html 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: Navgiating to http://run.plnkr.co/GnOn2iv3QBy6pfTq/#/test/index.html 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: Navgiating to http://run.plnkr.co/GnOn2iv3QBy6pfTq/#/test/index.html 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: Navgiating to http://run.plnkr.co/GnOn2iv3QBy6pfTq/#/test/index.html 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: Navgiating to http://run.plnkr.co/GnOn2iv3QBy6pfTq/#/test/index.html 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: Navgiating to http://run.plnkr.co/GnOn2iv3QBy6pfTq/#/test/index.html 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: Navgiating to http://run.plnkr.co/GnOn2iv3QBy6pfTq/#/test/index.html 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: Navgiating to http://run.plnkr.co/GnOn2iv3QBy6pfTq/#/test/index.html 
LOG: Begin page load 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: Navgiating to http://run.plnkr.co/GnOn2iv3QBy6pfTq/#/test/index.html 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 
LOG: digest running 

[chrisirhc]

Ah, I forgot to get the permanent plunker URL. I've fixed the url and it should work permanently now.

[acostaf]

@btford @jeffbcross @chrisirhc that is it also related with #7916

[acostaf]

@btford @jeffbcross @chrisirhc I found that this happen always when you try to deep-linking with html5Mode(true), I've being having this issue since 1.2.18 till today with 1.3.0-rc.4, please fix it urgently

[btford]

I can reproduce the issue, but not consistently.

[acostaf]

Using the deep-linking you will see it always, the issue is on fireUrlChange, basically it happens when you are in IE9 and the hash is added to the url but the new URL from deep linking does not contains the hash ( on if (lastBrowserUrl == self.url()) return;)

angular.js File from line 4678

angular.js File from line 4678

function fireUrlChange() {
  newLocation = null;
  if (lastBrowserUrl == self.url()) return;

  lastBrowserUrl = self.url();
  forEach(urlChangeListeners, function(listener) {
    listener(self.url());
  });
}  

[mgol]

I've just pushed a new version of my pushState PR that changes some things around this code so please have a look at #9027.

[tbosch]

It turns out that this is a more general problem, see this plunker that shows the same problem in Chrome (when disabling history support): http://run.plnkr.co/plunks/jxWZIBNj9b0M9UgGqTzU/test/index.html

[tbosch]

To reproduce in Chrome:
-> use network throtteling 3G (In device mode)
-> disable cache (Network Tab)
-> preserve logs (Console Tab / Dev Tools Settings)

[bgourlie]

I'm still seeing this issue as of 1.3.2 in a particular scenario where the site is hosted on a sub folder and I visit the site without the trailing slash (IE9 only). For example, the site is hosted at a location like http://intranet/siteRoot/. If I visit that exact URL, the URL will update to http://intranet/siteRoot/#/ and everything works as expected. If I visit that location without the trailing slash, http://intranet/siteRoot, I get the redirect/infinite digest loop:

If the site is running locally, at a location such as http://localhost:56666/, removing the trailing slash doesn't cause the issue.

Should I open a new bug for this issue? Or should this one be re-opened.

[xie-qianyue]

@tbosch Unfortunately, I still have this problem. I verified your commit. In fact, when the page is loaded, the code comes to the method fireUrlChange :
if (lastBrowserUrl === self.url() && lastHistoryState === cachedState) { return; },
It returns as you wish. But it still has the problem of infinite $digest.
Here is a show case of my scenario : https://github.com/xie-qianyue/showcase-angular1.3-route-bug-ie9.

[hamfastgamgee]

I have a potential fix for the problem @bgourlie and @xie-qianyue are experiencing in PR #11675. (And I filed it separately as issue #11439)