Specific page script in head doesn't get called first time I navigate on page. Code organization doubts

Question

Specific page script in head doesn't get called first time I navigate on page. Code organization doubts

396 Views Asked by Fred Hors At 08 November 2025 at 10:38

I'm using Turbolinks for the first time and not with Rails (I'm using Django).

REPRODUCTION

https://glitch.com/edit/#!/join/dc628a17-3ccd-47b4-9921-8fb332aaebb1

SOURCE CODE

index.html:

<html>
<head>
  <script defer src="/js/index.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
  Text and NO <script></script>!
</body>
</html>

about.html:

<html>
<head>
  <script defer src="/js/index.js"></script>
  <script defer src="/js/about.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
  Text and NO <script></script>!
</body>
</html>

index.js:

import Turbolinks from 'turbolinks'

Turbolinks.start()

about.js:

function drawChart() {
  console.log("I will drawChart() here")
}

// drawChart() <--- this is commented on purpose here, with this it works!

document.addEventListener('turbolinks:load', drawChart)

THE PROBLEM

If I start from page /index and then navigate by link to /about nothing happens!

If I now go back to /index I can see in console the log: I will drawChart() here. So the listener is working.

If I start (refresh on) from /about instead it print in console the message so the listener turbolinks:load is running the function drawChart() on refresh.

WHAT I EXPECT AND WHAT I DID

I need the call to the function drawChart() happens in the first navigation to /about too.

So I thought of using a direct call in the file (drawChart(), commented in the source code on this issue as you can see) and it works.

But I think this is not the good way to go, especially because if I go on /about and refresh the page it's called two times!

It seems to me too hacky.

Isn't?

WAHT DO OTHER PEOPLE DO

Same problem but his solution doesn't work for me: https://candland.net/rails/2019/03/13/rails-turbolinks-not-firing-js-on-load.html

THANKS FOR YOUR WORK!

Original Q&A

There are 1 best solutions below

**Dom Christie** · Answer 1

I think the problem is that turbolinks:load is being fired before about.js is loaded. When Turbolinks renders a new page it will add any non-existent scripts to the <head> and then trigger lifecycle events e.g. turbolinks:load. In this case, it will not wait for every script to load before triggering turbolinks:load. Here's what's probably happening:

index.html loads with index.js
Navigate to about.html
Turbolinks merges about.js
about.js starts downloading
Turbolinks completes the lifecycle and triggers turbolinks:load
about.js finishes downloading and executes

Because turbolinks:load was already triggered in 5. the callback in about.js won't be called until the next load.

You may want to try including about.js at the bottom of the <body> of about.html. The turbolinks:load listener will not be needed.

Alternatively, try and include your JS in a single file, and perhaps use content of the page to determine when to call drawChart. For example:

import Turbolinks from 'turbolinks'

// about.js content here

Turbolinks.start()

document.addEventListener('turbolinks:load', function () {
  var chart = document.getElementById('chart')
  if (chart) drawChart()
})

Specific page script in head doesn't get called first time I navigate on page. Code organization doubts

REPRODUCTION

SOURCE CODE

THE PROBLEM

WHAT I EXPECT AND WHAT I DID

WAHT DO OTHER PEOPLE DO

THANKS FOR YOUR WORK!

There are 1 best solutions below

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