Javascript link tracking script + Safari

Question

Hi,

I'm trying to make a link tracking script. It should work like Google Analytics only it should make posts to our own server. I'm using jQuery for this. The code i have written so far is the following:

jQuery(document).ready(function() {

var opts;

jQuery.fn.trackAllLinks = function(settings) {
 settings = jQuery.extend({}, jQuery.fn.trackAllLinks.defaults, settings);
 opts = settings;

 function track() {
  href = jQuery(this).attr('href');
  var trackImage = new Image(1, 1);
  trackImage.src = opts.linkredirector + '?eurl=' + jQuery.URLEncode(href) + '&rnd=' + new Date().getTime() + '&title=trackerimage.gif';
  trackImage.onload = function() { 
   trackImage.onload = null; 
   doNothing(); 
  }
  delay(300);
  return true;
 };

 function delay(mseconds) {
  var currentTime = new Date();
  var endTime = currentTime.getTime() + mseconds;
  while (currentTime.getTime() < endTime) {
   currentTime = new Date();
  }
 }

 function doNothing() { 
 }

 if(jQuery(this).is("a")) {
  jQuery(this).click(track);
 }

 jQuery(this).find("a").click(track);

};

jQuery.fn.trackAllLinks.defaults = {
 linkredirector : '__url_to_post_on__'
};

});

It works fine in all browsers except Safari. When i'm using a mailto link or an anchor it works but when i'm linking to another page it doesn't work. I have been testing a lot of different implementations and i can't get it to work. Any of you have an idea what i'm missing? I have tried to understand how Google Analytics works and as far as i can see it does the same. When i use WireShark to monitor my network i see that the image of Google is being requested but that my image isn't.

greets, Daan

Answer 1

Try increasing the delay to something huge to see if Safari is just taking a tiny bit longer than your delay - that's my guess at this issue.

Answer 2

This is random, but you might try adding a randomized parameter in the query string (both the name & value), like:

Math.random(0, 1000) + '=' + Math.random(0, 1000)

I've had to do that in the past to get Safari to register a dynamically loaded resource. (I see you have &rnd= already, but maybe try randomizing the name, too?)