[CB-13198] InAppBrowser doesnot disptach events after system browser is open using cordova.InAppBrowser.open(url, '_system')

• Type: Bug
• Status: Open
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Unresolved
• Component/s: cordova-plugin-inappbrowser
• Labels: documentation inAppBrowser system-browser
• Flags: Patch, Important
• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: Laxman
• Created: 19/Aug/17 10:24
• Updated: 09/Mar/21 23:52

Description

The InAppBrowser instance does not automatically dispatch the events after the system browser is opened via InAppBrowser. Please follow the generic code below:

//example 1 : bug with cordova.InAppBrowser.open(url, '_system');
//event hander for inAppBrowser
function inAppBrowserEventHandler(event){
  //process few logic with the event parameter
  //and if conditions met lets open it on system browser
  var url = 'https://cordova.apache.org/';

  //open the url in system browser
  var _inAppBrowserSystem = cordova.InAppBrowser.open(url, '_system');
}
//open the link in inside the iAB without
var _inAppBrowser = cordova.InAppBrowser.open(url, '_blank');
_inAppBrowser.addEventListener('loadstop', inAppBrowserEventHandler);

The _inAppBrowser instance works fine for the first time. But as soon as the system browser is opened, the event 'for eg. loadstop' does not fire automatically. This bug/issue appears only when system browser is open. for eg, the following code works perfectly.

//example 2 : no bug without cordova.InAppBrowser.open(url, '_system');
//event hander for inAppBrowser
function inAppBrowserEventHandler(event){
  //process few logic with the event parameter
  //and if conditions met lets open it on system browser
  var url = 'https://cordova.apache.org/';

  //log the url in the console instead of browser
  console.log('open this url in the system browser ' + url)
}
//open the link in inside the iAB without
var _inAppBrowser = cordova.InAppBrowser.open(url, '_blank');
_inAppBrowser.addEventListener('loadstop', inAppBrowserEventHandler);

It seems the new '_inAppBrowserSystem' instance somehow interrupts the event dispatcher for the '_inAppBrowser' instance. I found that if the _inAppBrowserSystem is assign the same eventHandler, then _inAppBrowser starts to dispatch the event. The following code helped me solve the problem but this should still be registered as a bug.

//example 3 : hack/solution with cordova.InAppBrowser.open(url, '_system');
//event hander for inAppBrowser
function inAppBrowserEventHandler(event){
  //process few logic with the event parameter
  //and if conditions met lets open it on system browser
  var url = 'https://cordova.apache.org/';

  //open the url in system browser
  var _inAppBrowserSystem = cordova.InAppBrowser.open(url, '_system');

   //for somereason, after assigning the same event handler to the _inAppBrowserSystem, the event dispatcher continues to work
  _inAppBrowserSystem.addEventListener('loadstop', inAppBrowserEventHandler);
}
//open the link in inside the iAB without
var _inAppBrowser = cordova.InAppBrowser.open(url, '_blank');
_inAppBrowser.addEventListener('loadstop', inAppBrowserEventHandler);

I have the solution for now, but I still register this as a bug as the event dispatcher is not consistent. For instance, the code in 'example 1' should work as in 'example 2'. If there is not a quick fix, I hope at least the documentation get updated with this hack.

Thx
Laxman