Masterpage conversion - causing javascript errors/masterpage breaks? when server name and internet url are different

Question

JavaScript stops working and Masterpage seems to lose all styles.

There are 3 places where a converted .html Masterpage references the original URL/Domain the site was created in.

1. <mso:_dlc_DocIdUrl msdt:dt="string"></mso:_dlc_DocIdUrl>
2. <mso:HtmlDesignFromMaster msdt:dt="string"></mso:HtmlDesignFromMaster>
3. <mso:HtmlDesignStatusAndPreview msdt:dt="string"></mso:HtmlDesignStatusAndPreview>

This can cause problems if you have a development environment with a different URL/Server name than the production environment.

I've seen a reference to this in one place: The 3rd comment references this problem and how it was fixed. Has anyone else encountered this?

At first, it seemed the Masterpage was breaking because somehow there was a duplicate meta tag added upon conversion.

 <!--CE: End Page Head Contents Snippet-->
        <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=10" />
        <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft SharePoint" />
        <meta http-equiv="Content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
        <meta http-equiv="Expires" content="0" />

Once I removed the duplicate tag, the Masterpage worked again. But now, it's broken again and JavaScript doesn't work...

Any ideas on troubleshooting will be helpful

The suggested way to upload JavaScript files in SP Server 2013 is using the mapped network drive from design manager, yet, several people have mentioned there are different locations where JS files can be loaded and some continue to use 2007 and 2010 methods.

1. (2013) Using the JSLink Method

   <SharePoint:ScriptLink language="javascript" name="~sitecollection/assets/js/jquery.js" runat="server" OnDemand="False" LoadAfterUI="True" />
   

2. (2010) Load to: /_LAYOUTS/CustomScript or /_LAYOUTS/15/CustomScript

3. (2007/2010) 'Script Link' method /_LAYOUTS/1033 StackExchange Question: Unable to reference jQuery inside my master page
4. (2010) 'Custom Action' method
   • http://weblogs.asp.net/jan/scriptsrc-referencing-javascript-files-with-sharepoint-2010-custom-actions
   • http://blog.voyta.net/2010/09/12/referencing-javascript-files-using-customaction-in-sharepoint-2010-sandboxed-solutions/

I wonder that when the server name and internet url are different, if this would require using one of these different methods?

Answer 1

I would first check to see if the js and css script and link tags are present in the browser. Load your site in the browser and view source. Can you find valid tags that should be telling the browser to request the css and js files?

Next, use Fiddler or the net tab in Firebug and reload your page again. Are the css and js files actually being requested by the browser? I have to assume not, but if they are, now you need to figure out why they are not being used.

Still stuck? open up your HTML Master Page's associated .master Master Page in SPD. You can open this without problems, SP will just not let you save it. That is ok. What you are looking for is link, script and/or cssregistration tags within your .master that correspond to your link and script tags in your HTML Master Page. It may be that Design Manager is stripping your tags for some yet to be determined reason.

Let me know what else you find.