Are the SP.js and SP.UserProfiles.js preloaded in SharePoint?

Question

I am using the javascript object model on the master page to fetch user profile properties.

Do I need to use the foll. script tags for the code to work or are they optional?

    <SharePoint:ScriptLink ID="ScriptLink1" name="SP.js" runat="server"
        ondemand="false" localizable="false" loadafterui="true" />
    <SharePoint:ScriptLink ID="ScriptLink2" name="<SharePoint:ScriptLink ID="ScriptLink1" name="SP.js" runat="server"
    ondemand="false" localizable="false" loadafterui="true" />

<SharePoint:ScriptLink ID="ScriptLink2" name="SP.UserProfiles.js" runat="server"
    ondemand="false" localizable="false" loadafterui="true" />" runat="server"
        ondemand="false" localizable="false" loadafterui="true" />

My code works when I remove them, it also works with them but sometimes it gives 'runtime error'. Just want to know if it is safe to remove them. This msdn link specifies we have to use them on the application page. Can we do away with it on master page?

Answer 1

Since SP.SOD.executeFunc supports on demand scripts, there is no need to reference SP JavaScript files using SharePoint:ScriptLink in master pages.

The following example demonstrates how to initialize UserProfiles CSOM in application page (default master page is used):

SP.SOD.executeFunc('SP.js', 'SP.ClientContext', function() {
   // Make sure PeopleManager is available 
   SP.SOD.executeFunc('userprofile', 'SP.UserProfiles.PeopleManager', function() {

      var clientContext = new SP.ClientContext.get_current();
      var peopleManager = new SP.UserProfiles.PeopleManager(clientContext);

      //...

   });

});

SP.SOD.executeFunc vs SP.SOD.executeOrDelayUntilScriptLoaded

Since SP.SOD.executeFunc supports on demand scripts, but SP.SOD.executeOrDelayUntilScriptLoaded does not, the following code:

   SP.SOD.executeOrDelayUntilScriptLoaded(function() {

      var clientContext = new SP.ClientContext.get_current();
      var peopleManager = new SP.UserProfiles.PeopleManager(clientContext);

      //...

   }, 'SP.UserProfiles.js');

will not be executed if SP.UserProfiles.js has not been loaded.