Ajax request get empty responses

[lmartins]

Hi, im facing an issue running BrowserSync with a site that makes ajax requests to pull some JSON data. If I run the site normally those request get the JSON data normally, but when running the site with BrowserSync proxy, those request always return an empty response.

I've seen similar issues reported here in 2004, but nothing helped so far.

Anything I can do here to provide further info?

[lmartins]

Ok, this is related with the proxy mode. That I figured out following a few issues reported here.

Now, Im trying to setup BS both by manually inserting the snippet, for which I get:

GET http://testing.webipack.dev:3000/browser-sync/browser-sync-client.2.8.0.js net::ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED

And by setting up a base_dir which for which I get:

cannot GET /

Worth mentioning this is a WordPress project, so probably im missing some necessary configuration.

Could you please help with this?

[shinnn]

Anything I can do here to provide further info?

A lot.

https://github.com/BrowserSync/browser-sync/blob/f8c6a0ae33a1150a3cc7c4844a9dc1f8a6ba7407/CONTRIBUTING.md#-tips-for-a-creating-a-great-issue-report

[kevinfodness]

Having similar issues. Using BrowserSync as a component in the Sage starter theme for WordPress:

https://github.com/roots/sage

We see the problem occur when using Gravity Forms via AJAX.

System info: OSX 10.10.3 Using proxy mode to reach back to a server by named address running on Vagrant locally

gulpfile.js:

// ## Globals
var argv         = require('minimist')(process.argv.slice(2));
var autoprefixer = require('gulp-autoprefixer');
var browserSync  = require('browser-sync').create();
var changed      = require('gulp-changed');
var concat       = require('gulp-concat');
var flatten      = require('gulp-flatten');
var gulp         = require('gulp');
var gulpif       = require('gulp-if');
var imagemin     = require('gulp-imagemin');
var jshint       = require('gulp-jshint');
var lazypipe     = require('lazypipe');
var less         = require('gulp-less');
var merge        = require('merge-stream');
var minifyCss    = require('gulp-minify-css');
var plumber      = require('gulp-plumber');
var rev          = require('gulp-rev');
var runSequence  = require('run-sequence');
var sass         = require('gulp-sass');
var sourcemaps   = require('gulp-sourcemaps');
var uglify       = require('gulp-uglify');

// See https://github.com/austinpray/asset-builder
var manifest = require('asset-builder')('./assets/manifest.json');

// `path` - Paths to base asset directories. With trailing slashes.
// - `path.source` - Path to the source files. Default: `assets/`
// - `path.dist` - Path to the build directory. Default: `dist/`
var path = manifest.paths;

// `config` - Store arbitrary configuration values here.
var config = manifest.config || {};

// `globs` - These ultimately end up in their respective `gulp.src`.
// - `globs.js` - Array of asset-builder JS dependency objects. Example:
//   ```
//   {type: 'js', name: 'main.js', globs: []}
//   ```
// - `globs.css` - Array of asset-builder CSS dependency objects. Example:
//   ```
//   {type: 'css', name: 'main.css', globs: []}
//   ```
// - `globs.fonts` - Array of font path globs.
// - `globs.images` - Array of image path globs.
// - `globs.bower` - Array of all the main Bower files.
var globs = manifest.globs;

// `project` - paths to first-party assets.
// - `project.js` - Array of first-party JS assets.
// - `project.css` - Array of first-party CSS assets.
var project = manifest.getProjectGlobs();

// CLI options
var enabled = {
  // Enable static asset revisioning when `--production`
  rev: argv.production,
  // Disable source maps when `--production`
  maps: !argv.production,
  // Fail styles task on error when `--production`
  failStyleTask: argv.production
};

// Path to the compiled assets manifest in the dist directory
var revManifest = path.dist + 'assets.json';

// ## Reusable Pipelines
// See https://github.com/OverZealous/lazypipe

// ### CSS processing pipeline
// Example
// ```
// gulp.src(cssFiles)
//   .pipe(cssTasks('main.css')
//   .pipe(gulp.dest(path.dist + 'styles'))
// ```
var cssTasks = function(filename) {
  return lazypipe()
    .pipe(function() {
      return gulpif(!enabled.failStyleTask, plumber());
    })
    .pipe(function() {
      return gulpif(enabled.maps, sourcemaps.init());
    })
    .pipe(function() {
      return gulpif('*.less', less());
    })
    .pipe(function() {
      return gulpif('*.scss', sass({
        outputStyle: 'nested', // libsass doesn't support expanded yet
        precision: 10,
        includePaths: ['.'],
        errLogToConsole: !enabled.failStyleTask
      }));
    })
    .pipe(concat, filename)
    .pipe(autoprefixer, {
      browsers: [
        'last 2 versions',
        'ie 9',
        'android 2.3',
        'android 4',
        'opera 12'
      ]
    })
    .pipe(minifyCss, {
      advanced: false,
      rebase: false
    })
    .pipe(function() {
      return gulpif(enabled.rev, rev());
    })
    .pipe(function() {
      return gulpif(enabled.maps, sourcemaps.write('.'));
    })();
};

// ### JS processing pipeline
// Example
// ```
// gulp.src(jsFiles)
//   .pipe(jsTasks('main.js')
//   .pipe(gulp.dest(path.dist + 'scripts'))
// ```
var jsTasks = function(filename) {
  return lazypipe()
    .pipe(function() {
      return gulpif(enabled.maps, sourcemaps.init());
    })
    .pipe(concat, filename)
    .pipe(uglify)
    .pipe(function() {
      return gulpif(enabled.rev, rev());
    })
    .pipe(function() {
      return gulpif(enabled.maps, sourcemaps.write('.'));
    })();
};

// ### Write to rev manifest
// If there are any revved files then write them to the rev manifest.
// See https://github.com/sindresorhus/gulp-rev
var writeToManifest = function(directory) {
  return lazypipe()
    .pipe(gulp.dest, path.dist + directory)
    .pipe(browserSync.stream, {match: '**/*.{js,css}'})
    .pipe(rev.manifest, revManifest, {
      base: path.dist,
      merge: true
    })
    .pipe(gulp.dest, path.dist)();
};

// ## Gulp tasks
// Run `gulp -T` for a task summary

// ### Styles
// `gulp styles` - Compiles, combines, and optimizes Bower CSS and project CSS.
// By default this task will only log a warning if a precompiler error is
// raised. If the `--production` flag is set: this task will fail outright.
gulp.task('styles', ['wiredep'], function() {
  var merged = merge();
  manifest.forEachDependency('css', function(dep) {
    var cssTasksInstance = cssTasks(dep.name);
    if (!enabled.failStyleTask) {
      cssTasksInstance.on('error', function(err) {
        console.error(err.message);
        this.emit('end');
      });
    }
    merged.add(gulp.src(dep.globs, {base: 'styles'})
      .pipe(cssTasksInstance));
  });
  return merged
    .pipe(writeToManifest('styles'));
});

// ### Scripts
// `gulp scripts` - Runs JSHint then compiles, combines, and optimizes Bower JS
// and project JS.
gulp.task('scripts', ['jshint'], function() {
  var merged = merge();
  manifest.forEachDependency('js', function(dep) {
    merged.add(
      gulp.src(dep.globs, {base: 'scripts'})
        .pipe(jsTasks(dep.name))
    );
  });
  return merged
    .pipe(writeToManifest('scripts'));
});

// ### Fonts
// `gulp fonts` - Grabs all the fonts and outputs them in a flattened directory
// structure. See: https://github.com/armed/gulp-flatten
gulp.task('fonts', function() {
  return gulp.src(globs.fonts)
    .pipe(flatten())
    .pipe(gulp.dest(path.dist + 'fonts'))
    .pipe(browserSync.stream());
});

// ### Images
// `gulp images` - Run lossless compression on all the images.
gulp.task('images', function() {
  return gulp.src(globs.images)
    .pipe(imagemin({
      progressive: true,
      interlaced: true,
      svgoPlugins: [{removeUnknownsAndDefaults: false}, {cleanupIDs: false}]
    }))
    .pipe(gulp.dest(path.dist + 'images'))
    .pipe(browserSync.stream());
});

// ### JSHint
// `gulp jshint` - Lints configuration JSON and project JS.
gulp.task('jshint', function() {
  return gulp.src([
    'bower.json', 'gulpfile.js'
  ].concat(project.js))
    .pipe(jshint())
    .pipe(jshint.reporter('jshint-stylish'))
    .pipe(jshint.reporter('fail'));
});

// ### Clean
// `gulp clean` - Deletes the build folder entirely.
gulp.task('clean', require('del').bind(null, [path.dist]));

// ### Watch
// `gulp watch` - Use BrowserSync to proxy your dev server and synchronize code
// changes across devices. Specify the hostname of your dev server at
// `manifest.config.devUrl`. When a modification is made to an asset, run the
// build step for that asset and inject the changes into the page.
// See: http://www.browsersync.io
gulp.task('watch', function() {
  browserSync.init({
    files: ['{lib,templates}/**/*.php', '*.php'],
    proxy: config.devUrl,
    snippetOptions: {
      whitelist: ['/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php'],
      blacklist: ['/wp-admin/**']
    }
  });
  gulp.watch([path.source + 'styles/**/*'], ['styles']);
  gulp.watch([path.source + 'scripts/**/*'], ['jshint', 'scripts']);
  gulp.watch([path.source + 'fonts/**/*'], ['fonts']);
  gulp.watch([path.source + 'images/**/*'], ['images']);
  gulp.watch(['bower.json', 'assets/manifest.json'], ['build']);
});

// ### Build
// `gulp build` - Run all the build tasks but don't clean up beforehand.
// Generally you should be running `gulp` instead of `gulp build`.
gulp.task('build', function(callback) {
  runSequence('styles',
              'scripts',
              ['fonts', 'images'],
              callback);
});

// ### Wiredep
// `gulp wiredep` - Automatically inject Less and Sass Bower dependencies. See
// https://github.com/taptapship/wiredep
gulp.task('wiredep', function() {
  var wiredep = require('wiredep').stream;
  return gulp.src(project.css)
    .pipe(wiredep())
    .pipe(changed(path.source + 'styles', {
      hasChanged: changed.compareSha1Digest
    }))
    .pipe(gulp.dest(path.source + 'styles'));
});

// ### Gulp
// `gulp` - Run a complete build. To compile for production run `gulp --production`.
gulp.task('default', ['clean'], function() {
  gulp.start('build');
});

manifest.json:

{
  "dependencies": {
    "main.js": {
      "files": [
        "scripts/main.js"
      ],
      "main": true
    },
    "main.css": {
      "files": [
        "styles/main.scss"
      ],
      "main": true
    },
    "editor-style.css": {
      "files": [
        "styles/editor-style.scss"
      ]
    },
    "jquery.js": {
      "bower": ["jquery"]
    },
    "modernizr.js": {
      "bower": ["modernizr"]
    }
  },
  "config": {
    "devUrl": "http://example.local"
  }
}

[lachieh]

This is a very old issue but I recently had the same issue and figured some future traveller may encounter the white page of death when submitting a Gravity Form via AJAX and also using BrowserSync.

GravityForms adds a class of GF_AJAX_POSTBACK to the body tag in very specific circumstances. In particular, when it is making an AJAX submission. I added a custom matcher function to the the snippetOptions for browserSync and it seems to resolve my issues.

snippetOptions: {
  whitelist: ["/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"],
  blacklist: ['/wp-admin/**'],
  rule: {
    match: /<body(?!.*GF_AJAX_POSTBACK).*>/i,
    fn: function (snippet, match) {
      return match + snippet;
    }
  }
},

Since this is not a problem with BrowserSync and instead a quirk of GravityForms, it's probably fine to consider this issue closed (in my opinion). I highly doubt that @lmartins or @kevinfodness can verify it works since it has been over 5 years since it was reported. :joy: