Combined synchronous and asynchronous tag deployment
A tag management system can implement a combined synchronous and asynchronous tag-loading scheme. In an embodiment of this scheme, a synchronous tag may be included at the top of or near the top of a content page. This synchronous tag can hide one or more page elements that are to be modified by a subsequent asynchronous personalization tag. Subsequently, the asynchronous personalization tag can update the page element and then cause the page element to be displayed. As a result, flicker between the old and new page elements can be reduced or avoided.
1. A method of avoiding flicker between versions of a page element of a content page, the method comprising:
under control of a physical computing device:
storing, in one or more memory devices, a content page comprising a first section and a second section different from the first section, the second section including a first version of a first page element and a second page element;
prior to loading the second section for display in an application,
requesting a first script from a first server via a computer network according to first request instructions of the content page,
receiving the first script via the computer network, and
synchronously executing the first script so that loading of the second section for display in the application is prevented until execution of the first script is completed and, according to first script instructions of the first script, the first version of the first page element is hidden from display by the application upon loading of the second section for display in the application;
loading the second section for display in the application so that the second page element is loaded and presented as visible by the application and, according to the first script instructions, the first version of the first page element is loaded and hidden from display by the application; and
subsequent to synchronously executing the first script,
requesting a second script from a second server via the computer network according to second request instructions of the content page,
receiving the second script via the computer network, and
asynchronously executing the second script so that, according to second script instructions of the second script, a second version of the first page element is loaded and presented as visible by the application in place of the first version of the first page element that was loaded and hidden from display by the application.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first section comprises the first request instructions, and the second section comprises the second request instructions.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first section is positioned before the second section in the content page.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said executing the first script comprises modifying a Document Object Model (DOM) of the content page to assign a hidden visibility attribute to the first version of the first page element.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said loading the second section comprises loading the second section so that, according to the first script instructions, the first version of the first page element is hidden from display by the application without removing the first version of the first page element from a layout of the content page.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said loading the second section comprises loading the second section so that, according to the first script instructions, the first version of the first page element is hidden from display by the application by removing the first version of the first page element from a layout of the content page.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said loading the second section comprises loading the second section so that, according to the first script instructions, the first version of the first page element is hidden from display by the application by deleting the first version of the first page element from the content page.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said loading the second section comprises loading the second section so that, according to the first script instructions, the first version of the first page element is hidden from display by the application by overlaying another element on the first version of the first page element.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said executing the second script comprises assigning a reveal visibility attribute to the second version of the first page element.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said executing the second script comprises calling a function of the first script.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first server is the same as the second server.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first version of the first page element is the same as the second version of the first page element.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first page element comprises an image.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
requesting the content page via the computer network; and
receiving the content page from a third server via the computer network.
15. A system for avoiding flicker between versions of a page element of a content page, the system comprising:
one or more memory devices configured to store a content page comprising a first section and a second section different from the first section, the second section including a first version of a first page element and a second page element; and
one or more hardware processors in communication with the one or more memory devices, the one or more hardware processors being configured to:
prior to loading the second section for display in an application,
request a first script via a computer network according to first request instructions of the content page,
receive the first script via the computer network, and
synchronously execute the first script so that loading of the second section for display in the application is prevented until execution of the first script is completed and, according to first script instructions of the first script, the first version of the first page element is hidden from display by the application upon loading of the second section for display in the application;
load the second section for display in the application so that the second page element is loaded and presented as visible by the application and, according to the first script instructions, the first version of the first page element is loaded and hidden from display by the application; and
subsequent to synchronously executing the first script,
request a second script via the computer network according to second request instructions of the content page,
receive the second script via the computer network, and
asynchronously execute the second script so that, according to second script instructions of the second script, a second version of the first page element is loaded and presented as visible by the application in place of the first version of the first page element that was loaded and hidden from display by the application.
16. Non-transitory physical computer storage comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, are configured to implement a process of executing a first script and a second script that are referenced by a content page, the content page comprising a first section and a second section different from the first section, the second section including a first version of a first page element and a second page element, wherein the process comprises:
requesting a first script via a computer network according to first request instructions of the content page;
receiving the first script via the computer network;
synchronously executing the first script so that loading of the second section for display in an application is prevented until execution of the first script is completed and, according to first script instructions of the first script, the first version of the first page element is hidden from display by the application upon loading of the second section for display in the application;
loading the second section for display in the application so that the second page element is loaded and presented as visible by the application and, according to the first script instructions, the first version of the first page element is loaded and hidden from display by the application;
requesting a second script via the computer network according to second request instructions of the content page;
receiving the second script via the computer network; and
asynchronously executing the second script so that, according to second script instructions of the second script, a second version of the first page element is loaded and presented as visible by the application in place of the first version of the first page element that was loaded and hidden from display by the application.
17. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 16 , wherein the first section comprises the first request instructions, and the second section comprises the second request instructions.
18. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 16 , wherein said executing the first script comprises modifying a Document Object Model (DOM) of the content page to assign a hidden visibility attribute to the first version of the first page element.
19. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 16 , wherein said loading the second section comprises loading the second section so that, according to the first script instructions, the first version of the first page element is hidden from display by the application without removing the first version of the first page element from a layout of the content page.
20. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 16 , wherein said executing the second script comprises assigning a reveal visibility attribute to the second version of the first page element.