Blackberry is not picking up mobile redirect javascript file

Question

One of the websites I work on (built in drupal) has a mobile site that works great on all mobile platforms except blackberry. Blackberry simply doesn't pick up the redirect file which makes it display the mobile site (I'm assuming it's this). So here are the details.

Site: http://www.evanspartners.co.uk

Mobile: http://www.evanspartners.co.uk/mobile

Here is my redirect file Titled "pw_mobile_redirect.info" :

/* * JS Redirection Mobile * * Copyright (c) 2011-2012 Sebastiano Armeli-Battana (http://www.sebastianoarmelibattana.com) * * By Sebastiano Armeli-Battana (@sebarmeli) - http://www.sebastianoarmelibattana.com * Licensed under the MIT license. * https://github.com/sebarmeli/JS-Redirection-Mobile-Site/blob/master/MIT-LICENSE.txt * * @link http://github.com/sebarmeli/JS-Redirection-Mobile-Site * @author Sebastiano Armeli-Battana * @date 29/10/2012 * @version 1.0.0 * */

/*globals window,document, navigator, SA */
 if (!window.SA) {window.SA = {};}

SA.redirection_mobile = function(configuration) {

// Helper function for adding time to the current date -> used by cookie
var addTimeToDate = function(msec) {
    var exdate = new Date();
    exdate.setTime(exdate.getTime() + msec);
    return exdate;
};

// Helper function for getting a value from a parameter in the querystring of a URL
var getQueryValue = function(param) {

    if (!param) {
        return;
    }

    var querystring = document.location.search,
        queryStringArray = querystring && querystring.substring(1).split("&"),
        i = 0,
        length = queryStringArray.length;

    for (; i < length; i++) {
        var token = queryStringArray[i],
            firstPart = token && token.substring(0, token.indexOf("="));
        if (firstPart === param ) {
            return token.substring(token.indexOf("=") + 1, token.length);
        }
    }

};

// Retrieve the User Agent of the browser
var agent = navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase(),
    FALSE = "false",
    TRUE = "true",

    // configuration object
    config = configuration || {},

    // parameter to pass in the URL to avoid the redirection
    redirection_param = config.redirection_param || "mobile_redirect",

    // prefix appended to the hostname
    mobile_prefix = config.mobile_prefix || "m",

    // new url for the mobile site domain 
    mobile_url = config.mobile_url,

    // protocol for the mobile site domain 
    mobile_protocol = config.mobile_scheme ?
        config.mobile_scheme + ":" :
            document.location.protocol,

    host = document.location.host,

    // value for the parameter passed in the URL to avoid the redirection
    queryValue = getQueryValue(redirection_param),

    // Compose the mobile hostname considering "mobile_url" or "mobile_prefix" + hostname
    mobile_host = mobile_url ||
        (mobile_prefix + "." + 
            (!!host.match(/^www\./i) ?
                host.substring(4) : 
                    host)),

    // Expiry hours for cookie
    cookie_hours = config.cookie_hours || 1,

    // Parameters to determine if the pathname and the querystring need to be kept
    keep_path = config.keep_path || false,
    keep_query = config.keep_query || false,

    // new url for the tablet site 
    tablet_host = config.tablet_host || mobile_host,
    isUAMobile = false,
    isUATablet = false;

    // Check if the UA is a mobile one (regexp from http://detectmobilebrowsers.com/ (WURFL))
    if(/(android|bb\d+|meego).+mobile|avantgo|bada\/|blackberry|blazer|compal|elaine|fennec|hiptop|iemobile|ip(hone|od)|iris|kindle|lge |maemo|midp|mmp|netfront|opera m(ob|in)i|palm( os)?|phone|p(ixi|re)\/|plucker|pocket|psp|series(4|6)0|symbian|treo|up\.(browser|link)|vodafone|wap|windows (ce|phone)|xda|xiino/i.test(agent)||/1207|6310|6590|3gso|4thp|50[1-6]i|770s|802s|a wa|abac|ac(er|oo|s\-)|ai(ko|rn)|al(av|ca|co)|amoi|an(ex|ny|yw)|aptu|ar(ch|go)|as(te|us)|attw|au(di|\-m|r |s )|avan|be(ck|ll|nq)|bi(lb|rd)|bl(ac|az)|br(e|v)w|bumb|bw\-(n|u)|c55\/|capi|ccwa|cdm\-|cell|chtm|cldc|cmd\-|co(mp|nd)|craw|da(it|ll|ng)|dbte|dc\-s|devi|dica|dmob|do(c|p)o|ds(12|\-d)|el(49|ai)|em(l2|ul)|er(ic|k0)|esl8|ez([4-7]0|os|wa|ze)|fetc|fly(\-|_)|g1 u|g560|gene|gf\-5|g\-mo|go(\.w|od)|gr(ad|un)|haie|hcit|hd\-(m|p|t)|hei\-|hi(pt|ta)|hp( i|ip)|hs\-c|ht(c(\-| |_|a|g|p|s|t)|tp)|hu(aw|tc)|i\-(20|go|ma)|i230|iac( |\-|\/)|ibro|idea|ig01|ikom|im1k|inno|ipaq|iris|ja(t|v)a|jbro|jemu|jigs|kddi|keji|kgt( |\/)|klon|kpt |kwc\-|kyo(c|k)|le(no|xi)|lg( g|\/(k|l|u)|50|54|\-[a-w])|libw|lynx|m1\-w|m3ga|m50\/|ma(te|ui|xo)|mc(01|21|ca)|m\-cr|me(rc|ri)|mi(o8|oa|ts)|mmef|mo(01|02|bi|de|do|t(\-| |o|v)|zz)|mt(50|p1|v )|mwbp|mywa|n10[0-2]|n20[2-3]|n30(0|2)|n50(0|2|5)|n7(0(0|1)|10)|ne((c|m)\-|on|tf|wf|wg|wt)|nok(6|i)|nzph|o2im|op(ti|wv)|oran|owg1|p800|pan(a|d|t)|pdxg|pg(13|\-([1-8]|c))|phil|pire|pl(ay|uc)|pn\-2|po(ck|rt|se)|prox|psio|pt\-g|qa\-a|qc(07|12|21|32|60|\-[2-7]|i\-)|qtek|r380|r600|raks|rim9|ro(ve|zo)|s55\/|sa(ge|ma|mm|ms|ny|va)|sc(01|h\-|oo|p\-)|sdk\/|se(c(\-|0|1)|47|mc|nd|ri)|sgh\-|shar|sie(\-|m)|sk\-0|sl(45|id)|sm(al|ar|b3|it|t5)|so(ft|ny)|sp(01|h\-|v\-|v )|sy(01|mb)|t2(18|50)|t6(00|10|18)|ta(gt|lk)|tcl\-|tdg\-|tel(i|m)|tim\-|t\-mo|to(pl|sh)|ts(70|m\-|m3|m5)|tx\-9|up(\.b|g1|si)|utst|v400|v750|veri|vi(rg|te)|vk(40|5[0-3]|\-v)|vm40|voda|vulc|vx(52|53|60|61|70|80|81|83|85|98)|w3c(\-| )|webc|whit|wi(g |nc|nw)|wmlb|wonu|x700|yas\-|your|zeto|zte\-/i.test(agent.substr(0,4))) {
        isUAMobile = true;
    }   

// Check if the referrer was a mobile page (probably the user clicked "Go to full site") or in the 
// querystring there is a parameter to avoid the redirection such as "?noredireciton=true"
// (in that case we need to set a variable in the sessionStorage or in the cookie)
if (document.referrer.indexOf(mobile_host) >= 0 || queryValue === FALSE ) {

    if (window.sessionStorage) {
        window.sessionStorage.setItem(redirection_param, FALSE);
    } else {
        document.cookie = redirection_param + "=" + FALSE + ";expires="+
            addTimeToDate(3600*1000*cookie_hours).toUTCString();
    }
}

// Check if the sessionStorage contain the parameter
var isSessionStorage = (window.sessionStorage) ? 
        (window.sessionStorage.getItem(redirection_param) === FALSE) :
            false,

    // Check if the Cookie has been set up
    isCookieSet = document.cookie ? 
        (document.cookie.indexOf(redirection_param) >= 0) :
            false;

// Check if the device is a Tablet such as iPad, Samsung Tab, Motorola Xoom or Amazon Kindle
if (!!(agent.match(/(iPad|SCH-I800|xoom|NOOK|silk|kindle|GT-P7510)/i))) {

    // Check if the redirection needs to happen for tablets
    isUATablet = (config.tablet_redirection === TRUE || !!config.tablet_host) ? true : false;
    isUAMobile = false;
}

// Check that User Agent is mobile, cookie is not set or value in the sessionStorage not present
if ((isUATablet || isUAMobile) && !(isCookieSet || isSessionStorage)) {

    // Callback call
    if (config.beforeredirection_callback) {
        if (!config.beforeredirection_callback.call(this)) {
            return;
        }
    }

    var path_query = "";

    if(keep_path) { 
        path_query += document.location.pathname;
    }

    if (keep_query) {
        path_query += document.location.search;
    }

    if (isUATablet){
        document.location.href = mobile_protocol + "//" + tablet_host + path_query;
    } else if (isUAMobile) {
        document.location.href = mobile_protocol + "//" + mobile_host + path_query;
    }

} 
};  

Now I'm assuming the problem lies in the following section of the script above:

    // Check if the UA is a mobile one (regexp from http://detectmobilebrowsers.com/ (WURFL))
    if(/(android|bb\d+|meego).+mobile|avantgo|bada\/|blackberry|blazer|compal|elaine|fennec|hiptop|iemobile|ip(hone|od)|iris|kindle|lge |maemo|midp|mmp|netfront|opera m(ob|in)i|palm( os)?|phone|p(ixi|re)\/|plucker|pocket|psp|series(4|6)0|symbian|treo|up\.(browser|link)|vodafone|wap|windows (ce|phone)|xda|xiino/i.test(agent)||/1207|6310|6590|3gso|4thp|50[1-6]i|770s|802s|a wa|abac|ac(er|oo|s\-)|ai(ko|rn)|al(av|ca|co)|amoi|an(ex|ny|yw)|aptu|ar(ch|go)|as(te|us)|attw|au(di|\-m|r |s )|avan|be(ck|ll|nq)|bi(lb|rd)|bl(ac|az)|br(e|v)w|bumb|bw\-(n|u)|c55\/|capi|ccwa|cdm\-|cell|chtm|cldc|cmd\-|co(mp|nd)|craw|da(it|ll|ng)|dbte|dc\-s|devi|dica|dmob|do(c|p)o|ds(12|\-d)|el(49|ai)|em(l2|ul)|er(ic|k0)|esl8|ez([4-7]0|os|wa|ze)|fetc|fly(\-|_)|g1 u|g560|gene|gf\-5|g\-mo|go(\.w|od)|gr(ad|un)|haie|hcit|hd\-(m|p|t)|hei\-|hi(pt|ta)|hp( i|ip)|hs\-c|ht(c(\-| |_|a|g|p|s|t)|tp)|hu(aw|tc)|i\-(20|go|ma)|i230|iac( |\-|\/)|ibro|idea|ig01|ikom|im1k|inno|ipaq|iris|ja(t|v)a|jbro|jemu|jigs|kddi|keji|kgt( |\/)|klon|kpt |kwc\-|kyo(c|k)|le(no|xi)|lg( g|\/(k|l|u)|50|54|\-[a-w])|libw|lynx|m1\-w|m3ga|m50\/|ma(te|ui|xo)|mc(01|21|ca)|m\-cr|me(rc|ri)|mi(o8|oa|ts)|mmef|mo(01|02|bi|de|do|t(\-| |o|v)|zz)|mt(50|p1|v )|mwbp|mywa|n10[0-2]|n20[2-3]|n30(0|2)|n50(0|2|5)|n7(0(0|1)|10)|ne((c|m)\-|on|tf|wf|wg|wt)|nok(6|i)|nzph|o2im|op(ti|wv)|oran|owg1|p800|pan(a|d|t)|pdxg|pg(13|\-([1-8]|c))|phil|pire|pl(ay|uc)|pn\-2|po(ck|rt|se)|prox|psio|pt\-g|qa\-a|qc(07|12|21|32|60|\-[2-7]|i\-)|qtek|r380|r600|raks|rim9|ro(ve|zo)|s55\/|sa(ge|ma|mm|ms|ny|va)|sc(01|h\-|oo|p\-)|sdk\/|se(c(\-|0|1)|47|mc|nd|ri)|sgh\-|shar|sie(\-|m)|sk\-0|sl(45|id)|sm(al|ar|b3|it|t5)|so(ft|ny)|sp(01|h\-|v\-|v )|sy(01|mb)|t2(18|50)|t6(00|10|18)|ta(gt|lk)|tcl\-|tdg\-|tel(i|m)|tim\-|t\-mo|to(pl|sh)|ts(70|m\-|m3|m5)|tx\-9|up(\.b|g1|si)|utst|v400|v750|veri|vi(rg|te)|vk(40|5[0-3]|\-v)|vm40|voda|vulc|vx(52|53|60|61|70|80|81|83|85|98)|w3c(\-| )|webc|whit|wi(g |nc|nw)|wmlb|wonu|x700|yas\-|your|zeto|zte\-/i.test(agent.substr(0,4))) {
        isUAMobile = true;
    }   

I've tried using an updated version but no luck, Blackberry still displays desktop website.

Can anyone see why this is happening and why the blackberry platform won't redirect?

Answer 1

You don't say if this is happening to BB7 or BB10 devices. I presume in fact you are seeing this on BB10, and as a result your suggestion regarding the test of the user agent being an issue is probably correct.

Have a look at this BB blog for more details:

blackberry-10-user-agent-string

The suggested identification string is: 'BB10' + 'Mobile'

If this doesn't help, perhaps you can identify the BB model(s) and/or OS level(s) that is(are) causing you a problem.

I think there are a number of KB articles on the BB site that describe the User Agent string that will be provided. I can try to hunt some of these out, if you have a specific device and/or OS level.

Update

This phone - Blackberry 8900 v4.6.1.206 - is running an old level of the Browser. At that level you could change the identification, and fake Firefox or Internet Explorer. To see this, start the Browser, click on the menu, and choose Options, from there, choose Browser options, and you should see the "Browser Identification" pull down.

This facility is still present in the Browser for OS 5.0 phones but was removed after that.

If the user makes this change, then they will always see the desktop website.

Just to confirm, I am not suggesting that changing the option to IE or Firefox will fix this problem. it won't. A - but if the user has changed to either, then they will not be detected as a Blackberry and so will see the desktop version. You need to make sure you set this option to BlackBerry.

Further update

I suspect this code came from here:

http://detectmobilebrowsers.com/

If you try this URL in the browser, then it should display the user agent and also tell you if it has detected this as a mobile device. This should give you some more information about this problem. If it correctly detects the BlackBerry, you might look to update your redirect using the code form that site. Link to the site from a desktop Browser to find the code.