In some browsers getAttribute("HREF") on an A element returns a complete URL, even if the HREF attribute in the source specified a relative path. In others it returns the exact text of the attribute in the source, which may be relative.
All browsers put the complete, resolved, URL for an A element in its .href property. In Explorer (Win and Mac) and Opera 8 the same value is returned by getAttribute("HREF"), while Mozilla (FF1.0), Safari and Konqueror (3.2.2) return the source value. I consider the latter behaviour to be correct.
The test case contains two links, the first absolute and the second relative, and reports the values of .href and getAttribute("HREF") for each. It is the last reported value that differs.
Test page Workaround is not included
Reported by: Phil Endecott.
Explorer 5-6 Windows, Explorer 7, Explorer Mac, Opera | Reported on 25 February 2005.
This site is no longer maintained. I’m sorry, but it’s just too much work for too little return. You can continue to browse old bug reports, though.
Search reports by browser:
1 Posted by Luis Iñiguez on 26 March 2005 | Permalink
You can use the flag "2" in the getAttribute() method. Example: getAttribute("href",2)