parallax/jsPDF · error · Error

Unable to load file ${url}

Error message

Unable to load file ${url}

What it means

This lives in builder.html, the jsPDF web-based module builder. loadBinaryResource performs a synchronous XMLHttpRequest (req.open('GET', url, false)) with the MIME overridden to 'text/plain; charset=x-user-defined' so binary bytes survive as a string. After req.send, if req.status !== 200 it throws 'Unable to load file <url>'. Because the throw is caught locally and only alert(e)'d, execution then falls through to req.responseText (empty/garbage), so a failed load both alerts and silently corrupts the build. Note that file:// and CORS failures yield status 0, which is also !== 200 and triggers the throw.

Source

Thrown at builder.html:150

			form.submit(function( event ) {
			  var formValues = form.serializeArray();
			  formValues = formValues.filter(function(item) {
				return (item.name !== 'all');
			  });
			  build ( formValues );
			  event.preventDefault();
			});
        });
		
		function loadBinaryResource (url, unicodeCleanUp) {
		  var req = new XMLHttpRequest()
		  req.open('GET', url, false)
		   // XHR binary charset opt by Marcus Granado 2006 [http://mgran.blogspot.com]
		  req.overrideMimeType('text\/plain; charset=x-user-defined');
		  try {
		  req.send(null)
		  if (req.status !== 200) {
			throw new Error('Unable to load file ' + url);
		  }
		  } catch (e) {
		  alert(e);
		  }

		  var responseText = req.responseText;
		  var StringFromCharCode = String.fromCharCode;
		  if (unicodeCleanUp === true) {    
			var i = 0;
			for (i = 0; i < responseText.length; i += 1) {
			  byteArray.push(StringFromCharCode(responseText.charCodeAt(i) & 0xff))
			}
			return byteArray.join("");
		  }
		  return req.responseText;
		}

		function uniq(a) {

View on GitHub (pinned to a3930ce03a)

Solutions

1. Serve the project over HTTP instead of opening the file directly: e.g. `python3 -m http.server` or `npx serve`, then open http://localhost:PORT/builder.html.
2. Open the browser Network tab and confirm the failing URL; fix the path or restore the missing file.
3. Deselect (uncheck) the module whose file cannot be found, or update configuration to the correct folder.
4. If a custom dev server returns non-200 for valid files, fix its routing/static mapping before rebuilding.

Example fix

# before
# open builder.html via file:///home/me/repo/builder.html   -> XHR status 0 -> throws

# after
python3 -m http.server 8000
# then visit http://localhost:8000/builder.html

function ensureServable() {
  if (/^file:/i.test(globalThis.location.protocol)) {
    throw new Error('builder.html must be served over http(s), not opened via file://. Run: python3 -m http.server');
  }
}
function probeUrl(url) {
  var x = new XMLHttpRequest(); x.open('HEAD', url, false); x.send(null);
  return x.status === 200;
}
// before building: ensureServable(); if (!probeUrl(fileUrl)) { /* skip/fix this module */ }

try {
  var data = loadBinaryResource(url, true);
  if (!data) throw new Error('Empty response for ' + url);
} catch (e) {
  console.error('Build stopped: could not load', url, '-', e.message);
  // do NOT fall through to use req.responseText; surface the failure to the user and abort the build.
  throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Opening builder.html directly via the file:// protocol (modern browsers block synchronous local XHR -> status 0); a selected module's source file is missing (404); the dev server returns 500 or a redirect; the base path/folder structure changed; mixed-content or CORS blocking on the request.

Common situations: Double-clicking builder.html to open it locally instead of serving it over HTTP; running the builder after renaming/removing a source module that is still checked; pointing at a folder layout that no longer matches configuration; a stale dev server returning errors for a path.

Related errors

• Font is not stored as string-data in vFS, import fonts or re
• Font does not exist in vFS, import fonts or remove declarati

AI-assisted analysis of parallax/jsPDF@a3930ce03a (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f9e83ea9dbbf16a2. Report an issue: GitHub.