146268 - Mozilla's History object returns different results than Netscape Navigator 4's or IE's

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Core :: DOM: Navigation, defect)

Description

[James Grubic]

Hello:

This bug is present in NN7 and in all of the builds of Mozilla that I have used
for MacOS 9.x and OSX.

When using the command <A HREF="javascript:history.go(-3);"> for a URL, the page
retreived is not the same as in NN4.7x and earlier and IE v5, etc. <A
HREF="javascript:history.go(-1);"> correctly moves to the prior page (equivalent
to the back button), but the -3 takes one step back too many.

The functionality of several online forms we use is disrupted because of the
difference in the implementation of this JavaScript command.

I might be able to rig up some sort of effective example for this, should you
need it. The problem reproduces 100% of the time.

Comment 1

[Phil Schwartau]

Browser, not engine ---> History: Session

Comment 2

[R.K.Aa.]

*** Bug 149409 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 3

[R.K.Aa.]

Reporter added:
---

Hello:

I have done some more extensive testing on this problem, and wished to report my
results.

In Netscape 3/4x, IE 5.x, etc. the javascript:history.go(-3); jumps to a
specific previous page in a form-based site. These browsers all work
identically. Mozilla 1 .0 and Netscape 7 jump one page further back.

I believe that I now know why in our situation it is doing this. On our
form-based site, we use a <META HTTP-EQUIV="Refresh"
CONTENT="1;URL=http://www.testsite.com"> to get to a specific page automatically
(we do this to pass certain parameters to Lasso, a database manipulation tool).
It is my opinion that Mozilla 1.0/Netscape 7 is not counting this refresh page
in the history list, and the older browsers are.

This is of course a minor issue and I doubt that anyone else would ever see
this. It's easier for us to set up our site in a different way than it is for
you to go through mountains of code looking for a trivial problem. On regular
sites with no automatic refreshes, the javascript:history.go(#); works correctly.

Thank you, and keep up the great work on Mozilla.


James

Comment 4

[Radha on family leave (not reading bugmail)]

If a page refreshes to itself, it will not be added to session history and there
by not get counted as a page in history. Your history.go(xx) may work
differently if it immediately follows such refreshes. 

Comment 5

[Greg K.]

James, please provide either a URL or testcase that exhibits the problem. Adding qawanted.

Comment 6

[Frankie]

testcase, anyone?

Comment 7

[Greg K.]

Revising Summary. Is this WONTFIX per comment 4?

Comment 8

[Greg K.]

It appears Mozilla's design is to store redirects in global history (bug 62114),
but not session (bug 113556).

Comment 9

[Radha on family leave (not reading bugmail)]

Javascrip history is different in mozilla and NS7.X compared to NN4.7 especially
the way history.go(0) behaves and the way certain subframe reloads and subframe
bac/forward.

Comment 10

[Greg K.]

So, Radha, is this WONTFIX, then? Or a dup of an earlier bug?

Comment 11

[Radha on family leave (not reading bugmail)]

I would say Won't fix. There are work arounds for frame reloads. You just may
have to live with other changes in back/forward for frames. 

Comment 12

[Greg K.]

Resolving WONTFIX per comment 11. Thankd, Radha.