Re: Meta element to prevent resending post data

I don't think we should be adding a new HTML feature just to work-around
the limitation of an old CMS you happen to use.  The correct fix is to
replace your CMS with a more sensible CMS that correctly overrides HTTP
headers.

- Ryosuke
On Jan 27, 2012 6:10 AM, "Marat Tanalin | tanalin.com" <mtanalin@yandex.ru>
wrote:

> 27.01.2012, 04:56, "Kornel Lesiński" <kornel@geekhood.net>:
> > On Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:05:04 -0000, Marat Tanalin | tanalin.com
> > <mtanalin@yandex.ru> wrote:
> >
> >>  Currently, if a page is result of POST request, trying to refresh it in
> >>  browser do result in browser message confirming that user really wants
> >>  to refresh page that will result in resending form data that is already
> >>  sent. If user do not want to resend data, it ends up with complete
> >>  _impossibility_ to refresh page without manual focusing location bar
> and
> >>  pressing Enter key.
> >
> > I think this is a quality of implementation issue.
> >
> > For example Opera does not ask this question at all— Back button never
> > re-sends POST (this is what RFC 2616 §13.13[1] suggests), and Reload
> > always re-sends (since this is an explicit instruction from the user
> > already, there is no need to ask).
> >
> > I find this to be quite good behavior. There are no annoying requesters
> at
> > all, Back button navigation is always smooth, and it works with all pages
> > already.
> >
> > It may be easier to convince other browser vendors to implement history
> > and caching according to RFC 2616 §13.13, rather than to define a
> > workaround and add it to all pages.
> >
> > [1] http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec13.html#sec13.13
> >
> > --
> > regards, Kornel Lesiński
>
> Thanks, Kornel. But the proposal is _not_ about adding something to _all_
> pages (that would be pointless).
>
> The proposal is about minimizing negative user-experience impact _when_
> server-side redirect would/should be used, but is _technically impossible_.
>
> The proposed meta element would be used exactly and _only_ on pages that
> normally would use (self-)redirect. Resending POST data always (without
> user confirmation) is even worse since it would result in sending multiple
> copies of same comment or feedback message much more likely than if browser
> needs confirmation from user.
>
> So it's not browser-implementation issue at all, it should be controllable
> by web-developer on _per-page basis_ -- same way as server-side redirect is
> controlled by web-developer on _per-page basis_, not by browser.
>
> It's frequent situation when a POST-requested page do look and do function
> same way as GET-requested page with same URL, with only one distinction:
> refreshing the page resends POST data resulting in undesired adding
> multiple copies of comments/messages/etc. So there are just two options in
> such situations:
>
> 1. put up with negative impact caused by inability for user to refresh
> page and/or potential resending of POST data when user refreshes the page;
>
> 2. use the proposed meta element to prevent resending POST data when
> server-side (self-)redirect would be used if it was technically available.
>
>