I have seen a web page source code containing the following css declaration at the header:
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/site_media/base.css?v=747" />
What is the use of "?v=747" at the end of this CSS declaration?
views:
161answers:
4
+4
A:
It prevents browser caching from being an issue with new releases of the webapp
AgileJon
2009-09-02 18:25:45
+13
A:
To bypass the caching mechanism of the browser. If the file is updated, the version (I guess that's what v stands for) will be incremented and the browser will not use the cache, but download the file, since it is a different URL.
soulmerge
2009-09-02 18:25:58
In fact, the browser will never cache that file, because GET requests with parameters are not cached by conforming HTTP implementations.
John Millikin
2009-09-02 18:28:13
**Conforming**, being the important word. Two letters: **IE**
voyager
2009-09-02 18:32:03
It is possible to configure Opera to cache GET requests. This is usually a bad idea, but there are some special situations where it can be useful.
Brian
2009-09-02 18:36:32
+1
A:
That's probably a version number. When the value for v changes, the browser will think it is a new file and fetch it (so that the file is not cached by the browser between different versions).
bdukes
2009-09-02 18:25:59
+3
A:
Typically the ? designates that following code is the query string for the url. Probably this site is running code to create a dynamic css file
RHicke
2009-09-02 18:26:04
Can anyone explain the downvote? This was what I thought at first too. I'm not a web developer so the reason may be obvious to those more savvy than me.
Graeme Donaldson
2009-09-02 18:34:49
I don't think that's what's happening in this case...but it's certainly *possible* that that's what's happening, and no one else has mentioned it, so +1.
Beska
2009-09-02 18:37:57