Detect if the user has used the back button

Question

My webpage runs a javascript function when the page is loaded. However, I don't want the function to run if the user comes back to this page using the back button. How can I prevent this using javascript?

$(document).ready(function(){
  // Do not run this function if the user has arrived here using the back button  
  RefreshThePage();
});

Answer 1

I think studying the way Struts handles duplicate form submissions could help you.

Some links:

http://www.techfaq360.com/tutorial/multiclick.jsp

http://www.java-samples.com/showtutorial.php?tutorialid=582

http://www.xinotes.org/notes/note/369/

Answer 2

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/55871/track-when-user-hits-back-button-on-the-browser

Answer 3

The event object offers you to get the key code. so basically you register an eventlistener onKeyDown. Use the received event. if the keycode matches the key you like continue with your function.

document getElementById('elementId').onKeyDown = checkKey();
function checkKey(event) {
  if (event.keyCode === keyCode) then . . . 
}

play around with alert(event.keyCode); to find the right one.

Answer 4

I'd have thought that using cookies is the easiest way to do this