Inconsistent Browser Back Navigation

Article Overview:

This article will cover how you can achieve the following:

• Address issues where the browser back navigation in Virtuoso does not return to the correct previous page.
• Understand and resolve potential causes related to cache memory and session persistence.

Problem Statement:

When performing a browser back step in Virtuoso, users may encounter an unexpected page instead of returning to the correct previous page in the browser history. This issue does not occur when using the browser back button manually in a regular browser but happens during execution, where the browser often navigates to the home page instead of the intended page.

Solution:

1. Step 1: Identifying the Issue:
   
   

   • The problem occurs when using the browser back extension code (history.go(-1), window.history.back();, or history.back()) in Virtuoso. The browser may not remember the previous page, leading it to redirect to the home page or another unexpected page. This behavior suggests an issue with Virtuoso's cache memory or how it handles session storage.
     
     

2. Step 2: Investigating Cache and Session Handling:
   
   

   • The inconsistent navigation behavior might be related to how Virtuoso manages session cookies or cache memory. In particular, if the browser does not retain session information, it might fail to correctly identify the previous page in the history stack, defaulting instead to the home page.
     
     

3. Step 3: Suggested Code for Browser Back Navigation:
   
   

   • Ensure the proper browser back behavior by adding the following extension code:
     
     javascript history.go(-1); window.history.back(); history.back();
     
     

   • If this does not resolve the issue, consider verifying the session and cache settings for Virtuoso. Specifically, check whether Virtuoso is correctly handling session cookies, which are necessary to maintain the correct browsing context.
     
     

4. Step 4: Troubleshooting Session Persistence:
   
   

   • It’s essential to ensure that Virtuoso retains the necessary cookies for maintaining the session state. If the session cookies are lost or not handled correctly, the browser might redirect to the home page rather than following the expected history path.
     
     

   • Consider implementing a manual step to set the necessary session cookies at the start of the journey to ensure the correct session context is preserved throughout the navigation process.
     
     

5. Step 5: Verify in a Regular Browser:
   
   

   • To confirm that the issue is specific to Virtuoso, manually perform the same actions in a regular browser. If the manual back navigation works as expected, this indicates that the issue lies within Virtuoso’s handling of the session or cache.

Examples:

A user experienced issues with Virtuoso not returning to the correct page after executing a browser back command. By ensuring that the session cookies were correctly managed and verifying the cache settings, the user was able to resolve the issue and achieve the expected navigation behavior.