[webkit-dev] Trouble with History

[Kevin Newman]

Hello all,

I have been working on a script that allows AJAX or Flash (or any plugin
with scripting ability really) app developers to generate a history
within their application. It has been difficult to get this to work on
Safari, and just when I thought I got it, I found more bugs :-(

I was thinking about this recently, and have come to the conclusion that
this problem really deserves a platform level solution rather than a
hacky script level after thought solution (which is basically what I've
got, despite my best efforts) - especially with the increasing
popularity of RIA AJAX and Flash applications. I'd even be willing to
make my script look like whatever interface you (or whoever does the
first implementation) come up for backwards compatability and easy
migration. ;-)

Anyway, that's just something to think about for you guys, but in the
mean time I'd like to get my script working in your browser. If you take
a look here
(http://www.unfocus.com/projects/source/historykeeper.html#4) and click
on "Test Bookmark" a few times then press the back button, you will see
that the script does generate and keep an accessible history (until you
go to an external link then go back at least).

The problem I'm having is when I try to integrate Flash
(http://www.unfocus.com/projects/source/#About). This has a bunch of odd
behaviors in Safari 1.3. The first time you load it up it does not
actually generate new history entries when you click on the buttons in
the flash movie, though it does seem to update the hash portion of the
url. If you press refresh you will get an odd bug where it does update
the history, but also seems to reload the flash movie every time it does
(or something).

So I guess the question is first is this still a problem on Safari
2.0.x? And next, is why is it refreshing the flash in the browser, but
does not seem to update the entire page (my inserted anchors remain)? I
don't get any javascript errors (though Safari 1.3's javascirpt console
is less than useful in most cases).

Anyway, any help is appreciated, and if this is not the appropriate
place to ask these questions, I'd appreciate any pointers to a more
appropriate place.

Thanks,

Kevin N.


PS I previously sent a copy of this from the wrong email account, please 
disregard that..