[Webkit-unassigned] [Bug 11862] New: WebKit incorrectly caching pages

[bugzilla-daemon at webkit.org]

http://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=11862

           Summary: WebKit incorrectly caching pages
           Product: WebKit
           Version: 419.x
          Platform: Macintosh
               URL: http://www.tobeme.eu/
        OS/Version: Mac OS X 10.4
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: Normal
          Priority: P3
         Component: Page Loading
        AssignedTo: webkit-unassigned at lists.webkit.org
        ReportedBy: kennethmac18 at yahoo.co.uk


The above website uses a novel (non-AJAX) technique to change the content of
the page without the URL changing.

Specifically, it checks if the value of HTTP_REFERER is itself, and if it is,
it displays different content from that which is displayed if HTTP_REFERER is
not set or is a page on a different site. (It also uses cookies to remember if
this process has taken place. Once the appropriate cookie is set, user agents
will always see the content that is displayed when HTTP_REFERER is the website
itself, even if the HTTP_REFERER isn't the website itself.)

Because this scenario of different content at the same URL could prove
challenging for user agents to keep track of, we set an Expires time of now in
the HTTP header.

This generally works fine in WebKit, except in the following scenario:

a) A user visits the site for the first time.
b) The Flash animation on the site forwards them to the existing URL (but with
the HTTP_REFERER set appropriately).
c) The alternative content mentioned above is now shown, since the HTTP_REFERER
value was that of the page itself.
d) The user now clicks a link (it doesn't matter if it's to another page on the
site or to an external site).
e) The user then clicks their Back button.
f) Rather than seeing the previous URL in the form that it was most recently
seen by the user, WebKit - from its cache - reverts to showing them this URL
the way it was originally displayed.

For information, Firefox does NOT behave as above. In the situation described
in point (f), it shows the user the URL in the form that they most recently saw
it, rather than showing them it with its original content.


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