Handling Browser F5 Refresh in JSF

Problem

If a Web Page had a POST action submitted last and a User clicks the Browser F5 button or initiates a Browser refresh action, it cause the last action to be re-submitted, it could be a problem in your application as it would re-submit the previous POST request to the server. 

Solution

While there could be many solution to handle it at various levels, in this post I am trying to capture various methods we can use while using JSF as Frontend UI technology. Each method is suitable for a specific use-case:

1. Method-1
   

   <navigation-rule> <from-view-id>/views/submitaction.xhtml</from-view-id> <navigation-case> <from-outcome>success</from-outcome> <to-view-id>/views/successConfirmation.xhtml</to-view-id> <redirect/> </navigation-case> </navigation-rule>

2. Method-2

   <h:commandButton value="send" action="done?faces-redirect=true" />

   
   
3. Method-3
   If the requirement is to move from the original page to the same page after form submission. Ex.

   //In the Baking Bean have this code to return the String outcome: String viewId = FacesContext.getCurrentInstance().getViewRoot().getViewId(); return viewId + "?faces-redirect=true";

   
   
4. Method-4  (if you want objects to survive redirection)
   

   For JSF1.2: By implementing PhaseListener: http://balusc.omnifaces.org/2007/03/post-redirect-get-pattern.html For JSF2.0: Using Flash scope (http://docs.oracle.com/javaee/6/api/javax/faces/context/Flash.html): http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13685633/how-to-show-faces-message-in-the-redirected-page

Thanks!