Detect history back using angular

Question

Detect history back using angular

Is it possible to detect that a user entered a page through using the history back button in his browser? Preferably I want to detect this action using angular.js.

I do not want to use angular routing. It should also work if a user submits a form and after a successful submit to the server and a re-direct, it should also be possible if the user goes back to the form using the back button of the browser.

javascript
jquery
angularjs

Answer 1

Here is a solution with Angular.

myApp.run(function($rootScope, $route, $location){
   //Bind the `$locationChangeSuccess` event on the rootScope, so that we dont need to 
   //bind in induvidual controllers.

   $rootScope.$on('$locationChangeSuccess', function() {
        $rootScope.actualLocation = $location.path();
    });        

   $rootScope.$watch(function () {return $location.path()}, function (newLocation, oldLocation) {
        if($rootScope.actualLocation === newLocation) {
            alert('Why did you use history back?');
        }
    });
});

I am using a run block to kickstart this. First I store the actual location in $rootScope.actualLocation, then I listen to $locationChangeSuccess and when it happens I update actualLocation with the new value.

In the $rootScope I watch for changes in the location path and if the new location is equal to previousLocation is because the $locationChangeSuccess was not fired, meaning the user has used the history back.

Here is the fiddle.

Answer 2

If you want more precise solution (detecting back and forward) I extended solution delivered by Bertrand:

$rootScope.$on('$locationChangeSuccess', function() {
    $rootScope.actualLocation = $location.path();
});


$rootScope.$watch(function () {return $location.path()}, function (newLocation, oldLocation) {

    //true only for onPopState
    if($rootScope.actualLocation === newLocation) {

        var back,
            historyState = $window.history.state;

        back = !!(historyState && historyState.position <= $rootScope.stackPosition);

        if (back) {
            //back button
            $rootScope.stackPosition--;
        } else {
            //forward button
            $rootScope.stackPosition++;
        }

    } else {
        //normal-way change of page (via link click)

        if ($route.current) {

            $window.history.replaceState({
                position: $rootScope.stackPosition
            });

            $rootScope.stackPosition++;

        }

    }

 });

Answer 3

JavaScript has a native history object.

window.history

Check the MDN for more info; https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/DOM/window.history?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=window.history

Not sure how good it's on multi-browser support tho.

Update

Seems what I've called above is only for Gecko-type browsers.

For other browsers try to use history.js; https://github.com/browserstate/history.js

Answer 4

I know it is an old question. Anyways :)

Bema's answer looks great. However, if you want to make it work with 'normal' urls (without hash I guess), you could compare absolute path, instead of the one returned by $location.path():

myApp.run(function($rootScope, $route, $location){
//Bind the `$locationChangeSuccess` event on the rootScope, so that we dont need to 
//bind in induvidual controllers.

    $rootScope.$on('$locationChangeSuccess', function() {
        $rootScope.actualLocation = $location.absUrl();
    });      

    $rootScope.$watch(function () {return $location.absUrl()}, function (newLocation, oldLocation) {
        if($rootScope.actualLocation === newLocation) {
            alert('Why did you use history back?');
        }
    });
});

Answer 5

when pressing back button, angular fires only $routeChangeStart event, $locationChangeStart not fired.