[OPEN-ILS-DEV] Revisiting web client catalog integration

[Daniel Pearl]

A couple of days ago on IRC, I wrote:

I understand that use of iframes in the web client for inclusion of the catalog is problematic.  I stumbled across this page http://www.webdeveasy.com/back-butto​n-behavior-on-a-page-with-an-iframe/ which describes some JS code that edits the history stack of a browser to make the browser BACK button do the right thing when iframes are present.  Has anyone looked into this sort of thing?

While the solution presented doesn’t seem to map totally to the behavior in the Screencast (which, frankly, puzzles me), it is suggestive that judicious display history stack editing (now exposed in HTML5) could produce better results.

Dan

-----Original Message-----
From: Open-ils-dev [mailto:open-ils-dev-bounces at list.georgialibraries.org] On Behalf Of Kathy Lussier
Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2015 3:27 PM
To: open-ils-dev at list.georgialibraries.org
Subject: [OPEN-ILS-DEV] Revisiting web client catalog integration

Hi all,

After considerable testing of the web client and some follow-up discussions with Equinox, I would like to revisit a discussion we had last year regarding catalog integration in the web client - http://markmail.org/message/zicsno2i7jlshpdb.

I think the use of iframes will be problematic for our users. When testing, I've found that if I click to view holds for a bib record, if I then click the browser's back button, I don't return to the record.
Instead, I go back to a different holds view and then back to the advanced search screen. See the screencast at https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B74gDMUDwDXqMXhBMlBmQUI3Uk0&authuser=0.

There are navigational elements in the UI to bring users back to the record or to the search results. However, if there is a browser back button, people will use it despite those navigational elements. This is what makes the iframe issue distinct from what we currently have available in the xul client. There is no standard back button in the xul client, so people are forced to use the other navigational elements available in the UI. We don't have that level of control in the web client.

I am sending this e-mail to see if the collective wisdom of the developer community may be able to come up with a solution that will work well for our users. My preference is to not use iframes at all, but my primary concern is getting the browser navigational tools to work correctly.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Kathy

--
Kathy Lussier
Project Coordinator
Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative
(508) 343-0128
klussier at masslnc.org<mailto:klussier at masslnc.org>
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier


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