[Krang-devel] General return mechanism

[Michael P. <mp...@pl...>]

Krang has lots of places where there is a Return button to go back to a previous
screen, but the mechanism to employ this is re-implemented in each place it's
used and doesn't function properly in some (try searching for a site, viewing
that site and then clicking "Return". Your search is lost). We also have a
pretty large extension to which we'd like to put more "Return" buttons in
various places so I've been thinking about a way to make it more general and
implemented in the same throughout.

It might go something like this:

+ If a page is shown that has actions from which we would like to return, the
controller adds the krang_return_params which are a series of hidden inputs that
contain the name/value pairs to remember. (Since this is probably going to be
used all of the place it would be a shared method in Krang::CGI)

+ If an action is taken on a form of class "returnable" it's first sent to our
return handler (Krang::CGI::Return?) which will store the krang_return_params in
the user's return "stack" as a save point before redirecting to their chosen
destination. (The magic of using class names and funnelling the request to
Krang::CGI::Return is similar to the class="ajax" magic in the ajax_and_new_skin
branch)

+ Returning to a previous page is as simple as going to the right run mode of
Krang::CGI::Return which any "Return" button will then submit to.

Thoughts?

-- 
Michael Peters
Developer
Plus Three, LP