HTML Code Needed to Automatically Refresh The Page

preitzes · 09-25-2006, 05:50 PM

I run a free online journal with a buddy and we do the html ourselves. This is truly a labor of love!

We would like to find some general or generic html code that can be used so that every time someone clicks on our journal, it automatically refreshes the page. We have many subscribers who write us and say that every time they visit our page to see the new issue, they get the previous issue. So we always write back and ask them to click the “refresh” button which always works.

Can someone provide us with code so that when our page is bookmarked or re-visited, the page refreshes?

Thanks so much!

**DJ-Zep** · 09-25-2006, 06:09 PM

I see what you are saying. Computers use something called a "cache". This saves your computer work by storing files that you visit online so that it doesn't have to redownload them every time you visit the same site. Unfortunately, there is no code to change this. However, you can create a splash page (a page that says enter with a picture or logo). This will show the newest version of the issue every time they click the link on the splash page.

preitzes · 09-25-2006, 06:18 PM

Thanks!

Someone told me that there was a way to insert code that would trick the browser to think it is a different year, thus always opening the most current version of the page. I guess this was not true?

Thanks again!

preitzes · 09-25-2006, 06:20 PM

Oh, one more thing. How do the NY Times and other major Web sites get away with not having a splash page? I never hear of those papers coming up with previous issues.

**DJ-Zep** · 09-25-2006, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by preitzes

Oh, one more thing. How do the NY Times and other major Web sites get away with not having a splash page? I never hear of those papers coming up with previous issues.

They most likely use advanced coding that imports the new articles (such as php includes). This is kind of like the main page being the spalsh page with the new information built in.

preitzes · 09-25-2006, 08:13 PM

Thanks so much!

**gamerman0203** · 09-26-2006, 06:29 AM

Depending on your hosting operating system and if your hosting has ASP or PHP installed, there is a simple line you can put in at the top of the page that makes the browser not cache the page and bring up the fresh version.

In ASP the code is this:
<% Response.expires = 0 %>
but that is only if your hosting with Windows. I just picked this up from a website so I'm not sure if it is right or not, DJ-Zep should be able to validate it:
<?php
header("Cache-Control: no-cache, must-revalidate");
header("Expires: Mon, 26 Jul 1997 05:00:00 GMT"); // Date in the past
?>

preitzes · 09-26-2006, 02:51 PM

Yes, great idea. Thanks Gamerman!

09-25-2006, 05:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
preitzes Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 20 OS: XP	HTML Code Needed to Automatically Refresh The Page I run a free online journal with a buddy and we do the html ourselves. This is truly a labor of love! We would like to find some general or generic html code that can be used so that every time someone clicks on our journal, it automatically refreshes the page. We have many subscribers who write us and say that every time they visit our page to see the new issue, they get the previous issue. So we always write back and ask them to click the “refresh” button which always works. Can someone provide us with code so that when our page is bookmarked or re-visited, the page refreshes? Thanks so much!

09-25-2006, 06:09 PM	#2 (permalink)
DJ-Zep Design Team Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 1,541 OS: Windows Vista Home Premium (x64) My System	I see what you are saying. Computers use something called a "cache". This saves your computer work by storing files that you visit online so that it doesn't have to redownload them every time you visit the same site. Unfortunately, there is no code to change this. However, you can create a splash page (a page that says enter with a picture or logo). This will show the newest version of the issue every time they click the link on the splash page. __________________ Nice music blog Nvu \|\| Notepad++ \|\| Apache \|\| PHP \|\| Keep TSF Alive "The great thing about a computer notebook is that no matter how much you stuff into it, it doesn't get bigger or heavier."

09-26-2006, 06:29 AM	#7 (permalink)
gamerman0203 Retired Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 2,144 OS: XP MCE, Ubuntu Gutsy My System	Depending on your hosting operating system and if your hosting has ASP or PHP installed, there is a simple line you can put in at the top of the page that makes the browser not cache the page and bring up the fresh version. In ASP the code is this: <% Response.expires = 0 %> but that is only if your hosting with Windows. I just picked this up from a website so I'm not sure if it is right or not, DJ-Zep should be able to validate it: <?php header("Cache-Control: no-cache, must-revalidate"); header("Expires: Mon, 26 Jul 1997 05:00:00 GMT"); // Date in the past ?> __________________ Follow These Steps First! CPU-Z \| SensorView \| WinXP Clean Boot \| Latest DirectX \| ATI Catalyst \| Nvidia ForceWare Posting System Specifications

09-25-2006, 06:18 PM	#3 (permalink)
preitzes Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 20 OS: XP	Thanks! Someone told me that there was a way to insert code that would trick the browser to think it is a different year, thus always opening the most current version of the page. I guess this was not true? Thanks again!

09-25-2006, 06:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
preitzes Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 20 OS: XP	Oh, one more thing. How do the NY Times and other major Web sites get away with not having a splash page? I never hear of those papers coming up with previous issues.

09-25-2006, 08:13 PM	#6 (permalink)
preitzes Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 20 OS: XP	Thanks so much!

09-26-2006, 02:51 PM	#8 (permalink)
preitzes Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 20 OS: XP	Yes, great idea. Thanks Gamerman!