Is Refresh page button part of DOM

[oddshoes]

Are the back button and the refresh button part of the DOM, and if so is it possible to disable them for a particular page? Anticipating the obvious question “why would you want to do that", I have a form into which which users enter data, which then posts the data to a new page which reviews the input, the data having been stored in a MySQL database. To edit the data there is a button to go to yet another page which then pulls the data from the MySQL database and allows the user to edit it. Despite the fact that the edit data button is large and there is bold text entreating the user not to use the back and refresh buttons, a significant number still do. This results in a 2nd record being placed in the database rather than editing the 1st.

Maybe there is a better way round this problem as I am sure it is not unique to me?

All clues greatly appreciated.

[felgall]

Originally Posted by oddshoes

Are the back button and the refresh button part of the DOM, and if so is it possible to disable them for a particular page?

No they are a part of the browser and therefore belong to your visitor, They are definitely NOT a part of your web page and so you have no control over the refresh button and very limited control over the back button (in that the back button goes back through the history list and you can load new pages that overwrite your prior history entry rather than adding a new one)


The answer to any sentence containing both the word 'JavaScript' and the word 'disable' have the following two answers:

1. No the author of a web page cannot disable it using JavaScript.
2. Yes the owner of the browser can disable or override any JavaScript in any web page.