What is the best way to manage the browser tab close event specifically in Angular, without it affecting a refresh?

I am trying to delete user cookies when the browser tab is closed. Is this achievable? Can I capture the browser tab close event without affecting refreshing?

If I attempt to use beforeunload or unload events, the function gets triggered when the user refreshes the page, which is not what I want. I only want it to execute when the tab is closed.

Is there a way to accomplish this in Angular?

Answer №1

Solving this problem is no easy task, unfortunately. However, it is possible to find a solution. The following answer is a compilation of various responses from Stack Overflow.

Simple Component: Recognizing when the window is being closed can be achieved by using the onunload event handler.

Complex Component:

Distinguishing between a refresh, following a link, or closing the desired window can be challenging. Eliminating link follows and form submissions is relatively straightforward:

var inFormOrLink;
$('a').live('click', function() { inFormOrLink = true; });
$('form').bind('submit', function() { inFormOrLink = true; });

$(window).bind('beforeunload', function(eventObject) {
    var returnValue = undefined;
    if (!inFormOrLink) {
        returnValue = "Do you really want to close?";
    }
    eventObject.returnValue = returnValue;
    return returnValue;
}); 

Simplistic Approach

Inspecting event.clientY or event.clientX to determine the action that caused the event to fire.

function doUnload(){
 if (window.event.clientX < 0 && window.event.clientY < 0){
   alert("Window closed");
 }
 else{
   alert("Window refreshed");
 }
}

Using Y-Axis isn't effective since it's negative for clicks on reload or close buttons but positive for keyboard shortcuts. X-Axis variations across browsers also pose challenges. Implementing a series of conditions based on event coordinates is not entirely reliable.

Advanced Strategy

(Attributed to Julien Kronegg) Leveraging HTML5's local storage and AJAX communication between client and server. Note: This method depends on browser support for HTML5 local storage.

Add an onunload handler to the window as shown below:

function myUnload(event) {
    if (window.localStorage) {
        window.localStorage['myUnloadEventFlag'] = new Date().getTime();
    }

    askServerToDisconnectUserInAFewSeconds(); 
}

And include an onload handler on the body:

function myLoad(event) {
    if (window.localStorage) {
        var t0 = Number(window.localStorage['myUnloadEventFlag']);
        if (isNaN(t0)) t0 = 0;
        var t1 = new Date().getTime();
        var duration = t1 - t0;
        if (duration < 10 * 1000) {
            askServerToCancelDisconnectionRequest(); 
        } else {
            // handle tab/window close event
        }
    }
} 

On the server side, manage disconnection requests and implement a timer thread to disconnect users after a specified time. Canceling a disconnection request removes it from the list, preventing user disconnection. This approach can also differentiate between tab/window closings and other actions like link follows or form submissions.

Final Thoughts:

If the objective is to clear cookies upon window closure to prevent their use in future sessions, the mentioned approach is suitable. By invalidating the cookie on the server once the client is disconnected, you can detect old session cookies during subsequent login attempts, enabling deletion and, if needed, issuance of new cookies.

Answer №2

$window.addEventListener("beforeunload", function (e) {
  var confirmationMessage = "\o/";
  console.log("Executing small interval actions on tab closure like cookie removal, but unable to prevent customer from closing.");
  (e || window.event).returnValue = confirmationMessage; //Gecko + IE
  return confirmationMessage;                            //Webkit, Safari, Chrome
});

The possibility of performing foolproof actions at the moment of browser tab closure is a matter of debate. Due to the limited time available before closure, there are constraints in executing tasks successfully. If the user closes the tab before completion of necessary actions, it leads to uncertainty and reliance on client compliance. It is suggested to avoid heavy dependency on this method and ensure injection of $window.

javascript detect browser close tab/close browser

Recent Update: After thorough research and taking into account various suggestions, creating sessions with inactive timeouts of around 25-30 minutes is considered the most effective approach in handling such scenarios. By converting essential cookies into timed-out sessions, you can manage data security effectively. Setting cookie expiry also aids in managing session times, however, ensures cookies remain until next login. Sessions with less than 25-30 minutes of activity pose risks if the client remains idle for prolonged periods. Exploring event capturing techniques including link (<a>), form submit (<submit>), and key press (keypress) events have limitations when addressing browser or tab closures prematurely. These challenges necessitate strategic design modifications towards a more reliable architecture to mitigate potential issues later on.

Answer №3

I have recently devised a rather straightforward solution to this problem that has not been addressed previously.

HTML:

<div
  (window:beforeunload)="doBeforeUnload()"
  (window:unload)="doUnload()"
>
  ... your code here ...
</div>

TS:

  doBeforeUnload() {
    if (document.visibilityState === 'hidden') {
      this.tabWasClosed = true;
    }

    return false;
  }

  doUnload() {
    if (this.tabWasClosed) {
      ... perform logout action ...
    }
  }

The reasoning behind using the beforeunload and unload events was as follows:

Value for document.visibilityState:

beforeunload unload
tab closed 'hidden' 'hidden'
tab refreshed 'visible' 'hidden'

By utilizing the visibilityState along with the beforeunload event, you can distinguish whether the user refreshed or closed the tab. In my case, I also incorporated some additional localStorage elements to monitor logout state, though this may be unnecessary for future users encountering this issue down the line.

For more information on document.visibilityState, visit MDN: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Document/visibilityState

Answer №4

To ensure cookies are deleted when the browser closes, simply avoid setting an expiration date. Cookies will automatically be removed upon closing the browser.

It's unnecessary to track whether a user has closed their browser. There are more effective ways to achieve your desired outcome.

In conclusion:

If a visitor has left your page, it's not your concern what they do with their browser or computer. Detecting browser closure without user consent would likely not be feasible except through plugins or extensions.

Answer №5

Even though some time has passed since the original question was asked, I wanted to share my solution as well. To reload the page without losing cookies and remove cookies on window or tab close, I found using ng-keydown to monitor for the F5 key press (KeyCode 116) to be the most effective method.

HTML

<body ng-controller="exitController" ng-keydown="isRefresh($event)">

CONTROLLER

yourApp.controller('exitController', ['$rootScope', '$scope', '$window', '$cookies', function($rootScope, $scope, $window, $cookies) {
//initialized refresh to false, only set to true when a refresh occurs
$scope.refresh = false;

//Clear cookies on window/tab close
$scope.clearCookies = function() {
    $cookies.remove('sessionData');
    $cookies.remove('ss-id');
    $cookies.remove('ss-pid');
};

//Check for refresh event triggered by F5 key press
$scope.isRefresh = function(e) {
    var keyCode = e.keyCode;
    if(keyCode === 116) {
        $scope.refresh = true;
    }
}

//Handle refresh requests
window.onbeforeunload = function (e) {
    if (!$scope.refresh) {
        $scope.clearCookies();
    }
};

}]);

Answer №6

Ref:

To effectively handle the tab close event in your Angular application, it is recommended to utilize a HostListener for window:beforeunload either in your app component or the specific component you are focusing on.

@HostListener('window:beforeunload')
  onBeforeUnload() {
    return false;
}

Answer №7

One way to store data locally in the browser is by using sessionStorage. This allows you to utilize sessionStorage.getItem(...) and sessionStorage.setItem(...) much like how you would with localStorage. The main difference is that data stored in sessionStorage is not accessible in another tab within the same domain.

sessionStorage.setItem('test', 'test_value');
sessionStorage.getItem('test');

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