Programmatically disable window.location.reload?

Question

Is there a way to override default behavior of window.location.reload - making it a no-op, for debugging purposes?

My first guess was window.location.reload = function() {} but this doesn't work, at least on Firefox. — Tomasz Nurkiewicz
– Tomasz Nurkiewicz, Commented Mar 5, 2011 at 15:12
Should be possible - see Javascript - override or prevent execution — Pekka
– Pekka, Commented Mar 5, 2011 at 15:12
@YiJiang Not in my Firefox 4+: [14:27:19.242] Error: Permission denied to shadow native property — user2428118
– user2428118, Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 13:28

PleaseStand · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-06 07:14:05Z

12

The problem is that for some reason, location.reload effectively is not a writable property in Firefox and Chrome. Here's some crazy way I came up with to override it (and others) in those browsers. It uses the non-standard .__defineGetter__() method, in part to bypass the magic of window.location = "/home.html" from interfering.

var _location = location;
__defineGetter__('location', function() {
    var s = new String(_location);
    for(i in _location) (function(i) {
        s.__defineGetter__(i, function() {
            return typeof _location[i] == 'function' ? function(){} : _location[i];
        });
        s.__defineSetter__(i, function(){});
    })(i);
    return s;
});
__defineSetter__('location', function(){});

The resulting mock object should prevent any function call (including .reload) or assignment (setting .href) from actually taking effect. Alternatively, you can limit your testing to IE, Safari, and Opera, in which .reload is writable.

answered Mar 6, 2011 at 7:14

PleaseStand

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2 Comments

XP1 Over a year ago

Won't work in Opera 11.60: "Unhandled Error: __defineGetter__: invalid modification of non-configurable property".

cdauth Over a year ago

That solution doesn't seem so crazy, but it doesn't seem to work in Chrome 99.

Sven · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-08 12:58:22Z

3

you have to call this code in a self-calling-function unless it won't work.

(function(location){
   ...
})(window.location);

answered Oct 8, 2012 at 12:58

Sven

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1 Comment

Carolyn Conway Over a year ago

This also fails silently in Chrome

Pedro Lira · Accepted Answer · 2025-05-22 12:26:08Z

0

Works on Chrome, if the idea is to prevent the reload/refresh:

window.addEventListener('beforeunload', function(e) {
   e.preventDefault();
   e.returnValue = ''; // For Chrome
   return '';
});

answered May 22 at 12:26

Pedro Lira

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