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I have a @JavaScript annotation in my application to load a .js file from the classpath.

Now I've made an update to the file and redeployed (locally), but I always get the old version back. I've tried reloading everything (ctrl+R, ctrl+F5) but that doesn't work and also I wouldn't want the users to have to do that.

A trick I used in the past (without Vaadin) was to append a request parameter with the version (e.g. ?version=1) and update that so that the URL changes. But apparently that isn't allowed for the @JavaScript annotation (Vaadin doesn't even try to load the file).

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  • Maybe your app is using the @PreserveOnRefresh annotation on the UI object? This might prevent Vaadin from reloading any JS.
    – Danny Daglas
    Commented Jan 12, 2015 at 17:19
  • No, I'm not using @PreserveOnRefresh. Besides, I had restarted the server so that wouldn't have made a difference. I've currently just changed the filename (added _vxxx where xxx is a number) and that works.
    – herman
    Commented Jan 12, 2015 at 17:50
  • so you are saying, that even a server restart kept the "old" file? could you do a find for the file in your target-dir? could be, that it's there several times (e.g. once from your ide and once from your build tool). if both are in the classpath only one get picked up.
    – cfrick
    Commented Jan 12, 2015 at 17:54
  • well, at least now that I have renamed the file, there's no file with the old name lying around. Before the rename, I did check the file in the target folder and it had the new contents, but still I was getting the old contents in the browser.
    – herman
    Commented Jan 12, 2015 at 18:10

4 Answers 4

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I have overcome this by utilizing the resourceCacheTime parameter of the Vaadin servlet configuration:

@VaadinServletConfiguration(ui = MyUI.class, resourceCacheTime = 0)

Although it has its limitation as described in my answer to another question here.

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This is browser feature to localy cache JS files, nothing to do with Vaadin.

As you figure it out yourself: If you want to make sure users have latest version of JS file, you should rename JS file name to: script_buildNumber.js.

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  • I don't agree that this has nothing to do with Vaadin: there are ways for web applications to tell the browser e.g. not to cache certain resources. I came up with the answer of renaming the file myself but that's really a hack. At least being able to add a request parameter would prevent me from having to change the actual name of the file in version control.
    – herman
    Commented Jan 13, 2015 at 13:14
  • after a restart of the container, the new file is definetly loaded fresh from disc and a CTRL-F5 reload at least in Fx in default config will pull the new file.
    – cfrick
    Commented Jan 13, 2015 at 20:50
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Use the Chrome's incognito feature (and not use it when visiting spicy/unpleasant websites).

Just open your browser in Incognito mode https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95464?hl=en and the browser will cache nothing.

Other browsers have this feature as well (Opera, IE, Firefox, Safari).

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  • I wouldn't want my users to have to visit my web app in incognito mode to ensure they have the latest javascript files. Vaadin should provide a way to tell the browser not to cache them, or support adding request parameters to the name so files don't have to be physically renamed.
    – herman
    Commented Feb 4, 2015 at 10:25
  • Sure, I agree with you, I thought you need it only for development.
    – tonix
    Commented Feb 4, 2015 at 11:11
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As I noted in my comment on the question on January 12th, renaming the file worked. This seems to be currently the only way, although it's far from ideal.

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