TC: Fast Reload Trick

The quick way to refresh a page's text content (and other content that is set to be always updated) is to switch to the tab with the page, and then click the "Go" arrow right to the page's address on the toolbar, or click the address entry in the Traction Control panel. That's it.

It's like clicking a link to this page, in that it only asks the server about objects which are marked as needing frequent updates. It's unlike using the Back and Forward buttons, which just show the page as you left it without contacting the server at all. Most importantly though, it's unlike the Reload button which verifies on the server the newest version of each and every object of the page, which is slow and useless.

Update June 2: I've been also wrong about Back-Forward never re-downloading pages. It is partly because of Noscript (home | amo) removing many advertising frames, which are usually forced to always reload. It is also because I've apparently been lucky enough not to have to spend too much time on non-cool, real web pages, of which a number is also forced to bypass Back-Forward caching. They can be outsmarted by using tabs, of course, or the Work Offline mode (see the pointer in one previous post).

Update June 10: I've realized the trick is quite obviously possible just with the standard location bar, and probably in any browser. I wonder how have I never thought of that. Or have I been using it and mysteriously don't realize now?

Anyway, both the address field method and the TC method have a problem [partly fixed in TC version 1.05] with addresses ending with in-page locations, like #this. I will amend TC, and the Firefox's location bar is being experimentally replaced with the Dão Gottwald's location bar extension (home | amo) (the discussion).