how to know whether modal boxes (alert, prompt, confirm...) have been disabled in javascript? - Stack Overflow

I have a private web based app where sometimes I genuinely ask to the users what they want to do in given situations. To do so, I'm using the confirm function of javascript.

As any other modal box, after a few popups the user has the choice to disable them by simply clicking the little box as showed below:

The problem is that, if they clicked it once, they never see other messages and responses to confirm are assumed 0, which is confusing because basically it means that all the actions requiring their confirmation are cancelled with no warning! Refreshing the page does not help, they have to close it and reopen it for it to work again.

Can I detect when they checked that little box?

I have a private web based app where sometimes I genuinely ask to the users what they want to do in given situations. To do so, I'm using the confirm function of javascript.

As any other modal box, after a few popups the user has the choice to disable them by simply clicking the little box as showed below:

The problem is that, if they clicked it once, they never see other messages and responses to confirm are assumed 0, which is confusing because basically it means that all the actions requiring their confirmation are cancelled with no warning! Refreshing the page does not help, they have to close it and reopen it for it to work again.

Can I detect when they checked that little box?

• javascript
• modal-dialog

Share Improve this question Follow edited Dec 19, 2013 at 2:46 Sebas asked Dec 19, 2013 at 2:37 SebasSebas 21.6k99 gold badges6060 silver badges109109 bronze badges 10

• Do you have to use an alert or confirm? Ideally you would just use an in-page modal system? Like jqueryui./dialog – loganfsmyth Commented Dec 19, 2013 at 2:40
• Why don't you use CSS dialogs instead of confirm()? – Barmar Commented Dec 19, 2013 at 2:40
• I don't want to prevent it, I want to know when the user clicked the box – Sebas Commented Dec 19, 2013 at 2:45
• 1 CSS is a native feature. If you want control over the user experience, use HTML, CSS, and Javascript. – Barmar Commented Dec 19, 2013 at 2:48
• 1 @loganfsmyth the concept of modal dialog exists since premices of user interface. It is not a nuisance unless you abuse of it. I personnally don't see any problem in it, I just want to know when it has been disabled by the user... – Sebas Commented Dec 19, 2013 at 23:28

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2 Answers 2

Sorted by: Reset to default 8

When that box is checked, the dialog "closes" immediately. You could check to see if the box closes unusually fast:

function dialog(message, success, failure) {
    var open_time = new Date();
    var result = alert(message);
    var close_time = new Date();

    if (close_time - open_time < 10) {
        failure();
    } else {
        success(result);
    }
}

dialog('Hello', function(result) {
    // The dialog probably was closed by the user
}, function() {
    // The dialog was closed really fast.
    // Either the user was typing while it popped up or the browser didn't
    //  display it in the first place
});

Although just using CSS and HTML to create modal dialogs would probably be much easier and more consistent across browsers and platforms. I personally don't like Chrome's approach.

Demo: http://jsfiddle/tS9G6/4/

I looked a little bit through Chromium's source and that property isn't stored anywhere, so there doesn't seem to be some Chromium-specific property that you can look at.

You can't do anything about it. It's a browser feature.

You can check for the timing -

How to Detect "prevent this page from creating additional dialogs"

This suggests doing the following :

function myConfirm(message){
    var start = new Date().getTime();
    var result = confirm(message);
    var dt = new Date().getTime() - start;
    // dt < 50ms means probable puter
    // the quickest I could get while expecting the popup was 100ms
    // slowest I got from puter suppression was 20ms
    for(var i=0; i < 10 && !result && dt < 50; i++){
        start = new Date().getTime();
        result = confirm(message);
        dt = new Date().getTime() - start;
    }
    if(dt < 50)
       return true;
    return result;
}