Method and system for providing exactly-once semantics for web-based transaction processing

A web-transaction processing system for providing exactly-once semantics for web-based transaction processing comprising:

• a) a client for requesting a form from the server and allowing a user to fill out and submit forms;
• and
• b) at least one server for generating a unique identifier for identifying a particular transaction;
• providing a form with the unique identifier to the client;
• upon receiving the filled out form, the server generating a status page for informing the user that the transaction is being processed and returning the status page to the client;
• and after returning the status page, the server performing transaction processing.

A method for handling errors in applications that employ a request-reply protocol in a system having a client and a server, comprising the steps of:

• a) the client requesting a form from the server;
• b) the server generating a unique identifier for identifying a particular transaction and providing the form to the client;
• wherein the form includes the unique identifier;
• c) the client filling out the form and providing the filled out form to the server;
• d) the server generating a status page to the client;
• e) when the client has received a status page, the client automatically checking the status of the transaction, when the transaction has failed, the client retrying the transactions after a predetermined time interval without user involvement providing exactly-once semantics;
• f) when the client has not received the status page, involving the user in error handling by providing at-most once semantics.