Maintaining the same URL (/apex/wizard?id=xxx) across a multi-page wizard

Question

I have a very simple controller and 3 visualforce pages below which form a 3-page wizard.

The wizard begins at wizard.page with an id parameter so the URL takes the following form /apex/wizard?id=XXX..XXX.

I'd like the URL to remain the same across all 3 pages, however once I reach wizard_step3.page, the URL suddenly changes to /apex/wizard_step2. The URL seems to change to that of the previous VF page.

Everything else works as desired - ie, the view state is maintained. But how can I change this URL behavior?

mycontroller.cls

public with sharing class mycontroller {
    public mycontroller() {}

    public PageReference gotoStep1() {  return Page.wizard; }
    public PageReference gotoStep2() {  return Page.wizard_step2;   }
    public PageReference gotoStep3() {  return Page.wizard_step3;   }
}

wizard.page

• URL begins with /apex/wizard?id=XXX...XXX

• Clicking Next: /apex/wizard?id=XXX...XXX

          <apex:pageblockbuttons >
              <apex:commandButton action="{!gotoStep2}" value="Next"/>
          </apex:pageblockbuttons>
  
      </apex:pageblock>
  </apex:form>
  

wizard_step2.page

• Clicking Next or Previous changes the URL to /apex/wizard_step2

          <apex:pageblockbuttons >
              <apex:commandButton action="{!gotoStep1}" value="Previous"/>
              <apex:commandButton action="{!gotoStep3}" value="Next"/>
          </apex:pageblockbuttons>
  
      </apex:pageblock>
  </apex:form>
  

wizard_step3.page

• Clicking Previous changes the URL to /apex/wizard_page3

          <apex:pageblockbuttons >
              <apex:commandButton action="{!gotoStep2}" value="Previous"/>
          </apex:pageblockbuttons>
  
      </apex:pageblock>
  </apex:form>
  

Answer 1

I think you should use setRedirect(false) function if you don't want to change URL.

If redirect is set to false and the pages share the same set of controllers and extensions, a server-side redirect will take place. In that case The URL won't change.

So i think you should do like this -

    public with sharing class mycontroller {
    public mycontroller() {}

    public PageReference gotoStep1() {  
    PageReference pageRef = new PageReference('partial wizard URL');
    pageRef.setRedirect(false); 
    return pageRef;
    }

    public PageReference gotoStep2() {
    PageReference pageRef = new PageReference('partial wizard_step2 URL');
    pageRef.setRedirect(false); 
    return pageRef;   
   }

    public PageReference gotoStep3() {
    PageReference pageRef = new PageReference('partial wizard_step3 URL');
    pageRef.setRedirect(false); 
    return pageRef;   
    }
   }