Force the browser to end the current step

Need:

Using Cucumber 1.0.1 and Watir 1.9.2, I need to execute javascript code in order for a proprietary portal to do some navigation.

Issue:

I am able to execute JS code with the following:

def execute_js(js_code)
  @browser.goto("javascript:#{js_code};void(0)")
end

execute_js("doNavigate()")

By doing so, the navigation is done as expected but Watir doesn't re-take control of the browser.

What I look for:

I look for a solution for Watir to re-take control of the browser after the 'javascript goto'.

Tested alternative:

@browser.execute_script('alert("toto");')

gives me this:

  execScript
      OLE error code:80070005 in <Unknown>
        Access Denied.

      HRESULT error code:0x80020009
        An exception occurred. (WIN32OLERuntimeError)
  ./features/lib/portal.rb:110:in `tln_main_tab'

Local gems:

• Ascii85 (0.9.0)
• builder (3.0.0)
• bundler (1.0.15)
• capybara (1.0.0)
• childprocess (0.1.9)
• commonwatir (1.9.2)
• cucumber (1.0.1)
• diff-lcs (1.1.2)
• ffi (1.0.9 x86-mingw32)
• firewatir (1.9.2)
• fuubar-cucumber (0.0.12)
• gherkin (2.4.5 x86-mingw32)
• hoe (2.10.0)
• json (1.5.3)
• json_pure (1.5.3)
• mime-types (1.16)
• nokogiri (1.5.0 x86-mingw32)
• pdf-reader (0.9.0)
• prawn (0.11.1)
• rack (1.3.0)
• rack-test (0.6.0)
• rake (0.9.2)
• rautomation (0.6.2)
• rspec (2.6.0)
• rspec-core (2.6.4)
• rspec-expectations (2.6.0)
• rspec-mocks (2.6.0)
• ruby-progressbar (0.0.10)
• rubygems-update (1.8.5)
• rubyzip (0.9.4)
• s4t-utils (1.0.4)
• selenium-webdriver (0.2.2)
• syntax (1.0.0)
• term-ansicolor (1.0.5)
• ttfunk (1.0.1)
• user-choices (1.1.6.1)
• viewcumber (0.1.2)
• watir (1.9.2)
• win32-api (1.4.8 x86-mingw32)
• win32-process (0.6.5)
• win32console (1.3.0 x86-mingw32) -windows-api (0.4.0)
• windows-pr (1.2.0)
• xml-simple (1.1.0)
• xpath (0.1.4)

I found a workaround:

def execute_js(js_code)
  begin
    Timeout::timeout(2) do
      @browser.goto("javascript:#{js_code};void(0)")
    end
  rescue Exception => e
    goto "#{@browser.url}#"  # <<< workaround is here
    return
  end
end

execute_js("doNavigate()")

It's not ideal, but it enables javascript execution, then updates the URL hash so that Watir knows that an actual action was done, so that Watir can go further.