history.html

<title>HTML5 History API</title>
<style>
#examples {
  padding-left: 20px;
}
#examples li {
  list-style: square;
  padding: 0;
  margin: 0;
}
</style>
<article>
  <p id="status">HTML5 History API not supported</p>
  <p><em>Last event fired: <span id="lastevent">(none)</span></em></p>
  <p>To test the History API, click through the urls below. Note that none of these urls point to <em>real</em> pages. JavaScript will intercept these clicks, load data and the browser address bar will <em>appear</em> to change - but this is the History API in action!</p>
  <p>Use the back and forward buttons in your browser to navigate the history.</p>
  <ul id="examples">
    <li><a href="/history/first">first</a></li>
    <li><a href="/history/second">second</a></li>
    <li><a href="/history/third">third</a></li>
    <li><a href="/history/fourth">fourth</a></li>
  </ul>
  <p><small>Note: since these urls aren't real, refreshing the page will land on an invalid url.</small></p>
  <div id="output"></div>
</article>
<script>
var $ = function (s) { return document.getElementById(s); },
    state = $('status'),
    lastevent = $('lastevent'),
    urlhistory = $('urlhistory'),
    examples = $('examples'),
    output = $('output'),
    template = '<p>URL: <strong>{url}</strong>, name: <strong>{name}</strong>, location: <strong>{location}</strong></p>',
    data = { // imagine these are ajax requests :)
      first : {
        name: "Remy",
        location: "Brighton, UK"
      },
      second: {
        name: "John",
        location: "San Francisco, USA"
      },
      third: {
        name: "Jeff",
        location: "Vancover, Canada"
      },
      fourth: {
        name: "Simon",
        location: "London, UK"
      }
    };

function reportEvent(event) {
  lastevent.innerHTML = event.type;
}

function reportData(data) {
  output.innerHTML = template.replace(/(:?\{(.*?)\})/g, function (a,b,c) {
    return data[c];
  });
}

if (typeof history.pushState === 'undefined') {
  state.className = 'fail';
} else {
  state.className = 'success';
  state.innerHTML = 'HTML5 History API available';
}

addEvent(examples, 'click', function (event) {
  var title;
  
  event.preventDefault();
  if (event.target.nodeName == 'A') {
    title = event.target.innerHTML;
    data[title].url = event.target.getAttribute('href'); // slightly hacky (the setting), using getAttribute to keep it short
    history.pushState(data[title], title, event.target.href);
    reportData(data[title]);
  }
});

addEvent(window, 'popstate', function (event) {
  var data = event.state;
  reportEvent(event);
  reportData(event.state || { url: "unknown", name: "undefined", location: "undefined" });
});

addEvent(window, 'hashchange', function (event) {
  reportEvent(event);

  // we won't do this for now - let's stay focused on states
  /*
  if (event.newURL) {
    urlhistory.innerHTML = event.oldURL;
  } else {
    urlhistory.innerHTML = "no support for <code>event.newURL/oldURL</code>";
  }
  */
});

addEvent(window, 'pageshow', function (event) {
  reportEvent(event);
});

addEvent(window, 'pagehide', function (event) {
  reportEvent(event);
});

</script>