[SOLVED] Appending Hash to URL on .load() Page Update

Appending Hash to URL on .load() Page Update

BACKGROUND: I've got a page with the markup shown below. I'm using jQuery's .load() method to replace the contents of div.content-container with this code:

$(document).on('click', 'button#page2', function() {
   $("div.content-container").load("page2.html");
});

QUESTION: The method works, but I'd like to append the URL with a hash, i.e. #page2, which would allow back button functionality. Is there a way to add this feature to a site based entirely on HTML and jQuery .load()?

I've looked at Ben Alman's BBQ plugin, but as someone new to asynchronous content and a non-expert in jQuery, I'm having trouble figuring out how to implement it in my project.

HTML of main page:

<head>
<!--scripts & styles-->
</head>
<body>
<button id="page2">Page 2</button>
<button id="page3">Page 3</button>
<div class="content-container">
<!--content is loaded here-->
</div>
</body>

page2.html (and later pages) are not full HTML documents:

<p>Here's some content from the second page.</p>

Solution

AFAIK, there is no way to do this withing pure jQuery. You want to manipulate the browser history to add routing to your application, and to do this you require either a jQuery plugin, or directly with the native APIs of the browser: listening to the hashchange event and/or the HTML5 History API.

Quick and dirty toy example to "clear" your div:

$(document).on('click', 'button#page2', function() {
   $("div.content-container").load("page2.html");
   location.hash = '#page2';
});

$(window).on('hashchange', function() {
  if (location.hash === '') {
    $("div.content-container").html('');
  }
});