Use the History API

[rgbkrk]

At least for the dashboard/file system browser, it would be a much cleaner ("no flicker") experience if, when clicking through the file system on our dashboard, we used the history API and manipulated the DOM directly. We do use the contents API for the directory listing, so the dashboard is probably one of the easiest spots to use history.pushState and only update the view of the current directory.

history.pushState, history.popState, and history.replaceState are all well supported across browsers now a days (and have been for a while).

/cc @jdfreder

[rgbkrk]

As long as people are comfortable with this ideology, I'd like to start tackling this in a PR.

[minrk]

I think it's a good idea. I've wanted the dashboard refactor to happen before doing things like this, but since that's been on the horizon for at least two years now, I don't think it makes any sense to wait for it for anything anymore.

[ellisonbg]

I think this makes a lot of sense with our existing dashboard.

[JamiesHQ]

Hi there @rgbkrk - is this still an active request? Thanks!

[rgbkrk]

The way I'd implement has sure changed, now that I've worked with several "routers" 😄. It's still worth doing as it helps users with slower connections especially. We already have the APIs in place. Technically nteract has already done exactly this in commuter. It's intention was for public sharing rather than the notebook server though.

[gnestor]

I submitted a PR because this was a relatively easy thing to do... We'll see other think 👍