History.js Deployment and Usage Guide

Prerequisites

Runtime: A modern web browser (Chrome 5+, Firefox 4+, Safari 5+, Opera 11.5+, Internet Explorer 10+) for HTML5 History API support
JavaScript Framework: Choose one of the supported frameworks:
- jQuery (1.3+)
- MooTools (1.2+)
- Prototype (1.6.0.3+)
- Ext JS (3.0+)
- Dojo (1.4+)
- Right.js (2.2+)
- Zepto (1.0rc1+)
Legacy Browser Support: For HTML4 browsers, no additional prerequisites needed (uses hash fallback)

Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/browserstate/history.js.git
cd history.js

Include the appropriate adapter in your HTML file based on your JavaScript framework:

For jQuery:

<script src="path/to/jquery.js"></script>
<script src="path/to/scripts/bundled/html4+html5/jquery.history.js"></script>

For MooTools:

<script src="path/to/mootools.js"></script>
<script src="path/to/scripts/bundled/html4+html5/mootools.history.js"></script>

For other frameworks, replace the adapter file accordingly.

Configuration

No environment variables or API keys required
No configuration files needed

Optional: To remove HTML4 support for modern browsers only:

// Remove HTML4 support
History.options.disableHashFallback = true;

Build & Run

Development

Include History.js in your HTML file:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <script src="path/to/your-framework.js"></script>
    <script src="path/to/scripts/bundled/html4+html5/jquery.history.js"></script>
    <script>
        $(document).ready(function() {
            // Your History.js code here
            History.pushState({state: 1}, "Title", "/new-url");
        });
    </script>
</head>
<body>
    <!-- Your content -->
</body>
</html>

Test in browser:
- Open the HTML file directly in your browser
- Use browser developer tools to verify History API calls
- Test back/forward navigation

Production

Minified version: Use the minified adapter files for production:

<script src="path/to/scripts/bundled/html4+html5/jquery.history.min.js"></script>

CDN: Consider using a CDN for faster loading:

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/history.js@1.8b2/scripts/bundled/html4+html5/jquery.history.min.js"></script>

Deployment

History.js is a client-side JavaScript library, so deployment is straightforward:

Static Hosting:
- Deploy your HTML files to any static hosting service
- Recommended platforms: Netlify, Vercel, GitHub Pages, AWS S3/CloudFront
Server-side Integration:
- If using server-side rendering, ensure server can handle the URLs used by History.js
- Configure server to return the same HTML file for all routes that History.js manages

Example Netlify deployment:

# netlify.toml
[[redirects]]
from = "/*"
to = "/index.html"
status = 200

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

History API not working in older browsers:
- Issue: History API not supported in IE9 and below
- Solution: History.js automatically falls back to hash-based navigation for these browsers
State change events not firing:
- Issue: onpopstate not working as expected
- Solution: Ensure you're using the correct adapter for your framework and check browser console for errors
Cross-domain navigation issues:
- Issue: Navigating to different domains breaks History.js
- Solution: History.js handles cross-domain navigation, but ensure your server configuration allows it
State data not persisting:
- Issue: State data lost after page refresh
- Solution: History.js stores state in browser history; ensure you're using pushState/replaceState correctly
jQuery adapter conflicts:
- Issue: Conflicts with other jQuery plugins
- Solution: Use jQuery's noConflict mode if needed:
```
var $j = jQuery.noConflict();
$j(document).ready(function() {
    // Your History.js code
});
```

Testing

Manual testing: Test in multiple browsers including legacy ones
Automated testing: Use tools like Selenium or Cypress for cross-browser testing

Check browser support: Verify HTML5 History API support using:

if (window.history && window.history.pushState) {
    console.log("HTML5 History API supported");
}

Performance Considerations

Bundle size: Choose only the adapter you need
Minification: Use minified versions in production
CDN: Consider using a CDN for faster global delivery
Caching: Set appropriate cache headers for static assets

Legacy Browser Support

IE8/IE9: History.js provides hash fallback automatically
Mobile browsers: Test on iOS Safari and Android browsers
Feature detection: History.js includes feature detection for graceful degradation

For more detailed information, refer to the History.js Wiki and the HTML5 History API documentation.

How to Deploy & Use browserstate/history.js