How Does GitHub Achieve Seamless Page and URL Transitions Without Visible AJAX Requests?

How Does GitHub Seamlessly Change Pages and URLs Without AJAX?

When navigating through GitHub projects, such as https://github.com/insoshi/insoshi, clicking into folders triggers sub-directory animations and URL changes, giving the illusion of using AJAX. However, this surprisingly smooth transition occurs without any visible AJAX requests.

Is it Pure CSS/JS or Advanced Optimization?

Initially, one might speculate that the effect is achieved through sophisticated CSS or JavaScript transitions. However, closer examination reveals that it's actually an AJAX-based feature.

AJAX Magic Revealed

You can use the FIREBUG browser extension in Firefox to observe the AJAX requests being made when navigating GitHub directories. These requests fetch updated directory listings, which are then rendered seamlessly into the page.

Transition Effect Breakdown

The transition effect itself is a sliding animation. As you click on folders, the page slides open to reveal the sub-directory, accompanied by a smooth URL update. Similar transition effects are widely used on the web, with numerous examples available online.

So, while it might appear to be a clever caching or performance-optimization trick, the seamless navigation on GitHub is powered by AJAX and enhanced with a simple yet effective slide transition effect.

The above is the detailed content of How Does GitHub Achieve Seamless Page and URL Transitions Without Visible AJAX Requests?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!