application.js

// Place your application-specific JavaScript functions and classes here
// This file is automatically included by javascript_include_tag :defaults

$(function() {
  
  // Hide the form button
  $('#products_search input[type="submit"]').hide();
  
  // Push searches onto the location hash
  var inputTimeoutId = -1;
  $('#products_search input').keyup(function() {
    window.clearTimeout(inputTimeoutId); // Reset the input timer.
    // Push the state into bbq - will be caught by hashchange event which triggers ajax
    inputTimeoutId = window.setTimeout(function() {
      $.bbq.pushState($('#products_search').serialize() + '&page=1'); // New search = start on page 1
    }, 250);
  });
  
  // On triggering submit manually it should do the search instantly :)
  $('form#products_search').submit(function(e) {
    e.preventDefault(); // Disable manual form submission
    window.clearTimeout(inputTimeoutId); // Reset the input timer.
    $.bbq.pushState($('#products_search').serialize() + '&page=1'); // New search = start on page 1
  });
  
  // Push search result navigation requests onto the location hash
  $('#products th a, #products .pagination a').live('click', function(e) {
    // Instead of return false; // http://fuelyourcoding.com/jquery-events-stop-misusing-return-false/
    e.preventDefault();
    // Push the state into bbq - will be caught by hashchange event which triggers ajax
    $.bbq.pushState($.param.querystring(this.href));
  });
  
  // Bind hash state change event
  $(window).bind('hashchange', function() {
    // Ajax Request on hashchange
    $.getScript($.param.querystring(document.location.href, $.param.fragment()));
  });
  // Catch any hash state change
  $(window).trigger('hashchange');
  
});

// TODO: changing the hash by hand does not work (jumps to last history)
// TODO: using a bookmark does not fill in the search value into the search box

• Fixed BUG: page:1 default working. Now when changing your search it jumps back to page 1
• Moved the timeout/delay from the hashchange event to the form search input keyup event, as its only required there.
• Re-enabled manual search submit (it pushes to the hashchange event now)
• Removed some old outcommented code
• Moved the TODO list to the bottom