A JavaScript function to clear the browser location hash (if present), without leaving a `#` on the end of the URL, affecting page scroll, or causing the page to reload, whilst allowing `hashchange` events to work.

clearLocationHash.mjs

/**
 * Clears the window location hash (if present), without leaving a `#` on the
 * end of the URL, affecting page scroll, or causing the page to reload, whilst
 * allowing `hashchange` events to work. Only usable in a browser environment.
 *
 * Note: It’s debatable if a `hashchange` event should be fired when the old
 * URL has an empty `#` on the end, since `window.location.hash` will be the
 * same before and after; an empty string. This should be ok though as a native
 * link with `href="#"` triggers `hashchange` when the old URL has no hash.
 * @see [GitHub gist](https://gist.github.com/jaydenseric/7c8ac07a89fb6b8e7faa22e4808365e6).
 */
export default function clearLocationHash() {
  const oldURL = window.location.href;
  const hashIndex = oldURL.indexOf('#');

  if (hashIndex !== -1) {
    const newURL = oldURL.substring(0, hashIndex);

    window.history.pushState(null, null, newURL);
    window.dispatchEvent(
      new HashChangeEvent('hashchange', { oldURL, newURL })
    );
  }
}