Updating URL in Angular JS without re-rendering view

In fact, a view will be rendered everytime you change a url. Thats how $routeProvider works in Angular but you can pass maximizeWidgetId as a querystring which does not re-render a view.

App.config(function($routeProvider) {
  $routeProvider.when('/dashboard/:dashboardId', {reloadOnSearch: false});
});

When you click a widget to maximize:

<a href="#/dashboard/1?maximizeWidgetId=1">Maximum This Widget</a>
or
$location.search('maximizeWidgetId', 1);

The URL in addressbar would change to http://app.com/dashboard/1?maximizeWidgetId=1

You can even watch when search changes in the URL (from one widget to another)

$scope.$on('$routeUpdate', function(scope, next, current) {
   // Minimize the current widget and maximize the new one
});

You can set the reloadOnSearch property of $routeProvider to false.

Possible duplicate question : Can you change a path without reloading the controller in AngularJS?

Regards

For those who need change full path() without controllers reload

Here is plugin: https://github.com/anglibs/angular-location-update

Usage:

$location.update_path('/notes/1');