Vue.js is among the most popular progressive JavaScript frameworks used in building user interfaces. It’s primarily used for creating single-page applications. One of the distinct features that Vue.js provides is the Vue Router library that enables the development of highly interactive web applications. In this article, we’ll take a deeper dive into how Vue Router works.
In the world of web development, routing plays a critical role in directing users from one page to another, maintaining the state of an application while the user navigates, lazy-loading pages for performance enhancement, and so much more. Vue Router excels in these tasks, making it a breeze for developers to create more dynamic and complex applications.
The Basics of Vue Router
The Vue Router is basically a Vue.js plugin that you can include in your Vue.js applications. It allows you to map distinct URLs to different components, similar to how URLs map to different pages in traditional server-side rendered applications.
//A simple route configuration
const routes = [
{ path: '/foo', component: Foo },
{ path: '/bar', component: Bar }
]
// Create the router instance and pass the `routes` option
const router = new VueRouter({
routes // short for `routes: routes`
})
// Create and mount the root instance.
const app = new Vue({
router
}).$mount('#app')
In the above example, we set up two routes. When the URL is ‘/foo’, the Foo component is rendered, and when it’s ‘/bar’, the Bar component is rendered.
Navigating to Different Pages
Vue Router provides the `
// Using `router-link` component for navigation <router-link to="/foo">Go to Foo</router-link> <router-link to="/bar">Go to Bar</router-link>
Clicking on these links would change the URL and the component that’s being rendered.
Programmatic Navigation
Sometimes, we may need a more dynamic way to navigate between pages, often based on application logic. Vue Router offers the `push` function, making it possible to navigate from one page to another programmatically.
// Navigating programmatically
router.push('/foo')
This line of code has the same effect as clicking on a `
In summary, Vue Router is a powerful tool in the Vue.js ecosystem that simplifies the development and navigation control of single-page applications. Whether it is mapping distinct URLs to various components or controlling the navigation from within your application logic, Vue Router opens new ways to advance your Vue.js applications.
