Refs in Vue.js: Understanding and Using the Power of References in Your Components

Vue.js is a popular JavaScript framework for building user interfaces. One of its many powerful features is the ability to reference elements in the DOM and access their properties. This is made possible through the use of refs. I am currently using VueJs version 2, while encountering a project needs I found something interesting called refs. So today I will share what I felt exciting.

What are Refs in Vue.js?

Refs are a way to access the properties of a DOM element or a child component in your Vue.js template. Essentially, refs are references to parts or components that you can manipulate directly in your code. This means that you can get a reference to an element or component, and then access its properties such as its value, set its value, or call methods on it.

Why use Refs in Vue.js?

There are several scenarios where you might want to use refs in your Vue.js components. Here are a few examples:

• Accessing input values: If you have an input element in your component, you can use refs to access its value and use it in your component logic.

• Accessing child components: If you have child components in your component, you can use refs to access their properties and methods.

• Direct DOM manipulation: Sometimes, you may need to manipulate the DOM directly, such as focusing on an input element. Refs make it easy to do this by giving you direct access to the elements you want to manipulate.

How to use Refs in Vue.js?

Using refs in your Vue.js components is simple. First, you need to bind the element or component you want to refer to as a variable using the ref attribute.

For example, here's how you would bind a textarea element to a variable:

<textarea
  ref="textareaElement"
  ...

Next, you can access the textarea element in your script like this:

let textareaValue = this.$refs.textareaElement.value

It's as simple as that! Isn't it fun? :-p

The $refs the property holds all the references to elements and components that have the ref attribute, and you can access them by using the variable you defined in the ref attribute.

However, Refs are a powerful feature in Vue.js that allows you to access and manipulate elements and components in your templates. Whether you need to access input values, child components, or directly manipulate the DOM, refs make it easy to do so. By using refs in your components, you can write more efficient, clean, and flexible code.