Can I use vue-router to data-bind a dropdown's value to a URL's query parameter?

Discover how to effectively bind dropdown values to URL query parameters using `vue-router` with easy-to-follow steps.
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Binding Dropdowns to URL Query Parameters with Vue-Router

The Problem at Hand

When a user accesses a URL like /page?dropdown=foo, the dropdown should have foo pre-selected.

Furthermore, if a user changes the dropdown to bar, the URL should automatically update to /page?dropdown=bar.

Your immediate question may be: Is there a built-in way with vue-router to achieve this data binding? Or will I have to manually handle this through route changes and events?

The Solution Explained

After diving into the vue-router documentation and understanding the available features, here's how you can effectively bind your dropdown's value to a query parameter:

Step 1: Enable Props in Router Configuration

First and foremost, you need to configure your router to pass props. By enabling props in your route definition, you enable the values from URL parameters to be passed down as props to your component. For instance, your router configuration might look like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 2: React to Changes in the Component

Once you have set up your props, the next step is to ensure your component uses this prop effectively. Using the dropdown prop in your component's data, you can set the initial state of your dropdown according to the URL's query parameter and react to any changes accordingly.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 3: Update the URL Without Creating New History Entries

In the @ change event of your dropdown, you will want to update the URL query parameter without adding a new entry to the browser's history. The replace method of the router does just that: it changes the URL while preserving the user's history, thereby offering a seamless browsing experience.

Conclusion