How/when to use ng-click to call a route?
Suppose you are using routes:
// bootstrap
myApp.config(['$routeProvider', '$locationProvider', function ($routeProvider, $locationProvider) {
$routeProvider.when('/home', {
templateUrl: 'partials/home.html',
controller: 'HomeCtrl'
});
$routeProvider.when('/about', {
templateUrl: 'partials/about.html',
controller: 'AboutCtrl'
});
...
And in your html, you want to navigate to the about page when a button is clicked. One way would be
<a href="#/about">
... but it seems ng-click would be useful here too.
- Is that assumption correct? That ng-click be used instead of anchor?
- If so, how would that work? IE:
<div ng-click="/about">
Solution 1:
Routes monitor the $location service and respond to changes in URL (typically through the hash). To "activate" a route, you simply change the URL. The easiest way to do that is with anchor tags.
<a href="#/home">Go Home</a>
<a href="#/about">Go to About</a>
Nothing more complicated is needed. If, however, you must do this from code, the proper way is by using the $location service:
$scope.go = function ( path ) {
$location.path( path );
};
Which, for example, a button could trigger:
<button ng-click="go('/home')"></button>
Solution 2:
Here's a great tip that nobody mentioned. In the controller that the function is within, you need to include the location provider:
app.controller('SlideController', ['$scope', '$location',function($scope, $location){
$scope.goNext = function (hash) {
$location.path(hash);
}
;]);
<!--the code to call it from within the partial:---> <div ng-click='goNext("/page2")'>next page</div>
Solution 3:
Using a custom attribute (implemented with a directive) is perhaps the cleanest way. Here's my version, based on @Josh and @sean's suggestions.
angular.module('mymodule', [])
// Click to navigate
// similar to <a href="#/partial"> but hash is not required,
// e.g. <div click-link="/partial">
.directive('clickLink', ['$location', function($location) {
return {
link: function(scope, element, attrs) {
element.on('click', function() {
scope.$apply(function() {
$location.path(attrs.clickLink);
});
});
}
}
}]);
It has some useful features, but I'm new to Angular so there's probably room for improvement.
Solution 4:
Remember that if you use ng-click for routing you will not be able to right-click the element and choose 'open in new tab' or ctrl clicking the link. I try to use ng-href when in comes to navigation. ng-click is better to use on buttons for operations or visual effects like collapse. But About I would not recommend. If you change the route you might need to change in a lot of placed in the application. Have a method returning the link. ex: About. This method you place in a utility
Solution 5:
I used ng-click directive to call a function, while requesting route templateUrl, to decide which <div> has to be show or hide inside route templateUrl page or for different scenarios.
AngularJS 1.6.9
Lets see an example, when in routing page, I need either the add <div> or the edit <div>, which I control using the parent controller models $scope.addProduct and $scope.editProduct boolean.
RoutingTesting.html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Testing</title>
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.2.23/angular.min.js"></script>
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.2.23/angular-route.min.js"></script>
<script>
var app = angular.module("MyApp", ["ngRoute"]);
app.config(function($routeProvider){
$routeProvider
.when("/TestingPage", {
templateUrl: "TestingPage.html"
});
});
app.controller("HomeController", function($scope, $location){
$scope.init = function(){
$scope.addProduct = false;
$scope.editProduct = false;
}
$scope.productOperation = function(operationType, productId){
$scope.addProduct = false;
$scope.editProduct = false;
if(operationType === "add"){
$scope.addProduct = true;
console.log("Add productOperation requested...");
}else if(operationType === "edit"){
$scope.editProduct = true;
console.log("Edit productOperation requested : " + productId);
}
//*************** VERY IMPORTANT NOTE ***************
//comment this $location.path("..."); line, when using <a> anchor tags,
//only useful when <a> below given are commented, and using <input> controls
$location.path("TestingPage");
};
});
</script>
</head>
<body ng-app="MyApp" ng-controller="HomeController">
<div ng-init="init()">
<!-- Either use <a>anchor tag or input type=button -->
<!--<a href="#!TestingPage" ng-click="productOperation('add', -1)">Add Product</a>-->
<!--<br><br>-->
<!--<a href="#!TestingPage" ng-click="productOperation('edit', 10)">Edit Product</a>-->
<input type="button" ng-click="productOperation('add', -1)" value="Add Product"/>
<br><br>
<input type="button" ng-click="productOperation('edit', 10)" value="Edit Product"/>
<pre>addProduct : {{addProduct}}</pre>
<pre>editProduct : {{editProduct}}</pre>
<ng-view></ng-view>
</div>
</body>
</html>TestingPage.html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Title</title>
<style>
.productOperation{
position:fixed;
top: 50%;
left: 50%;
width:30em;
height:18em;
margin-left: -15em; /*set to a negative number 1/2 of your width*/
margin-top: -9em; /*set to a negative number 1/2 of your height*/
border: 1px solid #ccc;
background: yellow;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="productOperation" >
<div ng-show="addProduct">
<h2 >Add Product enabled</h2>
</div>
<div ng-show="editProduct">
<h2>Edit Product enabled</h2>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>both pages -
RoutingTesting.html(parent), TestingPage.html(routing page) are in the same directory,
Hope this will help someone.