RouterLink for navigation in Vue - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

❓ component_behavior

intermediate

What happens when you click this RouterLink?

Consider this Vue RouterLink component:

<RouterLink to="/about">About</RouterLink>

What will the user see after clicking this link?

Vue

<RouterLink to="/about">About</RouterLink>

A An error is shown because 'to' must be an object, not a string.

B Nothing happens because RouterLink requires a click handler.

C The browser navigates to the '/about' route without reloading the page.

D The browser reloads the entire page and navigates to '/about'.

💡 Hint

RouterLink is designed to navigate inside the app without full page reload.

RouterLink uses Vue Router to change routes smoothly without reloading the page, improving user experience.

📝 Syntax

intermediate

Which RouterLink syntax correctly navigates to a dynamic user profile with id 42?

You want to create a RouterLink to '/user/42'. Which syntax is correct?

A <RouterLink :to="{ path: '/user/42' }">Profile</RouterLink>

B <RouterLink to="/user/42">Profile</RouterLink>

C <RouterLink to="{ path: '/user/42' }">Profile</RouterLink>

D <RouterLink :to="'/user/' + 42">Profile</RouterLink>

💡 Hint

Use binding with an object for dynamic routes.

Using :to with an object allows Vue Router to handle the route properly. Option A is invalid because it lacks binding.

❓ state_output

advanced

What is the active class applied to this RouterLink when on '/home' route?

Given this RouterLink:

<RouterLink to="/home" active-class="active-link">Home</RouterLink>

If the current route is '/home', what class will the rendered anchor tag have?

Vue

<RouterLink to="/home" active-class="active-link">Home</RouterLink>

A The anchor tag will have the class 'router-link-active'.

B The anchor tag will have the class 'active-link'.

C The anchor tag will have no class applied.

D The anchor tag will have the class 'active'.

💡 Hint

Check the active-class prop usage.

The active-class prop overrides the default 'router-link-active' class with 'active-link' when the link is active.

🔧 Debug

advanced

Why does this RouterLink cause a navigation error?

Look at this RouterLink code:

<RouterLink :to="{ name: 'profile', params: { userId: 5 } }">User</RouterLink>

The route named 'profile' expects a param called 'id', not 'userId'. What error will happen?

Vue

<RouterLink :to="{ name: 'profile', params: { userId: 5 } }">User</RouterLink>

A Navigation fails because the required 'id' param is missing.

B Navigation succeeds and goes to '/profile/5'.

C A syntax error occurs due to incorrect param naming.

D The link renders but clicking it does nothing.

💡 Hint

Route params must match the route definition exactly.

The route expects 'id' param, but 'userId' is given, so navigation fails due to missing required param.

🧠 Conceptual

expert

How does RouterLink improve accessibility compared to a plain anchor tag?

Which of the following best explains how Vue's RouterLink component helps with accessibility?

A RouterLink requires manual ARIA labels to be accessible.

B RouterLink disables keyboard navigation to prevent accidental route changes.

C RouterLink replaces anchor tags with buttons which are more accessible.

D RouterLink automatically manages keyboard focus and ARIA attributes for SPA navigation.

💡 Hint

Think about SPA navigation and keyboard users.

RouterLink renders anchor tags with proper roles and manages focus to ensure keyboard users can navigate routes smoothly.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of the RouterLink component in Vue?

easy

A. To fetch data from an API

B. To style buttons with CSS

C. To create clickable links that navigate between pages without reloading

D. To manage application state

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand RouterLink's role

   The RouterLink component is designed to create links that navigate between different pages or views in a Vue app.

2. Step 2: Compare with other options

   Fetching data, styling buttons, and managing state are unrelated to navigation links.

3. Final Answer:

   To create clickable links that navigate between pages without reloading -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   RouterLink = navigation links [OK]

Hint: RouterLink is for navigation links, not data or styling [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing RouterLink with data fetching methods
• Thinking RouterLink manages app state
• Assuming RouterLink styles elements

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to create a RouterLink to the path '/home'?

easy

A. Home

B. Home

C. Home

D. Home

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall RouterLink attribute for navigation

   The correct attribute to specify the destination path is to, not href, link, or path.

2. Step 2: Verify syntax correctness

   Using to='/home' inside <RouterLink> is the standard Vue Router syntax.

3. Final Answer:

   <RouterLink to='/home'>Home</RouterLink> -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Use 'to' attribute for RouterLink path [OK]

Hint: RouterLink uses 'to' attribute, not 'href' [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'href' instead of 'to'
• Using non-existent attributes like 'link' or 'path'
• Forgetting to close the RouterLink tag properly

3. Given this Vue template snippet:

<RouterLink to='/about'>About</RouterLink>

What happens when the user clicks this link?

medium

A. The page reloads and navigates to '/about'

B. Nothing happens because RouterLink requires a click handler

C. An error is thrown because 'to' is not a valid attribute

D. The app navigates to '/about' without reloading the page

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand RouterLink navigation behavior

   RouterLink navigates within the Vue app using client-side routing, so it changes the page without a full reload.

2. Step 2: Check attribute validity

   The to attribute is valid and specifies the target route.

3. Final Answer:

   The app navigates to '/about' without reloading the page -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   RouterLink navigates without reload [OK]

Hint: RouterLink changes page without reload on click [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking RouterLink causes full page reload
• Believing RouterLink needs extra click handlers
• Confusing 'to' attribute as invalid

4. Identify the error in this RouterLink usage:

<RouterLink to='/contact'>Contact</RouterLink>

and explain why it might not work as expected.

medium

A. RouterLink must be imported and registered before use

B. The 'to' attribute should be 'href' for RouterLink

C. RouterLink requires a closing slash like <RouterLink />

D. The text inside RouterLink must be wrapped in a span

Solution

1. Step 1: Check attribute correctness

   The 'to' attribute is correct for RouterLink; 'href' is incorrect.

2. Step 2: Verify component usage requirements

   RouterLink must be imported from 'vue-router' and registered or globally available to work properly.

3. Final Answer:

   RouterLink must be imported and registered before use -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   RouterLink needs import and registration [OK]

Hint: Always import and register RouterLink before using [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'href' instead of 'to'
• Forgetting to import RouterLink
• Thinking RouterLink needs self-closing tag

5. You want to style the active RouterLink differently. Which attribute or feature should you use to apply a CSS class when the link is active?

hard

A. Add a click event to change the class manually

B. Use the 'active-class' attribute on RouterLink

C. Use the 'class' attribute with a fixed class name

D. Wrap RouterLink in a div and style the div

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall RouterLink active styling feature

   RouterLink supports an active-class attribute that automatically applies a CSS class when the link matches the current route.

2. Step 2: Compare with other options

   Manually changing classes or wrapping in divs is unnecessary and less efficient.

3. Final Answer:

   Use the 'active-class' attribute on RouterLink -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Active link styling uses 'active-class' [OK]

Hint: Use 'active-class' to style active RouterLink automatically [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to style active links manually with click events
• Using fixed class without active detection
• Styling parent div instead of RouterLink