RouterLink for navigation in Vue - Mini Project: Build & Apply

RouterLink for navigation

📖 Scenario: You are building a simple Vue app with navigation links to switch between pages without reloading the browser.

🎯 Goal: Create a Vue component that uses RouterLink to navigate between a Home page and an About page.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a Vue component with a navigation menu

Use RouterLink components to link to /home and /about routes

Add a router-view to display the current page content

Use the Composition API with <script setup>

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Navigation menus are essential in web apps to let users move between pages smoothly without full page reloads.

💼 Career

Understanding RouterLink and router-view is key for frontend developers working with Vue to build single-page applications.

1

Set up the Vue component skeleton

Create a Vue component file with <template> and <script setup> tags. Inside the template, add a <nav> element for navigation links.

Vue

  
    
  



// Your code here

Hint

Start by creating the basic Vue component structure with template and script setup tags.

2

Add RouterLink components for navigation

Inside the <nav> element, add two RouterLink components. One should link to /home with text Home, and the other to /about with text About. Import RouterLink from vue-router in the <script setup> section.

Vue

  
    
  



import { RouterLink } from 'vue-router'
// Your code here

Hint

Use RouterLink components with the to attribute to create navigation links.

3

Add router-view to display page content

Below the <nav> element, add a <router-view> element inside the template. Import RouterView from vue-router in the <script setup> section.

Vue

  
    Home
    About
  
  



import { RouterLink, RouterView } from 'vue-router'
// Your code here

Hint

The router-view element shows the current page component based on the route.

4

Complete the component with accessibility and structure

Add an aria-label attribute with value Primary navigation to the <nav> element for accessibility. Ensure the component uses semantic HTML and the navigation links are keyboard accessible.

Vue

  
    Home
    About
  
  



import { RouterLink, RouterView } from 'vue-router'
// Your code here

Hint

Adding aria-label helps screen readers understand the navigation region.

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