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VueJS - "this" is undefined in common function

I'm trying to extract a function for use across multiple components, but "this" is undefined and I'm unsure of the best practice approach of how to attach the scope so my function knows what "this" is. Can I just pass it as an argument?
Component:-
import goToEvent from "#/common";
export default {
name: "update",
methods: {
goToEvent
common function:-
let goToEvent = (event, upcoming=false) => {
this.$store.dispatch({
type: 'setEventsDay',
day: event.start_date
})
}
export default goToEvent
When I call goToEvent in my component, I get TypeError: Cannot read property '$store' of undefined. How do I avoid this?

In this situation I recommend to define eventable as a mixin :
const eventable= {
methods: {
goToEvent(event, upcoming=false) {
this.$store.dispatch({
type: 'setEventsDay',
day: event.start_date
})
}
}
}
export default eventable;
in your vue file :
import eventable from "#/eventable";
export default {
name: "update",
mixins:[eventable],
....
second solution :
export an object with the function as nested method then import it and spread it inside the methods option :
export default {
goToEvent(event, upcoming=false){
this.$store.dispatch({
type: 'setEventsDay',
day: event.start_date
})
}
}
then :
import goToEvent from "#/common";
export default {
name: "update",
methods: {
...goToEvent,
otherMethod(){},
}
//....
}

You're tagged with Typescript, so you need to tell TS that this actually has a value (note, I do not know VueJS, am using the generic Event types here, there is likely a more valid and correct type!)
First option, manually tell it what there is -
let goToEvent = (this:Event, event, upcoming=false) => {
Other option - tell it what type it is -
let goToEvent: EventHandler = (event, upcoming=false) => {
Of the two I personally prefer the second style for readability.

There are numerous ways to achieve this, here are some that I like to use in my projects:
Method 1: Mixins
Mixins are great for sharing a bunch of methods across components and also easy to implement, although one big con is that you will not be able to import specific methods that you need. Within the mixin, this follows the rules as in components.
File: #/mixins/eventable
import { mapActions } from 'vuex'
export default {
methods: {
...mapActions([])
goToEvent (event, upcoming = false) {
store.dispatch({
type: 'setEventsDay',
day: event.start_date
})
}
}
}
Usage in component:
import eventable from '#/mixins/eventable'
export default {
name: 'ComponentName',
mixins: [eventable],
methods: {
componentMethod () {
this.goToEvent()
}
}
...
Method 2: Static JavaScript files
In some cases, you might have a collection of helper functions kept in a file and want the ability to import as you need.
In your case, you seem to be using a store actions (assumed from the dispatch), hence I'll be including importing and using the store within the static JS file.
File: #/static/js/eventable.js
import store from 'path_to_store_file'
const goToEvent = () => {
store.dispatch('actionName', payload)
}
export default {
goToEvent
}
Note:
Although this is not entirely necessary, but only by declaring the imported function as a method within the component will it be bound to the component instance. This will allow you to access the function in the HTML portion.
Usage in component:
import { goToEvent } from '#/static/js/eventable.js'
export default {
name: 'ComponentName',
methods: {
// Read note before this code block
goToEvent,
componentMethod () {
// When declared as a method
this.goToEvent()
// When not declared, it can still be accessed in the js portion like this
goToEvent()
}
}
...

Why does this.renderChart not exist on CombinedVueInstance? [duplicate]

While rewriting my VueJs project in typescript, I came across a TypeScript error.
This is a part of the component that has a custom v-model.
An input field in the html has a ref called 'plate' and I want to access the value of that. The #input on that field calls the update method written below.
Typescript is complaining that value does not exist on plate.
#Prop() value: any;
update() {
this.$emit('input',
plate: this.$refs.plate.value
});
}
template:
<template>
<div>
<div class="form-group">
<label for="inputPlate" class="col-sm-2 control-label">Plate</label>
<div class="col-sm-10">
<input type="text" class="form-control" id="inputPlate" ref="plate" :value="value.plate" #input="update">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</template>

You can do this:
class YourComponent extends Vue {
$refs!: {
checkboxElement: HTMLFormElement
}
someMethod () {
this.$refs.checkboxElement.checked
}
}
From this issue: https://github.com/vuejs/vue-class-component/issues/94

Edit - 2021-03 (Composition API)
Updating this answer because Vue 3 (or the composition API plugin if you're using Vue 2) has some new functions.
<template>
<div ref="root">This is a root element</div>
</template>
<script lang="ts">
import { ref, onMounted, defineComponent } from '#vue/composition-api'
export default defineComponent({
setup() {
const root = ref(null)
onMounted(() => {
// the DOM element will be assigned to the ref after initial render
console.log(root.value) // <div>This is a root element</div>
})
return {
root
}
}
})
</script>
Edit - 2020-04:
The vue-property-decorator library provides #Ref which I recommend instead of my original answer.
import { Vue, Component, Ref } from 'vue-property-decorator'
import AnotherComponent from '#/path/to/another-component.vue'
#Component
export default class YourComponent extends Vue {
#Ref() readonly anotherComponent!: AnotherComponent
#Ref('aButton') readonly button!: HTMLButtonElement
}
Original Answer
None of the above answers worked for what I was trying to do. Adding the following $refs property wound up fixing it and seemed to restore the expected properties. I found the solution linked on this github post.
class YourComponent extends Vue {
$refs!: {
vue: Vue,
element: HTMLInputElement,
vues: Vue[],
elements: HTMLInputElement[]
}
someMethod () {
this.$refs.<element>.<attribute>
}
}

son.vue
const Son = Vue.extend({
components: {},
props: {},
methods: {
help(){}
}
...
})
export type SonRef = InstanceType<typeof Son>;
export default Son;
parent.vue
<son ref="son" />
computed: {
son(): SonRef {
return this.$refs.son as SonRef;
}
}
//use
this.son.help();

This worked for me: use
(this.$refs.<refField> as any).value or (this.$refs.['refField'] as any).value

Avoid using bracket < > to typecast because it will conflict with JSX.
Try this instead
update() {
const plateElement = this.$refs.plate as HTMLInputElement
this.$emit('input', { plate: plateElement.value });
}
as a note that I always keep remembering
Typescript is just Javascript with strong typing capability to ensure type safety. So (usually) it doesn't predict the type of X (var, param, etc) neither automatically typecasted any operation.
Also, another purpose of the typescript is to make JS code became clearer/readable, so always define the type whenever is possible.

Maybe it will be useful to someone. It looks more beautiful and remains type support.
HTML:
<input ref="inputComment" v-model="inputComment">
TS:
const inputValue = ((this.$refs.inputComment as Vue).$el as HTMLInputElement).value;

In case of custom component method call,
we can typecast that component name, so it's easy to refer to that method.
e.g.
(this.$refs.annotator as AnnotatorComponent).saveObjects();
where AnnotatorComponent is class based vue component as below.
#Component
export default class AnnotatorComponent extends Vue {
public saveObjects() {
// Custom code
}
}

With Vue 3 and the Options API, this is what worked for me:
<script lang="ts">
import {defineComponent} from 'vue';
export default defineComponent({
methods: {
someAction() {
(this.$refs.foo as HTMLInputElement).value = 'abc';
},
},
});
</script>
The autocomplete doesn't bring the foo property from $refs because it's defined in the template, and apparently there's no information inferred from it.
However, once you force the casting of .foo to the HTML element type, everything works from there on, so you can access any element property (like .value, in the example above).

Make sure to wrap your exports with Vue.extend() if you are converting your existing vue project from js to ts and want to keep the old format.
Before:
<script lang="ts">
export default {
mounted() {
let element = this.$refs.graph;
...
After:
<script lang="ts">
import Vue from "vue";
export default Vue.extend({
mounted() {
let element = this.$refs.graph;
...

I found a way to make it work but it is ugly in my opinion.
Feel free to give other/better suggestions.
update() {
this.$emit('input', {
plate: (<any>this.$refs.plate).value,
});
}

I spent a LONG time trying to find an answer to this using Vue 3, TypeScript with class components and (as it happens, although not relevant to this) TipTap. Found the answer from bestRenekton above which finally solved it, but it needed tweaking. I'm pretty sure this is TypeScript specific.
My child component has this at the start:
export default class WhealEditor extends Vue {
It includes this method (the one I want to call from the parent):
doThis(what: string) {
console.log('Called with ' + what)
}
And this right at the end:
export type EditorRef = InstanceType<typeof WhealEditor>
</script>
So this announces to any consumer of the child component that it can access it using the variable EditorRef. The parent component includes the child component in the template:
<WhealEditor ref="refEditor" />
The parent component then imports ref, and the child component and the exposed object:
import { ref } from 'vue'
import WhealEditor, { EditorRef } from './components/WhealEditor.vue'
I then have a method to get this object:
getEditor(): EditorRef {
// gets a reference to the child component
return this.$refs.refEditor as EditorRef
}
Finally, I can handle events - for example:
processButton(msg: string) {
// runs method in child component
this.getEditor().doThis(msg)
Like everything else to do with client script, it's so much harder than I expected!

How to share "computed" methods across a Vue.js application

I have a Vue.js application which loads a list of items, and each item is passed as a prop to a Vue component.
I figured out that by using mixins I can share common component properties, like computed,created, etc.
Now, I'm trying to sort the list of items and can't figure out how I would access each component's computed properties to apply sorting/filtering. How can I accomplish this?
Items
[{
price: 10,
qty: 2
}, {
price: 8,
qty: 3
}]
Mixin - ./Cost.js
export default {
computed: {
cost () {
return this.price * this.qty;
}
}
}
Component (which works as expected) - ./Product.vue
import Cost from './Cost.js'
export default {
name: 'product-item',
props: ['product'],
mixins: [Cost]
}
How would you access the computed properties, or restructure this setup?
List component
<template>
<div id="list">
<div v-for="product in sorted" :product="product">Cost: {{ cost }} </div>
</div>
</template>
<script>
import ProductItem from './Product.vue'
export default {
components: { ProductItem },
created: () {
this.items = [...] // as noted above
},
computed: {
sorted () {
return this.items.sort( (a,b) => b.cost - a.cost); // cost is not accessible!
}
}
}
</script>

Use vuex. Your vuex store will provide a getters object that can be wrapped into multiple components’ native computed objects, or accessed directly. Your code will be DRY, reactive, cached, and maintainable.
From my experience, once you need to go beyond child-parent data relationships, vuex, store, and shared state are the way to go. Once you get the hang of it, it is downright magical how your app evolves.
It is beyond scope of the question to show how to install vuex. Visit https://vuex.vuejs.org/guide/getters.html to see how getters are similar to computed properties, with the value of being shared between components. The official Vuex guide will also demonstrate how to initialize your Vue instance with the store.
Here are some snippets to show you the actors in the vuex system.
Store and State
// state definition (basically a shared reactive 'data' object that lives outside components)
state:{
message:'Hello'
}
// the store getters are declared as methods and accessed as properties (just like component/computed)
getters:{
message: state => return state.message
}
Accessing From Components
// component 1 wraps getter
computed:{
message(){
return this.$store.getters.message
}
}
// component 2 also wraps getter
computed:{
message(){
return this.$store.getters.message
}
}
// templates can also use getters directly
<div>{{$store.getters.message}}</div>
// If message was wrapped, you can simply use the computed property
<div>{{message}}</div>
Once you start using vuex, all sorts of other treasures start to emerge, such as the developer tools in Chrome, undo/redo support, simple refactoring of state, time-travel debugging, app persistence, etc. There are also shortcuts for adding multiple store getters into your computed properties.

As suggested by #Sphinx, you could use a ref to access the child component.
For example:
<template>
<div id="list">
<product-item v-for="product in sorted" :product="product" :ref="product"></product-item>
</div>
</template>
<script>
import ProductItem from './Product.vue'
export default {
components: { ProductItem },
data: () => ({
hidrated: false,
items: []
})
created() {
this.items = [...] // as noted above
},
mounted() {
this.hidrated = true
},
computed: {
sorted () {
if (!this.hidrated && !Object.keys(this.$refs).length) {
// handle initial state, before rendered
return this.items
}
return Object.values(this.$refs)[0]
.sort((a,b) => b.cost - a.cost)
.map(c => c.product)
}
}
}
</script>
This is assuming you have no other ref in your List Component.
You also have to check if the component is rendered first, here I use hidrated to flag when the component is mounted.

Setting up a utility class and using it within a vue component

A vue application I am working on currently has lots of code redundancies relating to date functions. In an effort to reduce these redundancies, I'd like to create a utility class as shown below, import it and set it to a Vue data property within the component, so I can call the date functions within it.
I am not certain on the best way to implement this. The current implementation results in an error saying TypeError: this.dates is undefined and my goal is not only to resolve this error but create/utilize the class in the Vue environment using best standards.
Importing utility class
import Dates from "./utility/Dates";
...
Component
const contactEditView = Vue.component('contact-edit-view', {
data() {
return {
contact: this.myContact
dates: Dates
}
},
...
Dates.js
export default {
dateSmall(date) {
return moment(date).format('L');
},
dateMedium(date) {
return moment(date).format('lll');
},
dateLarge(date) {
return moment(date).format('LLL');
}
};
View
Date of Birth: {{ dates.dateMedium(contact.dob) }}

My suggestion for this is to use a plugin option in Vue. About Vue plugin
So you will crate a new folder called services, add file yourCustomDateFormater.js:
const dateFormater = {}
dateFormater.install = function (Vue, options) {
Vue.prototype.$dateSmall = (value) => {
return moment(date).format('L')
}
Vue.prototype.$dateMedium = (value) => {
return moment(date).format('lll')
}
}
In main.js:
import YourCustomDateFormater from './services/yourCustomDateFormater'
Vue.use(YourCustomDateFormater)
And you can use it anywhere, like this:
this.$dateSmall(yourValue)
Or, if you want to use mixin. Read more about mixin
Create a new file dateFormater.js
export default {
methods: {
callMethod () {
console.log('my method')
}
}
}
Your component:
import dateFormater from '../services/dateFormater'
export default {
mixins: [dateFormater],
mounted () {
this.callMethod() // Call your function
}
}
Note: "Use global mixins sparsely and carefully, because it affects every single Vue instance created, including third party components. In most cases, you should only use it for custom option handling like demonstrated in the example above. It’s also a good idea to ship them as Plugins to avoid duplicate application." - Vue documentation

dateUtilsjs
import moment from 'moment-timezone'
function formatDateTime(date) {
return moment.utc(date).format("M/D/yyyy h:mm A")
}
export { formatDateTime }
Component JS
...
import { formatDateTime } from '../utils/dateUtils'
...
methods: {
formatDateTime,
}
Used within component
{{ formatDateTime(date) }}

Vue how to call filter from parent

How can I be able to call filter of parent using single file component. Below are my code.
app.js
import computed from '../vue/mixins/computed.js';
import filters from '../vue/mixins/filters.js';
import methods from '../vue/mixins/methods.js';
const app = new Vue({
el: '#app',
mixins:[
computed,
filters,
methods
],
mounted: function() {
}
});
home.vue
<template>
<div class="home-content">
<h3>{{home | uppercase}}</h3>
</div>
</template>
<script type="text/javascript">
export default {
data: function() {
return {
home: 'home'
}
},
mounted: function() {
this.$parent.$options.methods.makeConsole();
}
}
</script>
It's giving me this warning in console "Failed to resolve filter: uppercase"

You should just make the filter global available before starting the root instance with
Vue.filter('uppercase', uppercase);
Where uppercase can be a simple function like
function uppercase(str)
return str.uppercase();
}
That would be the most simple and reliable way to use the filter on all vue components;
If you import your filters to your parent via mixins why don't you use that mixin in the child?
Please do not use the this.$parent-method as it makes your child component statical dependend of that parent.
To use the $parent approach you may need to declare the filter function from the parent as a filter in the child:
filters:{
uppercase: this.$parent.$options.filters.uppercase
}

There is no point. Just include your mixin in the child as well. A component should ideally be autonomous, and not aware of where it is in the hierarchy of components (at least not the ones above or on the same level.