Angular routing is a mechanism that allows you to navigate between different views or components within an Angular application without requiring a full page reload. It helps in creating single-page applications (SPAs) by dynamically changing the content on the screen based on the user's interaction.
In Angular, routing is achieved through the Angular Router module, which provides a set of features for defining routes and managing navigation. Here's how it works:
Route Configuration: Routes are defined in the Angular application using the RouterModule and the Routes array. Each route consists of a path and a component that should be displayed when the user navigates to that path.
Router Outlet: The Router Outlet is a directive provided by Angular that acts as a placeholder for the component to be rendered based on the current route. It marks the location where the component associated with the current route will be injected.
Router Link: The Router Link directive is used to create links or navigation elements in your application templates. It allows you to define a target route and when clicked, the Angular Router will update the URL and render the associated component in the Router Outlet.
Navigation: Navigation in Angular is triggered by user interactions such as clicking a link or using the browser's back and forward buttons. When a user triggers a navigation event, the Angular Router matches the URL against the defined routes and loads the corresponding component into the Router Outlet.
Route Parameters: Angular routing supports passing parameters in the URL. These parameters can be captured and accessed in the component using the ActivatedRoute service. It allows for dynamic and data-driven routing within an application.
By leveraging Angular routing, you can create a seamless and interactive user experience by navigating between different views or components without the need for full page reloads. It helps in building modular and maintainable applications by dividing them into smaller, reusable components and managing their navigation efficiently.
how Angular routing works in a simple application:
import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { RouterModule, Routes } from '@angular/router';
import { HomeComponent } from './home.component';
import { AboutComponent } from './about.component';
import { ContactComponent } from './contact.component';
const routes: Routes = [
{ path: '', component: HomeComponent },
{ path: 'about', component: AboutComponent },
{ path: 'contact', component: ContactComponent }
];
@NgModule({
imports: [RouterModule.forRoot(routes)],
exports: [RouterModule]
})
export class AppRoutingModule { }
<nav>
<a routerLink="/">Home</a>
<a routerLink="/about">About</a>
<a routerLink="/contact">Contact</a>
</nav>
<router-outlet></router-outlet>
import { Component } from '@angular/core';
@Component({
selector: 'app-home',
template: '<h1>Welcome to the Home Page</h1>'
})
export class HomeComponent { }
import { Component } from '@angular/core';
@Component({
selector: 'app-about',
template: '<h1>About Us</h1><p>Welcome to our company!</p>'
})
export class AboutComponent { }
import { Component } from '@angular/core';
@Component({
selector: 'app-contact',
template: '<h1>Contact Us</h1><p>Feel free to reach out to us!</p>'
})
export class ContactComponent { }
In this example, we have three components: HomeComponent, AboutComponent, and ContactComponent. The routes are configured in the AppRoutingModule using the RouterModule.forRoot() method. The navigation links in the app.component.html template use the routerLink directive to specify the target routes.
When the application is running, clicking on the links will trigger the navigation. For example, clicking on "About" will load the AboutComponent and display its template in the <router-outlet> element.
By defining routes and associating components, Angular routing enables seamless navigation between different views or components within the application