How to Create an Autocomplete Box Using Vue.js?

16 minutes read

To create an autocomplete box using Vue.js, you can follow these steps:

  1. Set up Vue.js: Start by including Vue.js in your HTML file. You can do this by downloading Vue.js and including it locally or by using a content delivery network (CDN) link.
  2. Create a new Vue instance: In your JavaScript file, create a new Vue instance by instantiating Vue and defining its data and methods. The data property will store the input value and the results, while the methods property will include functions that handle the autocompletion logic.
  3. Bind input value: Use the v-model directive to bind the input value to a property in your Vue instance's data. This will automatically update the input value whenever the data property changes and vice versa.
  4. Implement a search function: Create a method in your Vue instance that performs a search operation based on the current input value. This method can make an AJAX request to an API endpoint or search through a predefined list of values. Upon receiving the results, store them in another data property.
  5. Display the results: Use the v-for directive to iterate over the results array and render each item as an option in a dropdown list. You can use the v-show or v-if directives to control the visibility of the dropdown based on the input value or the number of results.
  6. Handle user selection: Set up an event listener, such as @click, on each option in the dropdown list. When a user clicks on an option, update the input value with the selected option, and hide the dropdown.
  7. Styling the autocomplete box: Use CSS to style the autocomplete box according to your design preferences. You can customize the appearance of the input field, dropdown list, and individual options to match your desired style.
  8. Additional features: You can enhance the autocomplete functionality by implementing features such as keyboard navigation, debouncing or throttling the search function to reduce API calls, and handling edge cases like empty input or no results found.


By following these steps, you can create an autocomplete box using Vue.js that dynamically suggests and displays matching options as the user types in the input field.

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What is the purpose of using v-model in Vue.js?

The purpose of using v-model in Vue.js is to create a two-way data binding between a user input element and the Vue instance's data. It provides a convenient syntax to both bind the value of an input element to a data property and update the data property whenever the input value changes. This allows for a seamless synchronization between the user input and the data, making it easier to handle form inputs and update the UI.


What are computed properties in Vue.js?

Computed properties in Vue.js are properties that are derived from the data properties of a Vue instance. They are defined as functions that return a value based on other properties.


Computed properties are useful when we want to perform some calculations or transformations on the existing data properties and want to create a new property that reflects the result of those calculations. They allow us to write clean and concise code by abstracting away the actual logic and allowing us to work with the resulting values as if they were normal properties.


Computed properties are cached based on their dependencies, which means that a computed property will only update when its dependencies change. This provides performance benefits by avoiding unnecessary re-computations.


Additionally, computed properties can also be used with setters, allowing us to define custom logic for updating the underlying data properties when the computed property is modified.


How to create a custom event in Vue.js?

To create a custom event in Vue.js, follow these steps:

  1. Define the custom event in the component:
  • In the component template, add the @ symbol followed by the name of the event you want to create, like @myEvent.
  • Add a method with the same name as the event inside the methods section of the component.


Example:

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<template>
  <button @click="myEvent">Trigger Event</button>
</template>

<script>
export default {
  methods: {
    myEvent() {
      this.$emit('myEvent');
    }
  }
}
</script>


  1. Emit the custom event:
  • Inside the method that you defined earlier, use this.$emit('eventName') to emit the event. Replace eventName with the name of your custom event.
  1. Use the custom event in the parent component:
  • In the parent component, use the custom event by declaring the event name inside a v-on directive, like v-on:myEvent.
  • Assign a method to handle the event.


Example:

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<template>
  <div>
    <my-component v-on:myEvent="handleEvent"></my-component>
  </div>
</template>

<script>
export default {
  methods: {
    handleEvent() {
      // Handle the custom event here
    }
  }
}
</script>


Now, when the custom event is triggered in the child component, the handleEvent method in the parent component will be called.

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How to install the Vue.js autocomplete package?

To install the Vue.js autocomplete package, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open your terminal or command prompt.
  2. Navigate to your project directory.
  3. Run the following command to install the Vue.js autocomplete package using npm:
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npm install vuejs-auto-complete


  1. Wait for the package to be downloaded and installed.


Once the installation is complete, you can start using the Vue.js autocomplete package in your Vue.js project. Remember to import the necessary components and configure them according to the package's documentation.


How to make an API request to fetch autocomplete suggestions in Vue.js?

To make an API request to fetch autocomplete suggestions in Vue.js, you can use the Axios library. Here is an example of how you can implement it:

  1. Install Axios by running the following command in your Vue.js project directory: npm install axios
  2. In the script section of your Vue component file, import Axios: import axios from 'axios';
  3. Create a method that makes the API request using Axios. For example: methods: { fetchAutocompleteSuggestions() { axios.get('https://api.example.com/suggestions') .then(response => { // Process the response data const suggestions = response.data; // Update your component's data or store the suggestions }) .catch(error => { // Handle the error console.error('Error while fetching suggestions:', error); }); } }
  4. Bind the method to an input field using the @input event handler. For example:
  5. Optionally, you can add a delay to prevent multiple API requests from firing in quick succession as the user types. You can achieve this by debouncing the API request using a debounce function from a utility library like Lodash. Here's an example: import { debounce } from 'lodash'; // ... data() { return { inputValue: '', }; }, methods: { // Debounced version of the API request debouncedFetchSuggestions: debounce(function() { this.fetchAutocompleteSuggestions(); }, 300), // Adjust the delay time as needed // Handle input changes handleInputChange() { this.debouncedFetchSuggestions(); } } And in your input field:


With the above implementation, as the user types in the input field, the API request to fetch autocomplete suggestions will be triggered and the response will be handled accordingly.


How to handle asynchronous autocomplete suggestions in Vue.js?

To handle asynchronous autocomplete suggestions in Vue.js, you can follow these steps:

  1. Create a data property to store the autocomplete suggestions and an input variable to bind with the input field value:
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data() {
  return {
    suggestions: [],
    input: '',
  };
},


  1. Add a method to fetch the autocomplete suggestions asynchronously:
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methods: {
  async fetchSuggestions() {
    // Perform your asynchronous API call here to get the suggestions
    // For example, using axios:
    const response = await axios.get('yourAPIEndpoint');
    this.suggestions = response.data;
  },
},


  1. Add a watcher to the "input" variable to trigger the autocomplete suggestions fetching whenever the input value changes:
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watch: {
  input(newValue) {
    // Call the fetchSuggestions method after a certain delay to avoid too frequent API calls
    clearTimeout(this.timer);
    this.timer = setTimeout(() => {
      this.fetchSuggestions();
    }, 300); // set the delay time (in milliseconds) according to your preference
  },
},


  1. In your template, bind the "input" variable to the input field using v-model, and show the suggestions using a dropdown or a list:
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<input v-model="input" type="text">

<ul>
  <li v-for="suggestion in suggestions" :key="suggestion.id">{{ suggestion.label }}</li>
</ul>


With this setup, whenever the user types in the input field, the "input" variable will update and trigger the watcher, which in turn calls the fetchSuggestions method asynchronously to get the autocomplete suggestions. The suggestions will be stored in the "suggestions" array and can be displayed in the template.


What is Vue.js used for?

Vue.js is a JavaScript framework that is used for building user interfaces and applications. It is specifically designed for creating reactive, dynamic, and interactive web pages. Vue.js allows developers to build single-page applications (SPAs) or integrate its components into existing websites for more interactive features. It focuses on the view layer of the application and offers features like data binding, component-based architecture, reusability, and smooth rendering. Vue.js is widely used in web development for developing modern and responsive front-end interfaces.


How to handle user input in Vue.js?

In Vue.js, you can handle user input by using the v-model directive or by binding an event listener to the specific input element. Here are two approaches to handle user input in Vue.js:

  1. Using v-model directive: The v-model directive allows you to create two-way data binding between the input element and the data property of Vue instance. Add the v-model directive to your input element and bind it to a data property in your Vue instance. Whenever the user enters a value in the input, it will automatically update the bound data property, and vice versa. Example:

    User Input: {{ userInput }}

  2. Binding an event listener: You can use the v-on directive or the @ symbol to bind an event listener to the input element. Add an event listener to the input element (e.g., @input="handleInputChange"). Implement the corresponding method in your Vue instance to handle the user input and update the data property accordingly. Example:

    User Input: {{ userInput }}


Both approaches allow you to handle user input in Vue.js, and you can choose the one that suits your use case and preference.


How to create a list of suggestions for autocomplete in Vue.js?

To create a list of suggestions for autocomplete in Vue.js, you can follow these steps:

  1. Set up a Vue component with an input field and a suggestions list:
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<template>
  <div>
    <input v-model="searchText" @input="handleInput" />
    <ul v-if="showSuggestions">
      <li v-for="suggestion in suggestions" :key="suggestion">{{ suggestion }}</li>
    </ul>
  </div>
</template>

<script>
export default {
  data() {
    return {
      searchText: '',
      suggestions: [],
      showSuggestions: false,
    };
  },
  methods: {
    handleInput() {
      // Fetch suggestions based on searchText
      // Then update the suggestions list and showSuggestions flag
      // You can use an API call or a local data source to fetch suggestions
    },
  },
};
</script>


  1. Implement the handleInput method to fetch suggestions based on the searchText. You can use an API call or a local data source to retrieve suggestions. Once you have the suggestions, update the suggestions array and set showSuggestions to true:
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methods: {
  handleInput() {
    // Fetch suggestions based on searchText
    // For example, let's assume you have a list of suggestions in an array called allSuggestions
    const filteredSuggestions = this.allSuggestions.filter((suggestion) =>
      suggestion.toLowerCase().includes(this.searchText.toLowerCase())
    );
    
    this.suggestions = filteredSuggestions;
    this.showSuggestions = true;
  },
},


  1. Bind the searchText property to the input field using v-model, and listen for the input event to trigger the handleInput method.
  2. Use v-if to conditionally render the suggestions list (ul) based on the showSuggestions flag. Inside the ul, use v-for to loop through the suggestions array and display each suggestion as a list item (li).


That's it! With these steps, you should be able to create a list of suggestions for autocomplete in Vue.js.

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