In this article, we will explore how to share data from a parent component to a child component using the @Input() decorator in Angular.
Understanding @Input() Decorator
The @Input() decorator is an Angular feature that allows you to pass data from a parent component to a child component. It essentially creates an input property on the child component, which can be bound to a value in the parent component's template. Whenever the value of the input property changes in the parent, the child component is automatically updated with the new value.
Setting Up the Parent Component
Let's start by creating a simple example. Imagine we have a parent component that displays a user's name, and we want to pass this name to a child component for display.
- Create a new parent component using the Angular CLI:
ng generate component parent
Open the parent.component.ts file and define a property with the @Input() decorator:
import { Component } from '@angular/core';
@Component({
selector: 'app-parent',
template: `
<h1>Hello, {{ userName }}!</h1>
<app-child [inputName]="userName"></app-child>
`,
})
export class ParentComponent {
userName = 'Tahir Ansari';
}
Creating the Child Component
Now, let's create the child component that will receive and display the user's name.
- Generate a child component using the Angular CLI:
ng generate component child
In the child.component.ts file, use the @Input() decorator to define an input property:
import { Component, Input } from '@angular/core';
@Component({
selector: 'app-child',
template: `
<p>Received name from parent: {{ receivedName }}</p>
`,
})
export class ChildComponent {
@Input() inputName: string;
get receivedName() {
return this.inputName;
}
}
Wiring Up the Module
ensure that you declare both the parent and child components in your module:
import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { BrowserModule } from '@angular/platform-browser';
import { ParentComponent } from './parent.component';
import { ChildComponent } from './child.component';
@NgModule({
imports: [BrowserModule],
declarations: [ParentComponent, ChildComponent],
bootstrap: [ParentComponent],
})
export class AppModule {}
Conclusion
In this article, we've seen how to pass data from a parent component to a child component in Angular using the @Input() decorator. This feature allows for seamless communication between components and enables dynamic updates whenever the data in the parent component changes.
Angular's component-based architecture, combined with features like @Input(), empowers developers to build modular and maintainable applications by promoting the separation of concerns and reusability of components.