What are Vue.js router guards and how do I use them?

What are Vue.js router guards and how do I use them?

Vue.js router guards are functions that control access to routes in your application. They can be used to check authentication, permissions, or perform other checks before allowing navigation.

Can you give me an example of how to implement a beforeEach guard?

Sure! You can use the beforeEach method in your router configuration. Here's a simple example:

router.beforeEach((to, from, next) => {
  const isAuthenticated = false; // Replace with your auth logic
  if (to.meta.requiresAuth && !isAuthenticated) {
    next({ name: 'Login' }); // Redirect to login if not authenticated
  } else {
    next(); // Proceed to the route
  }
});

What if I want to add a guard to a specific route?

You can add a meta field to your route definition. For example:

const routes = [
  {
    path: '/protected',
    component: ProtectedComponent,
    meta: { requiresAuth: true }
  }
];

Then, your beforeEach guard will check this meta field.

Are there different types of guards I can use?

Yes, there are several types of guards in Vue Router: beforeEach, beforeEnter, beforeRouteEnter, beforeRouteUpdate, and beforeRouteLeave. Each serves different purposes depending on when you want to check conditions.