Setting nested object property by string path

Question

I have 3 select boxes, and I would like them to reset a certain field on select. How can I make it dynamic, so that it is reusable?

Here's an excerpt of my code:

v-on:select="getDate('{{ route('api.v1.get.date') }}', 'input1', ['form.company.input2', 'form.company.input3'], $event)"

getDate(url, obj, obj2, event){

     let current = this

     current[obj] = ''
     current[obj2[0]] = ''
     current[obj2[1]] = ''

}

When obj is at the root level of the Vue instance (i.e., current[obj]), it sets the property correctly; but not when obj is a nested object.

Answer 1

In JavaScript, property accessors do not allow nested object paths, which is what you have in the dot-separated string. By using that string, you're actually creating a property on the root Vue instance instead of setting a nested property, similar to this:

this['form.company.input2'] = ''  // XXX: creates `form.company.input2` prop
this.form.company.input2 = ''     // sets `input2`

To set the object value by path, you could create a method that uses the object path to navigate the current Vue instance's data properties via this:

methods: {
  getDate(url, obj, obj2, event) {
    this.setValue(obj, '')
    this.setValue(obj2[0], '')
    this.setValue(obj2[1], '')
  },
  setValue(path, value) {
    let obj = this
    const parts = path.split('.')
    while (parts.length > 1 && obj.hasOwnProperty(parts[0])) {
      obj = obj[parts.shift()]
    }
    obj[parts[0]] = value
  }
}

new Vue({
  el: '#app',
  data() {
    return {
      input1: 'input1',
      form: {
        company: {
          input2: 'input2',
          input3: 'input3'
        }
      }
    }
  },
  methods: {
    getDate(url, obj, obj2, event) {
      this.setValue(obj, '')
      this.setValue(obj2[0], '')
      this.setValue(obj2[1], '')
    },
    setValue(path, value) {
      let obj = this
      const parts = path.split('.')
      while (parts.length > 1 && obj.hasOwnProperty(parts[0])) {
        obj = obj[parts.shift()]
      }
      obj[parts[0]] = value
    },
    route(prop) {
      return prop
    }
  }
})

<script src="https://unpkg.com/[email protected]"></script>

<div id="app">
  <input v-model="input1">
  <input v-model="form.company.input2">
  <input v-model="form.company.input3">

  <button @click="getDate(route('api.v1.get.date'), 'input1', ['form.company.input2', 'form.company.input3'], $event)">
    Reset data
  </button>
</div>

Alternatively, you could use a library (such as lodash's _.set):

methods: {
  getDate(url, obj, obj2, event) {
    _.set(this, obj, '')
    _.set(this, obj2[0], '')
    _.set(this, obj2[1], '')
  }
}

new Vue({
  el: '#app',
  data() {
    return {
      input1: 'input1',
      form: {
        company: {
          input2: 'input2',
          input3: 'input3'
        }
      }
    }
  },
  methods: {
    getDate(url, obj, obj2, event) {
      _.set(this, obj, '')
      _.set(this, obj2[0], '')
      _.set(this, obj2[1], '')
    },
    route(prop) {
      return prop
    }
  }
})

<script src="https://unpkg.com/[email protected]/lodash.js"></script>
<script src="https://unpkg.com/[email protected]"></script>

<div id="app">
  <input v-model="input1">
  <input v-model="form.company.input2">
  <input v-model="form.company.input3">

  <button @click="getDate(route('api.v1.get.date'), 'input1', ['form.company.input2', 'form.company.input3'], $event)">
    Reset data
  </button>
</div>

Answer 2

Try to use this.$set function as follows:

  this.$set(current,obj,'');
 this.$set(current,obj2[0],'');
 this.$set(current,obj2[1],'');

learn more about that function here