This Stack Overflow answer suggests using <iron-signals>
to broadcast an event down the DOM tree to a custom element.
Below, I ask a different question.
Question
How do I:
- pass an event down to a direct child node (custom element)
- from a parent (custom element)
- without using
<iron-signals>
?
Code
This is what I have so far. But it doesn't work.
parent-element.html
<dom-module id="parenet-element">
<template is="dom-bind">
<child-element></child-element>
<paper-button on-tap="_handleTap"></paper-button>
</template>
</dom-module>
<script>
(function(){
Polymer({
is: 'parenet-element',
_handleTap: function() {
this.fire("my-event");
}
});
})();
</script>
child-element.html
<dom-module id="child-element">
...
</dom-module>
<script>
(function(){
Polymer({
is: 'child-element',
listeners: {
"my-event": "foo"
},
foo: function(){
// Do stuff
}
});
})();
</script>
You definitely can. Without iron-signals
you've got three options (that I currently know of):
- Get the parent and have the child attach an event listener to the parent
- The parent can have the child fire the same event
- You mentioned that events only go up. You can then make the child element listen to the
document
firing that event (but I think this is bad)
Here's an example
<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<base href="http://polygit.org/components/">
<script src="webcomponentsjs/webcomponents-lite.min.js"></script>
<link href="polymer/polymer.html" rel="import">
</head>
<body>
<dom-module id="parent-element">
<template>
<child-element></child-element>
<button id="btn" on-tap="_fireParentEvent1">Fire 1!</button>
<button id="btn" on-tap="_fireParentEvent2">Fire 2!</button>
<button id="btn" on-tap="_fireParentEvent3">Fire 3!</button>
</template>
</dom-module>
<dom-module id="child-element">
<template>
<style>
:host {
display: block;
}
</style>
<span id="changeMe">Message</span>
</template>
</dom-module>
<parent-element></parent-element>
<script>
(function registerElements() {
Polymer({
is: 'parent-element',
listeners: {
'event-two': '_attachToChild'
},
_attachToChild: function(e) {
// the parent makes the child fire an event
var childElement = Polymer.dom(this.root).querySelector('child-element');
childElement.fire('event-two', e.detail);
},
_fireParentEvent1: function(e) {
// the parent fires an event
this.fire('event-one', {
message: 'hello'
});
},
_fireParentEvent2: function(e) {
this.fire('event-two', {
message: 'goodbye'
});
},
_fireParentEvent3: function(e) {
// the parent fires an event
this.fire('event-three', {
message: 'game over'
});
}
});
Polymer({
is: 'child-element',
listeners: {
'event-two': '_handleEventTwo'
},
ready: function() {
var parent = this.parentNode;
// the child listens to the parent's event
parent.addEventListener('event-one', function(e) {
this.$.changeMe.innerHTML = e.detail.message;
}.bind(this));
// listen to the document level event (since events travel up)
// but this option is difficult to control
document.addEventListener('event-three', function(e) {
this.$.changeMe.innerHTML = e.detail.message;
}.bind(this));
},
_handleEventTwo: function(e) {
this.$.changeMe.innerHTML = e.detail.message;
}
});
})();
</script>
</body>
</html>
With Polymer 1.2.4 as documented here we can use fire
method options and force a child node (while still inside a parent element) to fire (and listen first of course) an event:
this.fire('test', {
user: {
name: 'Marios',
gender: 'male'
}
}, {
node: Polymer.dom(this.root).querySelectorAll('my-child-element'),
bubbles: false
});
We fired a custom event from an element but the emitter is the my-child-element
so in there we can attach a listener in the listeners
object. We also prevent the event bubbling so this event won't move upwards following the parents elements path. A typical listener could be:
Polymer({
is: 'my-child-element',
properties: {
...
},
listeners: {
'test': '_myHandler'
},
_myHandler: function(e) {
var user = e.detail.user;
...
}
});
@arthur in the Polymer Slack site says:
Events tend to go up the DOM tree. Going down, you can use a data binding or invoke a method.
Polymer Slack Site