What is @ViewChildren decorator in Angular?
The @ViewChildren decorator in Angular is used to query and access child elements of a component in the parent component’s template. It is a way to get a reference to all child elements that match a specific selector or directive. This can be useful when you need to interact with multiple child elements within a parent component.
When using the @ViewChildren decorator, you specify a selector or directive to match the desired child elements. The result is a QueryList, which is a collection of child elements that can be accessed and manipulated within the parent component.
Here is an example of how to use the @ViewChildren decorator in an Angular component:
“`html
@Component({
selector: ‘app-parent’,
template: `
`
})
export class ParentComponent implements AfterViewInit {
@ViewChildren(‘child1, child2, child3’) children: QueryList;
ngAfterViewInit() {
this.children.forEach((child) => {
console.log(child.nativeElement);
});
}
}
“`
In this example, the @ViewChildren decorator is used to query for all child elements with the specified selectors and store them in the children property. The ngAfterViewInit lifecycle hook is used to access and log the native elements of all child elements.
When using the @ViewChildren decorator, it’s important to note that the QueryList is updated dynamically when the DOM changes. This means that any new child elements that match the specified selector will be automatically added to the QueryList, and any removed elements will be automatically removed from the QueryList.
Overall, the @ViewChildren decorator in Angular is a powerful tool for accessing and interacting with multiple child elements within a parent component’s template. It provides a convenient way to manage and work with child elements, making it a valuable feature in Angular development.
