ember-href-to
A lightweight Ember.js helper for generating anchor hrefs as a faster alternative to {{link-to}}.
What is ember-href-to?
ember-href-to is an Ember.js addon that provides a lightweight `{{href-to}}` helper for generating anchor hrefs to application routes. It solves performance issues in Ember apps where using many `{{link-to}}` components creates overhead, offering a faster alternative by avoiding component instantiation.
Ember.js developers building performance-sensitive applications, especially those rendering many links and seeking to optimize rendering speed.
Developers choose ember-href-to for its significant performance boost over `{{link-to}}`, its familiar API, and its minimalistic approach that reduces rendering overhead without sacrificing functionality.
Overview
:link: A lightweight alternative to {{link-to}}
Use Cases
Best For
- Optimizing performance in Ember apps with many rendered links
- Replacing `{{link-to}}` in performance-critical components
- Generating URLs for static and dynamic routes without component overhead
- Linking to routes with query parameters or fragment identifiers efficiently
- Improving rendering speed in list-heavy or data-table interfaces
- Maintaining compatibility with older Ember versions (3.1 to 3.26)
Not Ideal For
- Applications built on Ember 3.27 or later that use the modernized LinkTo component
- Projects requiring automatic active class bindings for visual feedback on current routes
- Teams that prefer the full component lifecycle and event handling of {{link-to}} for complex link interactions
Pros & Cons
Pros
Generates URLs without creating Ember components, making it up to 12x faster than {{link-to}} in scenarios with many links, as noted in the README's benchmark.
Uses the same interface as {{link-to}}, supporting static routes, dynamic segments, query parameters, and fragment identifiers, easing adoption.
Avoids component overhead, providing just a bound href and click handler, which reduces rendering complexity and memory usage.
Works with Ember versions from 3.1 to 3.26, making it suitable for maintaining or upgrading older applications.
Cons
Does not work with Ember 3.27+ due to the introduction of the modernized LinkTo component, limiting its use in newer projects and creating upgrade hurdles.
Lacks automatic class bindings for active routes, requiring manual implementation for visual feedback, unlike {{link-to}}, which adds development overhead.
For catchall routes, users must add a 'data-href-to-ignore' attribute to avoid incorrect matches, adding complexity and potential for bugs.
Frequently Asked Questions
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