v-drag

The simplest way to integrate drag on Vue.js.

Draggable elements are a common UX pattern, specially on touch screens. But as a developer, you might know how challenging it is to apply it with JavaScript. So to simplify things, v-drag was written. Its aim is to quickly integrate and customize draggable elements on projects using Vue.js.

Table of contents

1. Installation
2. Usage
3. Options
   1. Axis
   2. Snap
   3. Handle
4. Vue events
5. Global configuration
   1. Event classes
   2. Remove transitions

Installation

npm install v-drag --save

v-drag’s source code is also available uncompressed and minified.

Usage

Import v-drag into any file you are planning to use it:

import drag from "v-drag"

const drag = require("v-drag");

Then call the v-drag plugin:

Vue.use(drag, {
  // global configuration
});

No extra setup is necessary at this point. Add the v-drag attribute to any element to make it draggable:

<div v-drag>Drag me!</div>

Options

The default behavior for any element with the v-drag attribute is to be draggable in any direction and without a handle. However, this can be changed using an object or its equivalent shortcuts:

<div v-drag="{ axis: 'x', handle: '#someElement' }">
  <div id="someElement">Handle</div>
</div>

Both the object and the values can be declared inline, as in the example above, or using the data object, computed properties, methods, props,…

Axis

Constrains the element to move only in one direction: horizontal or vertical.

Values

• all: all directions default
• x: horizontal movement
• y: vertical movement

Shortcut

<div v-drag:x>Horizontal</div>

Snap

When dragging, the element will snap to the specified grid. You can use either a number or a string with units.

<div v-drag="{snap: 100}">Drag me in 100px increments</div>

Using an array, different values can be declared for each axis:

<div vdrag="{snap: [10, 50]}">
  Horizontal: 10px
  Vertical: 50px
</div>

Handle

Informs that the element can only be dragged using another element, known as handle. It’s not necessary for the handle to be located inside the draggable element, and each element can have more than one handle.

Values

Handle’s name must be a selector (the same used to refer to the element in CSS) or a Ref.

Shortcut

<div v-drag="'.someElement'">Don’t drag me</div>
<div class="someElement">Drag me</div>

Ref

To define handles using Refs, you must first set its value in data and replace it after the component is mounted:

<template>
  <div v-drag="{handle}">
    Drag me using handle
    <div ref="drag-handle">Handle</div>
  </div>
</template>

<script>

export default {
  data() {
    return {
      handle: undefined,
    }
  },

  mounted() {
    this.$data.handle = this.$refs.dragHandle
  }
};

</script>

Vue events

These events are emitted when the user makes the corresponding action.

<div v-drag @v-drag-end="someFunction()">
  Event on end
</div>

Global configuration

Event classes

v-drag uses CSS classes to add basic styling to the draggable elements. You can override one or multiple of the default classes when the plugin is called:

Vue.use(drag, {
  eventClass: {
    down: "is-pressed",
    move: "is-moving"
  }
});

This are the default classes with its values:

Remove transitions

By default, v-drag removes all transition animations to keep the dragging as smooth as possible. However, if you want to enable them, you can:

Vue.use(drag, {
  removeTransition: false // default: `true`
});