How to initialize value based on ajax response? - vuejs2

Question

I need to create a checkbox that will be checked/unchecked depending on the value of a parameter coming from the database.
I'm not able to load that value when I'm rendering the page, so the idea is: render the page, "tell" the checkbox to "ask" the server what is the current value of the parameter and then check/uncheck the checkbox depending on the response. Then, if the user checks/unchecks the checkbox, make a new Ajax request to update the value in the database.
I wrote some code (I'm new in Vuejs, so for sure I'm doing something wrong):
var vm = new Vue({
el: '#root',
computed: {
checked() {
return this.initialize()
},
value() {
return this.checked
}
},
watch: {
checked() {
alert('watcher')
this.update();
}
},
methods: {
initialize(){
// Just pretending an initial value
var randomBoolean = Math.random() >= 0.5;
alert('Ajax request here to initialize it as ' + (randomBoolean ? 'checked' : 'unchecked'));
return randomBoolean;
},
update(){
alert('ajax request here to set it to ' + this.value)
}
}
});
You can check and run the code here: https://jsfiddle.net/hyn9Lcv2/
Basically it works to initialize the checkbox, but then it fails to update. If you check the console, there is this error:
[Vue warn]: Computed property "checked" was assigned to but it has no setter.

Answer 1

First have you thought of using the created() hook from the vue instance instead of watcher?
It's recommended and will execute the code as soon as the component is created.
From the doc:
new Vue({
data: {
a: 1
},
created: function () {
//Ajax call:
//onsuccess(response){
this.a = reponse.data.a
}
}
})
in the created hook you can do your ajax call, (axios is good library for that, worth checking it out: https://github.com/axios/axios ).
Then from your ajax response you can link the desired value to your checkbox by assigning it to a variable in the data object of the instance (in our case 'a')
Then bind it to your checkbox with the v-model like this:
<input
type="checkbox"
v-model="a">
I recommend to check the vue doc for more info on biding: https://v2.vuejs.org/v2/guide/forms.html#Checkbox-1
Hope it helps.

Answer 2

Just add bind click event
<div id="root">
<input id="check" type="checkbox" name="active" v-model="checked" #click="update">
<label for="check">Click me</label>
</div>

Answer 3

You need to fetch the database value when the component is created or mounted.
You then need to bind your checkbox with the initialized data.
Finally you need to watch the data to send an update to the database.
var vm = new Vue({
el: '#root',
data: {
//Your data
checked: null
},
// Function where you are going to fetch your data
mounted: function () {
console.log("Ajax call to initialize");
this.checked = Math.random() >= 0.5;
},
watch: {
// Watcher to save your data in the database
checked: function(newValue, oldValue){
if (oldValue === null) { return; } // to not make an useless update when data has been fetched
console.log("Ajax call to update value " + newValue);
}
}
});
<div id="root">
<input id="check" type="checkbox" name="active" v-model="checked" :disabled="checked === null">
<label for="check">Click me</label>
</div>
To fetch your data you can use for example Axios that works great with Vue.
To know more about life cycle of a component (to know if you should do the fetching at created or mounted) : https://v2.vuejs.org/v2/guide/instance.html