@Prop: One-Way Synchronization from Parent to Child Components

An @Prop decorated variable can create one-way synchronization with a variable of its parent component. @Prop decorated variables are mutable, but changes are not synchronized to the parent component.

NOTE

Since API version 9, this decorator is supported in ArkTS widgets.

Overview

For an @Prop decorated variable, the value synchronization is uni-directional from the parent component to the owning component.

• An @Prop variable is allowed to be modified locally, but the change does not propagate back to its parent component.

• Whenever that data source changes, the @Prop decorated variable gets updated, and any locally made changes are overwritten.

Rules of Use

Variable Transfer/Access Rules

Figure 1 Initialization rule

Observed Changes and Behavior

Observed Changes

@Prop decorated variables can observe the following changes:

• When the decorated variable is of the string, number, Boolean, or enum type, its value change can be observed.

  // Simple type
  @Prop count: number;
  // The value assignment can be observed.
  this.count = 1;
  

For synchronization between @State and @Prop decorated variables:

• The value of an @State decorated variable in the parent component initializes an @Prop decorated variable in the child component. The @State decorated variable also updates the @Prop decorated variable whenever the value of the former changes.

• Changes to the @Prop decorated variable do not affect the value of its source @State decorated variable.

• In addition to @State, the source can also be decorated with @Link or @Prop, where the mechanisms for syncing the @Prop would be the same.

• The type of the source and the @Prop decorated variable must be the same.

Framework Behavior

To understand the value initialization and update mechanism of the @Prop decorated variable, it is necessary to consider the parent component and the initial render and update process of the child component that owns the @Prop decorated variable.

1. Initial render:

   1. The execution of the parent component's build() function creates a new instance of the child component, and the parent component provides a source for the @Prop decorated variable.
   2. The @Prop decorated variable is initialized.

2. Update:

   1. When the @Prop decorated variable is modified locally, the change remains local and does not propagate back to its parent component.
   2. When the data source of the parent component is updated, the @Prop decorated variable in the child component is reset, and its local value changes are overwritten.

Application Scenarios

Simple Type @Prop Synced from @State in Parent Component

In this example, the @Prop decorated count variable in the CountDownComponent child component is initialized from the @State decorated countDownStartValue variable in the ParentComponent. When Try again is touched, the value of the count variable is modified, but the change remains within the CountDownComponent and does not affect the CountDownComponent.

Updating countDownStartValue in the ParentComponent will update the value of the @Prop decorated count.

@Component
struct CountDownComponent {
  @Prop count: number;
  costOfOneAttempt: number = 1;

  build() {
    Column() {
      if (this.count > 0) {
        Text(`You have ${this.count} Nuggets left`)
      } else {
        Text('Game over!')
      }
      // Changes to the @Prop decorated variables are not synchronized to the parent component.
      Button(`Try again`).onClick(() => {
        this.count -= this.costOfOneAttempt;
      })
    }
  }
}

@Entry
@Component
struct ParentComponent {
  @State countDownStartValue: number = 10;

  build() {
    Column() {
      Text(`Grant ${this.countDownStartValue} nuggets to play.`)
      // Changes to the data source provided by the parent component are synchronized to the child component.
      Button(`+1 - Nuggets in New Game`).onClick(() => {
        this.countDownStartValue += 1;
      })
      // Updating the parent component will also update the child component.
      Button(`-1  - Nuggets in New Game`).onClick(() => {
        this.countDownStartValue -= 1;
      })

      CountDownComponent({ count: this.countDownStartValue, costOfOneAttempt: 2 })
    }
  }
}

In the preceding example:

1. On initial render, when the CountDownComponent child component is created, its @Prop decorated count variable is initialized from the @State decorated countDownStartValue variable in the ParentComponent.

2. When the "+1" or "-1" button is touched, the @State decorated countDownStartValue of the ParentComponent changes. This will cause the ParentComponent to re-render. At the minimum, the CountDownComponent will be updated because of the changed count variable value.

3. Because of the changed count variable value, the CountDownComponent child component will re-render. At a minimum, the if statement's conditions (this.counter> 0) is-evaluated and the <Text> child component inside the if would be updated.

4. When Try again in the CountDownComponent child component is touched, the value of the count variable is modified, but the change remains within the child component and does not affect the countDownStartValue in the parent component.

5. Updating countDownStartValue will overwrite the local value changes of the @Prop decorated count in the CountDownComponent child component.

Simple Type @Prop Synced from @State Array Item in Parent Component

The @State decorated array an array item in the parent component can be used as data source to initialize and update a @Prop decorated variable. In the following example, the @State decorated array arr in the parent component Index initializes the @Prop decorated value variable in the child component Child.

@Component
struct Child {
  @Prop value: number;

  build() {
    Text(`${this.value}`)
      .fontSize(50)
      .onClick(()=>{this.value++})
  }
}

@Entry
@Component
struct Index {
  @State arr: number[] = [1,2,3];

  build() {
    Row() {
      Column() {
        Child({value: this.arr[0]})
        Child({value: this.arr[1]})
        Child({value: this.arr[2]})

        Divider().height(5)

        ForEach(this.arr, 
          item => {
            Child({value: item})
          }, 
          item => item.toString()
        )
        Text('replace entire arr')
        .fontSize(50)
        .onClick(()=>{
          // Both arrays contain item "3".
          this.arr = this.arr[0] == 1 ? [3,4,5] : [1,2,3];
        })
      }
    }
  }
}

Initial render creates six instances of the Child component. Each @Prop decorated variable is initialized with a copy of an array item. The onclick event handler of the Child component changes the local variable value.

Assume that we clicked so many times that all local values be '7'.

7
7
7
----
7
7
7

After replace entire arr is clicked, the following information is displayed:

3
4
5
----
7
4
5

• Changes made in the Child component are not synchronized to the parent component Index. Therefore, even if the values of the six instances of the Child component are 7, the value of this.arr in the Index component is still [1,2,3].

• After replace entire arr is clicked, if this.arr[0] == 1 is true, this.arr is set to [3, 4, 5].

• Because this.arr[0] has been changed, the Child({value: this.arr[0]}) component synchronizes the update of this.arr[0] to the instance's @Prop decorated variable. The same happens for Child({value: this.arr[1]}) and Child({value: this.arr[2]}).

• The change of this.arr causes ForEach to update: The array item with the ID 3 is retained in this update, array items with IDs 1 and 2 are deleted, and array items with IDs 4 and 5 are added. The array before and after the update is [1, 2, 3] and [3, 4, 5], respectively. This implies that the Child instance generated for item 3 will be moved to the first place, but not updated. In this case, the component value corresponding to 3 is 7, and the final render result of ForEach is 7, 4, and 5.

Class Object Type @Prop Synced from @State Class Object Attribute in Parent Component

In a library with one book and two users, each user can mark the book as read, and the marking does not affect the other user reader. Technically speaking, local changes to the @Prop decorated book object do not sync back to the @State decorated book in the Library component.

class Book {
  public title: string;
  public pages: number;
  public readIt: boolean = false;

  constructor(title: string, pages: number) {
    this.title = title;
    this.pages = pages;
  }
}

@Component
struct ReaderComp {
  @Prop title: string;
  @Prop readIt: boolean;

  build() {
    Row() {
      Text(this.title)
      Text(`... ${this.readIt ? 'I have read' : 'I have not read it'}`)
        .onClick(() => this.readIt = true)
    }
  }
}

@Entry
@Component
struct Library {
  @State book: Book = new Book('100 secrets of C++', 765);

  build() {
    Column() {
      ReaderComp({ title: this.book.title, readIt: this.book.readIt })
      ReaderComp({ title: this.book.title, readIt: this.book.readIt })
    }
  }
}

Simple Type @Prop with Local Initialization and No Sync from Parent Component

To enable an @Component decorated component to be reusable, @Prop allows for optional local initialization. This makes the synchronization with a variable in the parent component a choice, rather than mandatory. Providing a data source in the parent component is optional only when local initialization is provided for the @Prop decorated variable.

The following example includes two @Prop decorated variables in child component.

• The @Prop decorated variable customCounter has no local initialization, and therefore it requires a synchronization source in its parent component. When the source value changes, the @Prop decorated variable is udpated.

• The @Prop decorated variable customCounter2 has local initialization. In this case, specifying a synchronization source in the parent component is allowed but not mandatory.

@Component
struct MyComponent {
  @Prop customCounter: number;
  @Prop customCounter2: number = 5;

  build() {
    Column() {
      Row() {
        Text(`From Main: ${this.customCounter}`).width(90).height(40).fontColor('#FF0010')
      }

      Row() {
        Button('Click to change locally !').width(480).height(60).margin({ top: 10 })
          .onClick(() => {
            this.customCounter2++
          })
      }.height(100).width(480)

      Row() {
        Text(`Custom Local: ${this.customCounter2}`).width(90).height(40).fontColor('#FF0010')
      }
    }
  }
}

@Entry
@Component
struct MainProgram {
  @State mainCounter: number = 10;

  build() {
    Column() {
      Row() {
        Column() {
          Button('Click to change number').width(480).height(60).margin({ top: 10, bottom: 10 })
            .onClick(() => {
              this.mainCounter++
            })
        }
      }

      Row() {
        Column()
        // customCounter must be initialized from the parent component due to lack of local initialization. Here, customCounter2 does not need to be initialized.
        MyComponent({ customCounter: this.mainCounter })
        // customCounter2 of the child component can also be initialized from the parent component. The value from the parent component overwrites the locally assigned value of customCounter2 during initialization.
        MyComponent({ customCounter: this.mainCounter, customCounter2: this.mainCounter })
      }.width('40%')
    }
  }
}