Location Href Property Vs Location Assign Method

Location Href Property Vs Location Assign Method

When it comes to web development, understanding how to work with URLs is crucial. Two commonly used techniques for URL manipulation in JavaScript are the Location Href property and the Location Assign method. In this article, we will explore the differences between these two approaches and when to use each one.

Let's start with the Location Href property. This property provides a way to access the entire URL of the current webpage. By using Location Href, you can read or set the full URL, including the protocol, domain, path, query parameters, and hash fragment. It's a straightforward way to get information about the current page's URL in a single string.

On the other hand, the Location Assign method is used to navigate to a new URL. When you use Location Assign, the browser will load the new URL and replace the current page's contents with the content of the new URL. This method is commonly used for redirecting users to another webpage or reloading the current page with a different URL.

One key difference between Location Href and Location Assign is how they affect the browser's history. When you set the Location Href property, the browser's history remains unchanged. This means that clicking the back button will not take you back to the URL set using Location Href. In contrast, when you use the Location Assign method to navigate to a new URL, the new URL is added to the browser's history. This allows users to navigate back to the previous page using the browser's back functionality.

Another important consideration when choosing between Location Href and Location Assign is how they handle page reloading. Setting the Location Href property does not trigger a page reload, while using the Location Assign method does. This can be significant when you need to ensure that certain actions or scripts run only on page reload.

In summary, the Location Href property is more suitable for reading or setting the current page's URL without causing a page reload or affecting the browser's history. On the other hand, the Location Assign method is ideal for navigating to a new URL, updating the browser's history, and triggering a page reload.

To illustrate these concepts, let's look at a simple example:

// Using Location Href
console.log(location.href); // Get the current URL
location.href = 'https://example.com'; // Set a new URL

// Using Location Assign
location.assign('https://newpage.com'); // Navigate to a new URL

By understanding the differences between the Location Href property and the Location Assign method, you can choose the right approach for your specific URL manipulation needs in your web development projects. Experiment with both techniques to see which one best suits your requirements.