In React, how to add a URL "string" as an object's property, from a Link or other component

Question

In React, I'm setting an object's URL property (specifically, amcharts chart bullet.url), which is a string, to "../members/{member.name}" It renders with no issues. Clicking the link navigates to the page correctly. However, it seems all the previously loaded states need to be reloaded. Is it a new React "session?"

I've tried setting the property using various expressions using Link. But none seem to compile as expected. Most articles I've found relate to basic usage of Link or persisting state.

The following works rendering and navigating, but all state is gone on new page:

let series = chart.series.push(new am4charts.LineSeries());
let bullet = series.bullets.push(new am4charts.CircleBullet());
bullet.url = "../Members/{member.name}";

I'm thinking there's a React concept I'm missing or an easy way to set a link's URL. I'd like to navigate without "resetting" all the previously loaded states.

Answer 1

Instead of using urls, use a click ("hit") event to stay within the React ecosystem. If you allow the chart component to be rendered via React Router and export it with withRouter, you can take advantage of this.props.history on the component itself. As for how to handle the member's name, presuming the bullet is actually the template for other bullets, I personally believe the member's name should be part of the chart's data. E.g.

Main component:

import React, { Component } from "react";
import ReactDOM from "react-dom";
import { Route, BrowserRouter as Router } from "react-router-dom";

// ...

// main component's render
  <Router>
    <React.Fragment>
      <Route
        path="/"
        render={props => <App {...props} />}
      />
      <Route
        path="/Member/:name"
        render={props => <Person {...props} extra="via router" />}
      />
    </React.Fragment>
  </Router>

Component that has your chart (e.g. App):

import React from "react";
import { withRouter } from "react-router-dom";
import * as am4core from "@amcharts/amcharts4/core";
import * as am4charts from "@amcharts/amcharts4/charts";
import am4themes_animated from "@amcharts/amcharts4/themes/animated";

// App's componentDidMount() ...

// ...chart code...

// Member names found in bullet data
chart.data = [ { name: "...", /* ... */ }, /* ... */ ];

// Since we're not using `url`, manually change the cursor to a pointer on hover
bullet.cursorOverStyle = am4core.MouseCursorStyle.pointer;

// Bullet click event
bullet.events.on("hit", event => {
    this.props.history.push('../Members/' + event.target.dataItem.dataContext.name);
});

// ... end App

export default withRouter(App);

Here's a fork of our Column charts with images at top demo in React that when clicking the bullet/images, both updates the main component's state as well as goes to a new URL, and both load the person's info:

https://codesandbox.io/s/olpzok2rxz

If the member.name is not part of the chart data and cannot be, it would help to have a sample of your app whether on JSFiddle or CodeSandbox so we can help further.