Vue.js (pronounced /vjuː/, similar to view) is a JavaScript framework used to create user interfaces. It is built on top of standard HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and provides a declarative and component-based programming model that allows you to efficiently develop simple or complex user interfaces.
Vue.js is a progressive framework for JavaScript that is primarily used for developing web interfaces and one-page applications. Vue.js is typically used to create web interfaces and Single-Page Applications. In the latter case, however, you should pair it with modern tooling and supporting libraries to ensure greater efficiency.
Evan You created Vue while working at Google on AngularJS (Angular 1.0) apps. It arose from the need to create more performant applications. Vue adopted some of Angular’s templating syntax while eliminating the opinionated, complex stack that Angular required and making it very performant.
Vue.js differs from its competitors in that, unlike the majority of monolithic frameworks, it uses an incremental build model. As a result, in addition to being solely dedicated to its viewer layer, the core library also allows for seamless integration with other existing projects or libraries.
For advanced functionalities like URL mapping, routing, and state management you can use the Vue Ecosystem tools, all maintained by the official development team.
Thanks to the high decoupling of the framework, programmers prefer using Vue for creating User Interfaces.
Why use Vue JS?
Simplicity
Your Vue app can be written in 5-6 lines of code. Vue shortens the web app development cycle by performing under-the-hood automation tasks such as:
- It automatically connects the data to the DOM.
- Organizes configurations
- Make a watcher for each component.
It addresses all of Angular’s shortcomings, resulting in a lightweight, simple framework for frontend development of web apps and websites.
Architecture based on components
The Vue js framework, like Angular and React, has a component-based architecture. This means that all of the frontend application code can be separated into separate components.
The web app is made up of these components, which include a template, logic, and styles.
Furthermore, the web framework divides the JavaScript, CSS, and HTML code automatically. As a result, developers do not need to create separate files for CSS styles or HTML elements.
Vue components are lightweight, reusable, and simple to test.
Reusability
Vue’s component-based approach allows for the creation of reusable single-file components. Template, logic, and styles are inextricably linked within a component.
Instead of dividing the code into arbitrary layers, Vue groups reusable components into a function.
As a result, the UI component is more cohesive, portable, and maintainable.
Reusing components implies that less repetitive coding improves code readability and makes testing and maintenance easier.
High performance
The Vue js framework is extremely light, weighing in at around 20KB. However, it makes no concessions in terms of performance or productivity. It is one of the quickest frameworks for creating web interfaces.
With such minimal features, Vue js is lightning-fast to install and you can begin working in minutes. Furthermore, a fast page load time improves the SEO ranking of your web pages.
Documentation
Documentation is a key part of any framework or library, especially if you are new to the technology. Vue js has extremely detailed documentation compared to other JS frameworks.
The Vue documentation, which includes an introductory guide, provides a good overview of how the framework works. It includes instructions for the simple installation process as well as a detailed comparison of Vue to other frameworks such as React, Ember, and AngularJS.
Vue’s documentation is a one-stop solution to any problems you may encounter, with clear and concise explanations of each feature and concept.
The documentation is also updated on a regular basis to reflect recent changes and best practices.
Cross-platform
Vue developers can use the cross-platform UI framework Weex to create native apps. Weex, developed by Alibaba Group and incubated by the Apache Software Foundation (ASF), enables you to use the same code across multiple platforms.
The same component syntax that you use for websites can be used for native iOS and Android mobile apps. This significantly reduces your development team’s workload and ensures a faster time-to-market.
Frameworks and libraries
Vue has amassed a large number of external libraries and frameworks for the convenience of developers. Some popular examples include Nuxt.js, a Vue framework for developing performant web applications. Nuxt employs a modular architecture based on the philosophies of Next.js and Vue.js. It can be used to create SPAs, static websites, PWAs, and universal Vue apps.
Bootstrap-Vue is a plugin for creating Vue applications with Bootstrap components. It combines Vue.js and Bootstrap, the most popular frontend CSS library, and is a popular choice for Vue Native mobile app development projects.
Virtual-DOM
Vue js creates a virtual representation of a webpage’s actual DOM using Javascript objects. As a result, DOM objects can be rendered easily without having to modify and refresh the entire tree each time.
Reactive two-way data binding
This is Vue.js’s most important feature. Vue.js ensures minimal coding for developers by utilizing Virtual DOM and the two-way binding feature.
A developer can make changes to the Model or View layers, and the Vue.js framework will update the other layers. It keeps your code (variables and array values) in sync throughout the application.
This ensures that your data is consistent. You will be able to save a significant amount of time and money during the debugging and testing phases.
Declarative rendering
The Vue.js system’s core allows you to render data declaratively to the Document Object Model. Vue simplifies the process of rendering web pages by using simple templating syntax.
Templates can be written in the JavaScript programming language, HTML, or JSX, an XML-based JavaScript syntax extension.
What exactly is declarative rendering?
Components in imperative rendering are pushed data, which means they receive data from higher-level components. Elements in Vue, on the other hand, request data and pull only what is needed. This means that all of an element’s properties would be defined in a single function. As a result, manipulating or modifying a specific element becomes easier.
Disadvantages of Vue JS
Language barrier
One of the issues with Vue is that its largest community is in China, which can be problematic for some packages or research. Many packages are created by Chinese Vue.js developers who write documentation in their native language. A lot of Vue research can lead to Chinese forums and discussions. This is a problem for developers who only speak English. It’s worth noting that this issue is gradually dissolving as more global Vue communities emerge.
Risk of over flexibility
Vue provides significant flexibility, allowing for a wide range of approaches to be used. Large projects can cause issues with code consistency. In this case, Vue.js developers must spend time reconciling the code; otherwise, different approaches can lead to more serious problems, such as different application malfunctioning and making it more difficult to get into the project development.
A smaller number of components and plugins
Vue.js developers may notice a lack of plugins and libraries when compared to React. The most important ones are included in the Vue version, but more specific requirements can cause issues with finding suitable libraries.
Conclusion
Vue.js is a progressive framework that is used to create interactive web applications. Vue js has numerous advantages that make it an excellent choice for developing user-driven web applications with high speed, smooth navigation, and intuitive user interactions.