What is Vue JS? Beginners Guide

Vue JS: The Beginner’s Guide to Building Dynamic User Interfaces

Do you want to build modern, dynamic, and reactive user interfaces with ease? If yes, then Vue JS is just what you need! By the end of this guide, you’ll have a solid understanding of what Vue JS is and how it works. You’ll be able to build dynamic and reactive user interfaces with ease, and become ready to take on more advanced projects in Vue.

Topics to be Explored:

• What is Vue JS?
• What is Vue JS used for?
• Vue JS Examples
• Vue JS Components
• Vue JS Template
• Vue JS vs React vs Angular
• Conclusion

Watch the video below to understand the difference between React, Vue, and Angular

What is Vue JS?

In simple terms, Vue is a JavaScript library that allows you to build user interfaces using different components. Each component can be reused in different parts of your application, making it easy to create complex and scalable user interfaces. Vue also uses a reactive data model, which means that any changes you make to the data will be reflected in the user interface automatically. This makes it a great choice for building real-time applications such as chat apps, dashboards, and more.

One of the best things about Vue is that it is beginner friendly. If you have a basic understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you can start building with Vue right away. And, if you’re already familiar with other frameworks such as React or Angular, you’ll find that Vue is easy to learn and use.

Think of it as a toolbox full of everything you need to build a house. Building a web application requires different tools and Vue JS provides you with all the necessary tools to build your web application with ease.

In layman’s terms, Vue JS can be compared to a lego set. Just like lego blocks come in different shapes and sizes, Vue JS provides you with different components that you can use to build your web application.

What is Vue JS used for?

One of the best things about Vue JS is that it’s simple to learn, yet it’s also incredibly powerful. It makes it possible for you to create amazing things.

Another reason why Vue JS is so great is that it’s highly optimized for search engines. This means that websites built using Vue JS are more likely to rank higher on search engine results pages, making them easier for users to find. With Vue JS, you’ll be able to create websites that not only look good but also perform well on search engines.

Vue JS is a must-have tool for any developer who wants to build dynamic, interactive, and SEO-friendly websites and web applications. It’s simple, powerful, and optimized for search engines, making it the perfect solution for anyone who wants to create a website that stands out from the crowd.

Vue JS Examples

• Building a Dynamic Navigation Menu:
  Vue JS can be used to build a dynamic navigation menu that updates in real-time as the user interacts with the website. This can improve user experience and make it easier for search engines to crawl your website.

• Implementing Search Engine Optimized (SEO) Metatags:
  Vue JS makes it easy to dynamically update your website’s metatags, which can greatly improve its visibility in search engine results. By using Vue JS, you can ensure that your metatags are always up-to-date and accurate, helping you to rank higher in search results.

• Creating an Image Gallery with Lazy Loading:
  With Vue JS, you can create an engaging image gallery that loads images as the user scrolls. This can greatly improve your website’s performance, provide a better user experience, and increase your website’s search engine ranking.

• Building a Contact Form with Validation:
  Vue JS can be used to build a user-friendly contact form that includes real-time validation to ensure that the user has entered the correct information. This can help improve user experience and improve the chances of your website’s contact form being used, all of which can result in increasing your website’s search engine ranking.

• Adding Animation to Your Website:
  Vue JS makes it easy to add eye-catching animation to your website, which can make your website stand out from the competition. This can help to increase your website’s search engine ranking and make it more likely that users will spend more time on your website.

Vue JS Components

Components: The Building Blocks of Vue JS Applications

One of the most powerful features of Vue JS is its component-based architecture. Components are reusable units of code that can be combined to create complex user interfaces. In Vue, you can build your application by creating and composing components, which makes it easy to manage the structure and functionality of your application.

In this section, we’ll take a closer look at the different types of components in Vue JS and how they work.

• Single-File Components
  Single-file components are the most common components in Vue. They are defined in a ‘single .vue’ file and contain the template, script, and style for the component in one place. This makes it easy to manage and organize your components, and it also allows you to use tools such as SCSS and TypeScript.

• Global Components
  Global components are components that are defined globally and can be used in any part of your application. They are defined using the ‘Vue.component()’ method and are usually used for shared components that are used throughout your application.

• Local Components
  Local components are components that are only used within a specific component. They are defined using the components option in a component’s script section and are useful for creating components that are only used within a specific context.

• Functional Components
  Functional components are components that do not have any state or instance properties, and are defined as a simple JavaScript function. They are often used for simple components that only render static content and do not require any dynamic data or state.

• Dynamic Components
  Dynamic components are dynamically loaded and rendered based on some condition or data. In Vue, you can use the dynamic component feature to load different components based on user interactions or data changes, making it easy to create flexible and dynamic user interfaces.

Vue JS Template

The Power of Templates in Vue JS

One of the core features of Vue JS is its template syntax. The template syntax is a declarative syntax for building user interfaces, and is used to define the structure of your component’s template. In Vue, you can use templates to define your component’s HTML, bind data, and add dynamic behavior.

Let’s turn our focus to Vue template syntax and how it works.

• Interpolations

Interpolations are expressions that are evaluated and inserted into the template. You can use interpolations to display dynamic data. For example, you can use interpolation to display the value of a component’s data property:

<template>
  <div>
    {{ message }}
  </div>
</template>
<script>
export default {
  data() {
    return {
      message: 'Hello World!'
    }
  }
}
</script>

In this example, the value of the message property is displayed in the template using an interpolation.

• Directives

Directives are special attributes that start with ‘v-’ and add dynamic behavior to your templates. There are many built-in directives in Vue, including ‘v-if’, ‘v-for’, and ‘v-on’. For example, you can use the ‘v-if’ directive to conditionally render an element based on a component’s data:

<template>
  <div>
    <p v-if="showMessage">{{ message }}</p>
  </div>
</template>
<script>
export default {
  data() {
    return {
      showMessage: true,
      message: 'Hello World!'
    }
  }
}
</script>

In this example, the ‘p’ element will only be rendered if the value of showMessage is true.

• Binding Attributes

In Vue, you can use directives to bind attributes to dynamic values. For example, you can use the ‘v-bind’ directive to bind the value of an input to a component’s data property:

<template>
  <div>
    <input v-bind:value="message" />
  </div>
</template>
<script>
export default {
  data() {
    return {
      message: 'Hello World!'
    }
  }
}
</script>

In this example, the value of the input is bound to the value of the message property, so any changes to the message property will be reflected in the input.

Vue JS vs React vs Angular

Some of the most prominent differences between Vue JS, React, and Angular frameworks are:

• Learning Curve:
  If you’re just starting out as a developer, Vue JS is the easiest of the three to learn. React JS has a moderate learning curve, while Angular has a steep learning curve.

• Size:
  Vue JS is the lightest of the three, making it faster and easier to work with. React is of moderate size, while Angular is the largest of the three and requires more resources to run.

• Flexibility:
  Vue JS offers the highest level of flexibility, while React and Angular offer moderate levels of flexibility.

• DOM (Document Object Model) Handling:
  Vue JS and React both use a virtual DOM, which provides better performance than the real DOM used by Angular.

• Community:
  React has a well-established community, while Vue JS has a growing community. Angular also has a well-established community.

• Debugging:
  Debugging is easiest in Vue JS, and moderate in React and Angular.

• Mobile Development:
  All three frameworks are well-suited for mobile development, providing smooth and responsive user experiences on a variety of devices.

Have a look at the table below to get a better understanding of the differences between the three frameworks. 

Conclusion

Vue JS is a powerful and versatile JavaScript framework that offers a smooth and efficient development experience for building dynamic user interfaces. From its easy-to-learn syntax to its reactive and composable components, Vue JS has quickly become a popular choice among web developers. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting out, Vue JS offers a solid foundation for creating high-quality web applications that meet the demands of today’s users.