VueJS

Nuxt.js for Complete Beginners

Mar 22, 2021

12 min read

The Vuejs Amsterdam online conference was held at the end of February in 2021. It brought together Vue.js enthusiasts and community members from around the world. Many interesting topics were presented and covered. The focus, of course, was on Vue.js 3. In addition, the creators of Nuxt.js had the opportunity to showcase it from the current standpoint in development, to their intentions for it down the track. They even demonstrated a pre-alpha version of Nuxt.js 3, that’s based on Vue.js 3.

This article will start by briefly covering general Nuxt.js concepts, creating a new Nuxt.js app using the create-nuxt-app CLI, and finally, going through the different files and folders that Nuxt.js auto-generates for us.

Let’s start!

Nuxt.js Concepts

Nuxt.js is a web development framework that builds on top of the Vue.js framework. It allows you to use your Vue.js skills to build a more confident, structured, SEO friendly website purely in Vue.js.

Remember when you had to mess with the Vue.js SSR module and the Vue Meta module to build a SEO friendly website? On top of that, you had to install and use Vuex and Vue Router too!

Well, Nuxt.js takes care of that! No more chaotic setup and scaffolding to start a new Vue.js app. With the help of the create-nuxt-app CLI, you can scaffold a Nuxt.js app in no time.

What’s remarkable about Nuxt.js is its capacity to enforce convention over configuration. This means, you write less configuration files by sticking to a specific directory structure that makes Nuxt.js happy and saves you a ton of time!

Apps supported by Nuxt.js

Nuxt.js supports building a variety of web apps, including the following:

Server-Side Rendering (SSR) SSR apps are also known as Universal Apps. The app gets rendered on the server-side before it is sent to the client-side, and is displayed in the browser. This is the best option when working on an SEO friendly website written in Vue.js.

You can read the full documentation for the SSR apps here: SSR Apps

Single Page Apps (SPA) This is what you’ve been doing so far with Vue.js. The app is compiled into a few JS and CSS files. When the user requests the app, the files are downloaded to the client-side, and the Vue.js engine takes over rendering and displaying the app.

Static Site Generation (SSG) Nuxt.js can pre-render your app at build time. This means the entire app will be converted to simple static HTML files that can be hosted and served over a Content Delivery Network (CDN). The SSG option makes an app a legal JAMStack app.

You can read the full documentation for the Static Site Generation here: Static Site Generation.

File System Routing

Nuxt.js automatically generates all the Vue.js Routes in your app based on the folder structure inside the pages folder.

For example, consider having this folder structure:

pages/
  --| user/
  -----| index.vue
  --| index.vue

Nuxt.js automatically generates the following route configuration:

router: {
  routes: [
    {
      name: 'index',
      path: '/',
      component: 'pages/index.vue'
    },
    {
      name: 'user',
      path: '/user',
      component: 'pages/user/index.vue'
    },
  ]
}

You can read about File System Routing here: File System Routing.

Data Fetching

Inside a Nuxt.js app, you can still use the old techniques you kmow when developing Vue.js apps. However, we have a new player here! Server-side rendering. Nuxt.js provides a new set of data-hooks that you can implement so that Nuxt.js can prefetch data when generating the app at the server-side.

Here are two data-hooks offered by Nuxt.js:

fetch() hook This hook was introduced with Nuxt.js 2.12+ release. It can be used inside Vue.js components stored in the pages folder and components folder.

asyncData() hook This hook has been around for a while now, and can be used only inside the Vue.js components stored in the pages folder.

You can read more about Data Fetching hooks here: Data Fetching.

Meta Tags and SEO

Nuxt.js makes it so intuitive to add SEO support to your SSR app. You can add Metadata to your app at two different levels:

Globally using the nuxt.config.js file
Locally inside a Nuxt.js Page

You can read about Meta Tags and SEO hooks here: Meta Tags and SEO.

Create our first Nuxt.js app

Let’s use the create-nuxt-app CLI, and create our first Nuxt.js app!

Before you start, you want to make sure you have all the perquisites required before you can install and run the CLI.

For this article, I am going to use npx. However, you can also use npm, or feel free to use yarn.

Step 0

Start by running the following command:

npx create-nuxt-app my-first-nuxt

This command uses the create-nuxt-app tool, and specifies the name of the project- in this case my-first-nuxt-app.

The CLI will ask you a few questions that are important to scaffold the new Nuxt.js app based on your own preferences and decisions. Here’s what to expect.

Step 1

First, let’s confirm the project name as shown in the Figure 1. Give the app a name and hit Enter.

Figure 1: Specify project name Figure 1: Specify project name

Step 2

You’ve got to choose whether you want to develop your app with TypeScript or JavaScript. I will select JavaScript as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Programming language Figure 2: Programming language

Step 3

Next, you need to choose between Npm or Yarn. I will select Npm as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Package manager Figure 3: Package manager

Step 4

In this step, you’ve got to select the UI framework you are going to use in the app. I will select Tailwind CSS as shown in Figure 4. Even if you skip this step, you can add any UI framework you want later.

Figure 4: UI framework Figure 4: UI framework

Step 5

Nuxt.js offers a set of modules that you can use right away in your apps. For this app, I will pick the Axios module. Figure 5 shows the selection.

Figure 5: Nuxt.js modules Figure 5: Nuxt.js modules

Step 6

The CLI makes it super intuitive to integrate linters in your app. I will pick up both ESLint and Prettier. Figure 6 shows the selection.

Figure 6: Linting tools Figure 6: Linting tools

Step 7

Now it’s time to select a testing framework. For the sake of this article, I will select None. Feel free to add any. Figure 7 shows the selection.

Figure 7: Testing framework Figure 7: Testing framework

Step 8

By default, Nuxt.js supports two rendering modes. SSR/SSG and SPA. I will pick SSR/SSG to take advantage of the Server-side rendering. Figure 8 shows the selection.

Figure 8: Rendering mode Figure 8: Rendering mode

Step 9

The deployment target depends on our selection in Step 8. In this case, we have two options to select from. Server (using a Node.js server hosting) or Static (CDN/JAMStack hosting). I will select the Server deployment target as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9: Deployment target Figure 9: Deployment target_

Step 10

For the development tools, I will keep it simple and select the jsconfig.json option as shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10: Development tools Figure 10: Development tools

Step 11

I won’t be using any continuous integration for this app. I will simply select None as shown in Figure 11.

Figure 11: Continuous integration Figure 11: Continuous integration

Step 12

Finally, the CLI asks whether you want to use any version control system. A version control system is always recommended when doing any kind of development. I will select Git as shown in Figure 12.

Figure 12: Version control system Figure 12: Version control system

These twelve questions are enough for the CLI to start scaffolding and generating your app based on your preferences. It takes a few seconds to have everything ready for you.

If all goes well, you should see the following as in Figure 13.

Figure 13: create-nuxt-app new app instructions Figure 13: create-nuxt-app new app instructions

The CLI gives you instructions on how to run and build the app.

Step 13

Let’s run the app by following the steps highlighted in Figure 13. Run the following commands:

cd my-first-nuxt
npm run dev

The CLI compiles both the client and server parts of the app and starts the Node.js server on port 3000 as shown in Figure 14.

Figure 14: App is running Figure 14: App is running

Step 14

Open a browser instance and navigate to the URL http://localhost:3000/ and you should see the default Nuxt.js app rendering. Figure 15 shows the app running in a browser.

Figure 15: App rendering in a browser Figure 15: App rendering in a browser

That’s all you need to get started on your first Nuxt.js app. Enjoy!

Nuxt.js Directory Structure

Let’s quickly go through the different folders the CLI generated for us. I will start by opening the new app inside Visual Studio Code. Figure 16 shows the app open inside the editor.

Figure 16: App folders and files Figure 16: App folders and files

Let’s go through each folder, and explain their roles briefly.

.nuxt

The .nuxt folder is (re-)generated by the CLI every time you run or build the app. It has all the automatically generated files that Nuxt.js uses to run your app.

You can read more about the .nuxt folder here: .nuxt.

assets

The assets folder contains all of your uncompiled files such as Sass files, images, or font files. Nuxt.js makes use of Webpack to load all the files inside this folder.

You can read more about the assets folder here: assets.

components

This folder holds all of your Vue.js components. Nuxt.js components are not different from any other Vue.js component.

Read more about the components folder here: components.

layouts

This folder contains all of your layout components. These are Vue.js components with placeholders for content. At run time, the component and the layout it uses get merged together into a single component. Layouts in Nuxt.js allows you to define fixed UI sections in your app instead of having to repeat things over and over.

You can read more about the layouts folder here: layouts.

pages

This folder also holds Vue.js components. It is unique because Nuxt.js converts this folder structure (components with sub-folders) into actual Vue.js Routes.

You can read about the pages folder here: pages.

plugins

This folder contains global JavaScript functions that you want to run before Nuxt.js instantiates the root Vue.js app. These functions are called Plugins. They can take multiple forms. For instance, you create a Nuxt.js Plugin to load a Vue.js Plugin to your app. You can also install, and make use of a third-party Nuxt.js Plugin.

You can read more about the plugins folder here: plugins.

static

The name of this folder says it all! This folder is directly mapped to the server root. You can place any file in this folder that you do not want Webpack to process. For example, you can place a favicon file, any CSS files, and many other such files.

You can read more about the static folder here: static.

store

The store folder holds all the Vuex store files. Nuxt.js comes with the Vuex module installed, but keeps it disabled. In order to enable the Vue store in your Nuxt.js app, create an index.js file inside this folder, and Nuxt.js will automatically enable it for you.

You can read more about store folder here: store.

nuxt.config.js

As I mentioned, Nuxt.js prefers convention over configuration. However, at some times you may need to tweak the configuration a little. Nuxt.js provides the nuxt.config.js file to allow for custom configuration settings on the app level.

Read more about nuxt.config file here: nuxt.config.

That’s just a quick overview of what folders are generated by the Nuxt.js CLI. There are more you can read up on. You can find all the information you need on Nuxt.js Documentation website.

Conclusion

In this article, you were introduced to Nuxt.js and took a few baby steps towards creating your first Nuxt.js app. In the coming articles, we will immerse ourselves in the Nuxt.js world, and explore this fresh and promising web development framework together.

You can follow me on Twitter to see more of my work.

This Dot Labs is a development consultancy that is trusted by top industry companies, including Stripe, Xero, Wikimedia, Docusign, and Twilio. This Dot takes a hands-on approach by providing tailored development strategies to help you approach your most pressing challenges with clarity and confidence. Whether it's bridging the gap between business and technology or modernizing legacy systems, you’ll find a breadth of experience and knowledge you need. Check out how This Dot Labs can empower your tech journey.

Bilal Haidar

Author, Developer, and Mentor: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Professional-ASP-NET-Security-Membership-Management/dp/0470379308/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1536838571&sr=8-2&keywords=bilal+haidar">Professional ASP.NET 3.5 Security, Membership, and Role Management with C# and VB | <a href="https://labs.thisdot.co/resources/ACompleteGuideToVueJSeBook">A Complete Guide to VueJS

@bhaidar @bhaidar

Introducing the Vue 3 and XState kit for starter.dev

Starter.dev is an open source community resource developed by This Dot Labs that provides code starter kits in a variety of web technologies, including React, Angular, Vue, etc. with the hope of enabling developers to bootstrap their projects quickly without having to spend time configuring tooling.* Intro Today, we’re delighted to announce a new starter kit featuring Vue and XState! In this blog post, we’ll dive into what’s included with the kit, how to get started using it, and what makes this kit unique. What’s included All of our kits strive to provide you with popular and reliable frameworks and libraries, along with recommended tooling all configured for you, and designed to help you spin your projects up faster. This kit includes: - Vue as the core JS framework - XState for managing our application’s state - CSS for styling - Cypress component testing - Vue Router to manage navigation between pages - Storybook for visual prototyping - ESlint and Prettier to lint and format your code How to get started using the kit To get started using this kit, we recommend the starter CLI tool. You can pass in the kit name directly, and the tool will guide you through naming your project, installing your dependencies, and running the app locally. Each kit comes with some sample components, so you can see how the provided tooling works together right away. `js // npm npm create @this-dot/create-starter -- --kit vue3-xstate-css // yarn yarn create @this-dot/create-starter --kit vue3-xstate-css ` Now let’s dive into some of the unique aspects of this kit. Vue 3 Vue is a very powerful JS framework. We chose to use Vue directly to highlight some of the features that make it such a joy to work with. One of our favorite features is Vue’s single file components (SFC). We can include our JavaScript, HTML, and CSS for each component all in the same file. This makes it easier to keep all related code directly next to each other, making it easier to debug issues, and allowing less file flipping. Since we’re in Vue 3, we’re also able to make use of the new Composition API, which looks and feels a bit more like vanilla JavaScript. You can import files, create functions, and do most anything you could in regular JavaScript within your component’s script tag. Any variable name you create is automatically available within your HTML template. Provide and Inject Another feature we got to use specifically in this starter kit is the new provide and inject functionality. You can read more details about this in the Vue docs, but this feature gives us a way to avoid prop drilling and provide values directly where they’re needed. In this starter kit, we include a “greeting” example, which makes an API call using a provided message, and shows the user a generated greeting. Initially, we provided this message as a prop through the router to the greeting component. This works, but it did require us to do a little more legwork to provide a fallback value, as well as needing our router to be aware of the prop. Using the provide / inject setup, we’re able to provide our message through the root level of the app, making it globally available to any child component. Then, when we need to use it in our `GreetView``` component, we inject the “key” we expect (our message), and it provides a built-in way for us to provide a default value to use as a fallback. Now our router doesn’t need to do any prop handling! And our component consistently works with the provided value or offers our default if something goes wrong. ` // src/main.ts const app = createApp(App); app.provide('query', 'from This Dot Labs!'); ` ` // src/views/GreetView.vue import { inject } from 'vue'; const providedQuery = inject('query', ''); const { state } = useMachine(greetMachine(providedQuery)); ` Using XState If you haven’t had a chance to look into XState before, we highly recommend checking out their documentation. They have a great intro to state machines and state charts that explains the concepts really well. One of the biggest mindset shifts that happens when you work with state machines is that they really help you think through how your application should work. State machines make you think explicitly through the different modes or “states” your application can get into, and what actions or side effects should happen in those states. By thinking directly through these, it helps you avoid sneaky edge cases and mutations you don’t expect. Difference between Context and State One of the parts that can be a little confusing at first is the difference between “state” and “context” when it comes to state machines. It can be easy to think of state as any values you store in your application that you want to persist between components or paths, and that can be accurate. However, with XState, a “state” is really more the idea of what configurations your app can be in. A common example is a music player. Your player can be in an “off” state, a “playing” state, or a “paused” state. These are all different modes, if you will, that can happen when your music player is interacted with. They can be values in a way, but they’re really more like the versions of your interface that you want to exist. You can transition between states, but when you go back to a specific state, you expect everything to behave the same way each time. States can trigger changes to your data or make API calls, but each time you enter or leave a state, you should be able to see the same actions occur. They give you stability and help prevent hidden edge cases. Values that we normally think of as state, things like strings or numbers or objects, that might change as your application is interacted with. These are the values that are stored in the “context” within XState. Our context values are the pieces of our application that are quantitative and that we expect will change as our application is working. ` export const counterMachine = createMachine( { id: 'Counter', initial: 'active', context: { count: 0, }, states: { active: { on: { INC: { actions: 'increment' }, DEC: { actions: 'decrement' }, RESET: { actions: 'reset' }, }, }, }, }, { actions: { increment: assign({ count: (context) => context.count + 1 }), decrement: assign({ count: (context) => context.count - 1 }), reset: assign({ count: (context) => (context.count = 0) }), }, } ); ` Declaring Actions and Services When we create a state machine with XState, it accepts two values- a config object and an options object. The config tells us what the machine does. This is where we define our states and transitions. In the options object, we can provide more information on how the machine does things, including logic for guards, actions, and effects. You can write your actions and effect logic within the state that initiates those calls, which can be great for getting the machine working in the beginning. However, it’s recommended to make those into named functions within the options object, making it easier to debug issues and improving the readability for how our machine works. Cypress Testing The last interesting thing we’d like to talk about is our setup for using component testing in Cypress! To use their component testing feature, they provide you with a mount command, which handles mounting your individual components onto their test runner so you can unit test them in isolation. While this works great out of the box, there’s also a way to customize the mount command if you need to! This is where you’d want to add any configuration your application needs to work properly in a testing setup. Things like routing and state management setups would get added to this function. Since we made use of Vue’s provide and inject functions, we needed to add the provided value to our `mount``` command in order for our greeting test to properly work. With that set up, we can allow it to provide our default empty string for tests that don’t need to worry about injecting a value (or when we specifically want to test our default value), and then we can inject the value we want in the tests that do need a specific value! ` // cypress/support/component.ts Cypress.Commands.add('mount', (component, options = {}) => { options.global = options.global || {}; options.global.provide = options.global.provide || {}; return mount(component, options); }); ` Conclusion We hope you enjoy using this starter kit! We’ve touched a bit on the benefits of using Vue 3, how XState keeps our application working as we expect, and how we can test our components with Cypress. Have a request or a question about a [starter.dev] project? Reach out in the issues to make your requests or ask us your questions. The project is 100% open sourced so feel free to hop in and code with us!...

Jul 17, 2023

6 mins

VueXState

Layouts & Theming in Vuetify 3

Introduction Do you want to avoid tinkering with CSS to get your website looking just right? Branding is everything in today's digital landscape. With Vuetify 3's customizable theming options, you can create web projects that perfectly reflect your unique branding, and visual identity. Additionally, you can reduce the duplicated code by creating layouts representing your application's different page structures. In a previous article introducing Vuetify 3 with Vue 3, we created an application that allowed us to add, display, and delete jokes. ** If you'd like to follow along with this article, please clone the GitHub repository. `shell git clone https://github.com/thisdot/blog-demos.git or `git@github.com:thisdot/blog-demos.git` for ssh then cd into the project directory cd layouts-and-theming-in-vueityf ` In this article, we'll go over how you can create layouts in Vuetify 3 to allow you to reuse the same layout for pages that share the same structure. We will also go over how you can customize the look and feel of your application to match your brand's visual identity through the powerful theming tools that Vuetify 3 offers us. Layouts in Vuetify 3 What are layouts, and how are they useful? In web development, layouts are akin to blueprints for the structure of your web pages. They provide a consistent and reusable frame for the different pages of an application. A well-designed layout can improve the user experience by providing familiarity and predictability as the user navigates through other parts of your application. Layouts are particularly helpful in reducing code duplication. Instead of defining the same structure for each page—headers, footers, and navigation menus, you define them once in a layout, and then apply that layout to any page that uses the same structure. This speeds up development, and makes your code easier to maintain. Using Layouts in Vuetify 3 Creating a layout in Vuetify 3 is as simple as creating a new Vue component. This component will include the common elements shared across multiple pages like headers, footers, and navigation bars. Here is an example of a basic layout: `html ... ... ... ` This layout has a header, a navigation drawer, and a footer. The ` component is where the content of the specific pages will be injected. Building a layout for our application Let's create a layout for our application. We'll have a top navigation bar and a footer. Inside the layouts` directory, create a new file named `Default.vue` and add the following code: `html Joke Machine © 2023 Joke Machine ` Additionally, in order for us to use our layout, we will need to modify our router/index.ts file to use the Default.vue component: `js const routes = [ { //... component: () => import('@/layouts/Default.vue'), //... } ` This will make sure that our respective pages use the Default.vue` layout that we created. The contents of the pages will appear in place of `` in the layout. It is also worth noting that you can create, and nest as many layouts as you want. Theming in Vuetify 3 Themes allow you to customize your application's default colors, surfaces, and more. If your brand has specific colors and styling, you can theme your Vuetify application to resemble your brand through theming better. Additionally, Vuetify 3 allows you to modify your theme in real-time programmatically. [Vuetify 3] also comes with light and dark themes pre-installed. Theming API Vuetify 3 offers us 2 main APIs for working with themes: - useTheme` is a composable that allows us to get information about the current theme and will enable us to modify the existing theme. - v-theme-provider` is used in the `` section of your Vue files to modify the theme of all of its children. Updating the theme of our application Updating the theme of our application is straightforward with Vuetify 3. Let's customize our application's primary and secondary colors. In the vuetify.ts file, modify the themes section to contain the following styles: `ts import { createVuetify } from 'vuetify' import 'vuetify/styles' const vuetify = createVuetify({ theme: { themes: { light: { background: '#FFFFFF', surface: '#F2F5F8', primary: '#6200EE', secondary: '#03DAC6', error: '#B00020', info: '#2196F3', success: '#4CAF50', warning: '#FB8C00', }, }, }, }) ` In this example, we're defining a custom 'light' theme. If you want to use a dark theme, or any other named theme, you can add those as additional properties within the themes` object. For example: `ts themes: { light: { / ... */ }, dark: { / ... */ }, } ` And... That's it! By changing the various config options in the vuetify.ts` file, you can modify how your application looks and feels to match your brand. If you'd like to learn more about themes and all the options you can provide, please check out the official Vuetify documentation. Conclusion In this article, we've gone through the concepts of layouts and theming in Vuetify 3. We've seen how layouts can reduce code duplication, and provide consistency across your application. We've looked at how Vuetify's theming features allow you to customize your application to match your brand's visual identity. Understanding and utilizing these features effectively can significantly enhance the development experience and the end user's interaction with your application. Remember, a well-structured and visually appealing application not only attracts users, but also retains them. Happy coding!...

May 19, 2023

4 mins

Vue

Async Components in Vue 3

Async Components have had their roots in the Vue JS framework since the second version release. However, in Vue 3, they've had a revamped facelift and their API is a well defined and clear API interface. Async components are best used in medium to large apps. When an app is formed out of several hundred components, it's wise not to load all the components at once in a single chunk. Rather, the recommendation is to split the components' packing into a set of smaller packages that get loaded whenever needed asynchronously. While developing, nothing will change in terms of using and placing components inside the ` section. However, only importing those components will change slightly. Vue 3 offers an intuitive and clear API to help you define the async components. In this article, we'll explore the new Async Components API, delve into the details and show it in action. Async Components In Action Before we go further, here's a link to the Async Components RFC to keep as a reference for later. The new API offers the defineAsyncComponent()` method that you use to define the Async Components. This method accepts a callback function. In return, this callback function should** return an instance of a Promise. Async Load Inline Defined Component In the simplest form, defining a local async component can be done as follows: ` import { createApp, defineAsyncComponent } from "./vue.esm-browser"; const LocalComponent = defineAsyncComponent( () => new Promise((resolve) => { resolve({ template: This is a local component defined as async! }); }) ); const App = { components: { LocalComponent }, template: Local Async Component Vue 3 }; createApp(App).mount("#app"); ` > You can play with this example at codesandbox.io. Let's focus on the local variable named LocalComponent`. This variable is assigned the result of calling the `defineAsyncComponent()` function. The result is a component named `AsyncComponentWrapper` that wraps around the loaded component. The callback passed to defineAsyncComponent()` function accepts zero parameters and returns a new Promise. The Promise in this case, resolves an inline Vue Component using the Object Literal method that defines the template` of the component returned. Figure 1** shows the app running. Async Load Standalone Defined Component The other way to load components async is to have a component defined in its own file and loaded asynchronously when needed. ` import { createApp, defineAsyncComponent } from "./vue.esm-browser"; const StandaloneComponent = defineAsyncComponent(() => import("./Standalone")); const App = { components: { StandaloneComponent }, template: Standalone Async Component Vue 3 }; createApp(App).mount("#app"); ` The StandaloneComponent` is assigned the result of calling the `defineAsyncComponent()` function. The result is a component named `AsyncComponentWrapper` that wraps around the loaded component. The callback passed to defineAsyncComponent()` function returns the Promise result returned by calling the `import()` function. The import()` function in this context refers to the Dynamic Import feature in JavaScript. If you are running a Vue 3 app using the Vue CLI then the import()` function refers to the Webpack Import function. Instead of defining the component-to-be-async-loaded inline, the code imports an existing standalone component: `js export default { name: "Standalone Component", template: This is a standalone component loaded asynchronously! }; ` Figure 2** shows the app running. > You can play with this example at codesandbox.io Where to define Async Components? There are two main forms of defining async components in a Vue app. You've already seen one form, where the async component is defined locally inside the component. The other option is to define the async component globally at the app level: ` import { createApp, defineAsyncComponent } from "./vue.esm-browser"; const StandaloneComponent = defineAsyncComponent(() => import("./Standalone")); const App = { template: Standalone Async Component Vue 3 }; const app = createApp(App); app.component("stand-alone", StandaloneComponent); app.mount("#app"); ` Figure 3** shows the app running. > You can play with this example at codesandbox.io Async Components API Defining an async component can take two forms: the simple usage and the options usage. Simple Usage So far you've seen how to define an async component the simple way. The defineAsyncComponent()` method accepts a callback that returns a Promise. `js const StandaloneComponent = defineAsyncComponent(() => import("./Standalone")); ` Options Usage The Async Component API offers a rich API to better control loading components asynchronously. ` import { createApp, defineAsyncComponent } from "./vue.esm-browser"; import LoadingComponent from "./LoadingComponent"; import ErrorComponent from "./ErrorComponent"; const StandaloneComponent = defineAsyncComponent({ loader: () => import("./Standalone"), loadingComponent: LoadingComponent, errorComponent: ErrorComponent, delay: 200, // default: 200 timeout: 3000, // default: Infinity suspensible: false, // default: true onError(error, retry, fail, attempts) { if (error.message.match(/fetch/) && attempts Options Usage Async Component Vue 3 }; const app = createApp(App); app.component("ErrorComponent", ErrorComponent); app.component("LoadingComponent", LoadingComponent); app.component("stand-alone", StandaloneComponent); app.mount("#app"); ` > You can play with this example at codesandbox.io. The defineAsyncComponent()` method now accepts an object with several options. Let's dissect this object! loader: It's the bread and butter behind the API. The loader returns a Promise to load the component. Now you can clearly see that the simple usage of the API specifies only a loader! loadingComponent: Is one you define to show to the user while the API loads the component asynchronously. errorComponent: You define to show to the user when there is an error loading the component. delay: It's the time elapse before showing the `loadingComponent` to the user. timeout: It's the time elapsed between requesting the component and having it ready to render to the user. suspensible: By default this property is set to `false`. This is useful when a `` component is wrapping a component that makes use of Async Component API to load components asynchronously. If the value of `suspensible` is set to `true`, then the `` component takes precedence in showing a fallback content. The `loadingComponent`, `delay`, and other properties of the API will be ignored in this case. If the value was kept `false`, then the API will take precedence over the `` component. > You can read more about Suspense in Vue 3. onErorr: This function has been newly added to the Async Component API in Vue 3. It accepts a few parameters: error, retry, fail, and attempts. When the component fails to load, this function is called. `error` parameter gives details about the error that occurred. `retry` is a function callback that you can call to try loading the component again. `fail` is a function callback that you can call to stop any further trials of loading the component. Finally, the `attempts` are the number of attempts that were carried out in order to load the component. In brief, that is an introduction to the Async Components API in Vue 3....

Sep 4, 2020

5 mins

Vue

Nuxt DevTools v1.0: Redefining the Developer Experience Beyond Conventional Tools

In the ever-evolving world of web development, Nuxt.js has taken a monumental leap with the launch of Nuxt DevTools v1.0. More than just a set of tools, it's a game-changer—a faithful companion for developers. This groundbreaking release, available for all Nuxt projects and being defaulted from Nuxt v3.8 onwards, marks the beginning of a new era in developer tools. It's designed to simplify our development journey, offering unparalleled transparency, performance, and ease of use. Join me as we explore how Nuxt DevTools v1.0 is set to revolutionize our workflow, making development faster and more efficient than ever. What makes Nuxt DevTools so unique? Alright, let's start delving into the features that make this tool so amazing and unique. There are a lot, so buckle up! In-App DevTools The first thing that caught my attention is that breaking away from traditional browser extensions, Nuxt DevTools v1.0 is seamlessly integrated within your Nuxt app. This ensures universal compatibility across browsers and devices, offering a more stable and consistent development experience. This setup also means the tools are readily available in the app, making your work more efficient. It's a smart move from the usual browser extensions, making it a notable highlight. To use it you just need to press Shift + Option + D` (macOS) or `Shift + Alt + D` (Windows): With simple keystrokes, the Nuxt DevTools v1.0 springs to life directly within your app, ready for action. This integration eliminates the need to toggle between windows or panels, keeping your workflow streamlined and focused. The tools are not only easily accessible but also intelligently designed to enhance your productivity. Pages, Components, and Componsables View The Pages, Components, and Composables View in Nuxt DevTools v1.0 are a clear roadmap for your app. They help you understand how your app is built by simply showing its structure. It's like having a map that makes sense of your app's layout, making the complex parts of your code easier to understand. This is really helpful for new developers learning about the app and experienced developers working on big projects. Pages View lists all your app's pages, making it easier to move around and see how your site is structured. What's impressive is the live update capability. As you explore the DevTools, you can see the changes happening in real-time, giving you instant feedback on your app's behavior. Components View is like a detailed map of all the parts (components) your app uses, showing you how they connect and depend on each other. This helps you keep everything organized, especially in big projects. You can inspect components, change layouts, see their references, and filter them. By showcasing all the auto-imported composables, Nuxt DevTools provides a clear overview of the composables in use, including their source files. This feature brings much-needed clarity to managing composables within large projects. You can also see short descriptions and documentation links in some of them. Together, these features give you a clear picture of your app's layout and workings, simplifying navigation and management. Modules and Static Assets Management This aspect of the DevTools revolutionizes module management. It displays all registered modules, documentation, and repository links, making it easy to discover and install new modules from the community! This makes managing and expanding your app's capabilities more straightforward than ever. On the other hand, handling static assets like images and videos becomes a breeze. The tool allows you to preview and integrate these assets effortlessly within the DevTools environment. These features significantly enhance the ease and efficiency of managing your app's dynamic and static elements. The Runtime Config and Payload Editor The Runtime Config and Payload Editor in Nuxt DevTools make working with your app's settings and data straightforward. The Runtime Config lets you play with different configuration settings in real time, like adjusting settings on the fly and seeing the effects immediately. This is great for fine-tuning your app without guesswork. The Payload Editor is all about managing the data your app handles, especially data passed from server to client. It's like having a direct view and control over the data your app uses and displays. This tool is handy for seeing how changes in data impact your app, making it easier to understand and debug data-related issues. Open Graph Preview The Open Graph Preview in Nuxt DevTools is a feature I find incredibly handy and a real time-saver. It lets you see how your app will appear when shared on social media platforms. This tool is crucial for SEO and social media presence, as it previews the Open Graph tags (like images and descriptions) used when your app is shared. No more deploying first to check if everything looks right – you can now tweak and get instant feedback within the DevTools. This feature not only streamlines the process of optimizing for social media but also ensures your app makes the best possible first impression online. Timeline The Timeline feature in Nuxt DevTools is another standout tool. It lets you track when and how each part of your app (like composables) is called. This is different from typical performance tools because it focuses on the high-level aspects of your app, like navigation events and composable calls, giving you a more practical view of your app's operation. It's particularly useful for understanding the sequence and impact of events and actions in your app, making it easier to spot issues and optimize performance. This timeline view brings a new level of clarity to monitoring your app's behavior in real-time. Production Build Analyzer The Production Build Analyzer feature in Nuxt DevTools v1.0 is like a health check for your app. It looks at your app's final build and shows you how to make it better and faster. Think of it as a doctor for your app, pointing out areas that need improvement and helping you optimize performance. API Playground The API Playground in Nuxt DevTools v1.0 is like a sandbox where you can play and experiment with your app's APIs. It's a space where you can easily test and try out different things without affecting your main app. This makes it a great tool for trying out new ideas or checking how changes might work. Some other cool features Another amazing aspect of Nuxt DevTools is the embedded full-featured VS Code. It's like having your favorite code editor inside the DevTools, with all its powerful features and extensions. It's incredibly convenient for making quick edits or tweaks to your code. Then there's the Component Inspector. Think of it as your code's detective tool. It lets you easily pinpoint and understand which parts of your code are behind specific elements on your page. This makes identifying and editing components a breeze. And remember customization! Nuxt DevTools lets you tweak its UI to suit your style. This means you can set up the tools just how you like them, making your development environment more comfortable and tailored to your preferences. Conclusion In summary, Nuxt DevTools v1.0 marks a revolutionary step in web development, offering a comprehensive suite of features that elevate the entire development process. Features like live updates, easy navigation, and a user-friendly interface enrich the development experience. Each tool within Nuxt DevTools v1.0 is thoughtfully designed to simplify and enhance how developers build and manage their applications. In essence, Nuxt DevTools v1.0 is more than just a toolkit; it's a transformative companion for developers seeking to build high-quality web applications more efficiently and effectively. It represents the future of web development tools, setting new standards in developer experience and productivity....

Dec 1, 2023

8 mins

VueNuxtJSDevToolsJavaScript