JavaScript has been a highly popular technology with a comprehensive set of features. But what is more noteworthy is the diversity of frameworks based on it. These frameworks make the developer’s job much easier in terms of smooth execution and development. If we observe JavaScript and its related ecosystem, there are many names that are doing rounds. React and Angular are two main technologies that are popular and one more that is increasing its popularity quotient is Vue.js.

Vue.js has been a flexible, efficient technology that has marked its presence in the development world and has been considered an ideal JavaScript framework for designing and developing any kind of user interface. Let us have a look at what Vue.js is, its salient features and key reasons why it has been garnering such a lot of focus and attention amidst the developer community.

Vue.js – An Introduction

Vue.js is an open-source model–view–viewmodel front end JavaScript framework for building user interfaces and single-page applications. – Wikipedia

Vue.js is a well-known JavaScript framework that is written in TypeScript and was released in 2014. Also referred to as Vue, this framework has been garnering the best of Angular and React, adding its own uniqueness. No wonder, it has been attracting a lot of JavaScript developers.

Major industry segments like finance, science and education, business and consumer services, computers, and electronics etc. have been using Vue.js. There are many websites like zoom.us, Netflix, Adobe, Behance, Gitlab, stackoverflow.com etc. which have been leveraging the benefits of this framework.

It is an open source, progressive JavaScript framework which can design and build modern user interfaces and single page apps. It is easy to use and can easily integrate with various frameworks and libraires. In support with other libraries, it can develop complicated applications. Vue.js has been competing heavily with React and Angular recently and has started making a mark for itself.

Certain salient technical features of Vue.js are swifter virtual DOM implementation, simple two-way data binding, template-based logic and syntax, declarative rendering, component-based caching and many more. These features appeal bigtime to the developers, thereby, increasing the popularity quotient of this technology.

Key Reasons Why Vue.js is Such a Popular Framework

• Two Way Data Binding and Communication

Vue supports two-way data binding that establishes a connect between the UI and the model data updates. This becomes effective to keep updating associated components timely and keep tracking the updates. It also supports a two-way communication due to its MVVM architecture and hence its easy to deal with HTML blocks. Whatsoever changes are made to the UI are passed on to the data and vice versa. This keeps both the components in synchronisation.

• Good and Effective Tools

Vue possesses a strong set of tools to support with. Along with a great deal of libraries, it also has tools that gives developers a good experience. These tools are simple yet powerful and offer different templates, browser debugging tools, state manager and server renderer to help developers. Vue supports hot reload that simply reloads only the updated component instead of the whole component. It has its own development tools for different operating systems like vue-devtools etc. Yet another good tool is Vue CLI that is considered ideal for a JavaScript framework.

• Best of Two Worlds – React and Angular

It is a known fact that Vue is inspired by the two popular frameworks – React.js and Angular.js. It leverages the best of both these technologies and hence developers are happy receiving the best from Vue. It is component driven and makes use of Virtual DOM, the same as React. It has directives and two-way data binding, the same as Angular. It strikes a balance between the features of both and at the same time, seamlessly allows addition of feature that makes it a perfect deal.

• Light Weighted and Small in Size

The Vue.js ecosystem is fast and small. Hence, it facilitates a better performance and enhanced flexibility. It weighs approximately 18 to 20 kb after zipping as compared to jQuery that weighs approximately 29 kb after zipping. This is a feather weight framework that is quite quick in downloading and has a great effect on the user experience and SEO.

• Versatility, Adaptability and Enriched Ecosystem

Since Vue offers a smooth and effective migration, productive templates, it is said to be quite versatile and adaptable. Vue.js Developers spend lesser efforts and time in looking for bugs or in transition from other frameworks. Since there is an enriched collection of libraries and tools, developers find it interesting and easy to work on. These facilities offer simplification of app debugging and component hierarchy. Its modularity and flexibility offer developers a better reusability of code and lessened development time. The web applications that are built in Vue depend upon component-based architecture that is considered best for creating apps.

• Easy to Code and Build Apps

Coding is a pleasure for developers, with Vue. It offers a great deal of freedom to developers for structuring the code and sorting throughout the codebase is easy. All necessary components are present in the .vue file and hence developers find it handy to code applications. There is least unnecessary intervention hence coders can focus on their jobs instead of bothering about the rest.

• Better Performance with Virtual DOM Rendering

Vue makes use of virtual DOM for rendering without using the actual whole DOM, making things much faster and performance driven. Updating the complete DOM is a hassle, hence choosing the virtual way works well in terms of rendering pages quickly and enhancing the app performance. Vue has an upper hand as compared to Angular and React in terms of performance and that is surely a reason why developers are so fond of it.

• Faster and Easier Learning

Creating the first Vue app for a developer is not tough. It just takes a while to understand the basics and start off. No prior knowledge of many tools or technologies is required. Just the basic concept of HTML, CSS and JavaScript is fine to start. Vue is universally accessible and helps teams in getting their best creative self, putting up teams easily and thereby, implementing projects. There are certain code editors like Atom, Visual Studio etc. that help in making things easier.

• Mobile UI Development

There are certain solutions that Vue offers, for its cross platform mobile UI development. These tools emphasize on the concept of writing it once and running it anywhere. This helps the developers in better management of UI amidst disparate platforms. For e.g., Weex, NativeScript, Ionic etc.

• js’s HTML Templates

The HTML-based templates that are associated with Vue.js are said to enhance productivity and fasten processes. These templates bring in reactivity features into current web applications. They render the virtual DOM functionality. That is why Vue brings in the least manipulations to the DOM, while application state change.

• Seamless Integration Capabilities

The integration feature of Vue is quite attractive. Creating and implementing a single page app or complicated web interfaces is easy with its integration components. It can easily integrate into any current system without affecting the entire infrastructure, leading to a smooth implementation.

• Comprehensive and Crisp Documentation

Vue’s documentation is quite sharp and complete. Developers find it easier to learn Vue from its documentation and the basic knowhow of HTML and JavaScript. It needs no other material or knowledge to master this technology. Be it a novice or an expert, the documentation serves all. It is well structured and encompasses all possible features, with a detailed description.

• Extensive Community Support

Vue has an active community that contributes bigtime for developers. These members are regularly active on all forums and hence offer a great deal of support for enhanced growth of the technology.

As We Wrap Up

The above-mentioned reasons are key enough to prove how popular Vue.js is and why! Though it must match the quotients of React and Angular, it is increasing its spread, far and wide. The developers will be keen to work on Vue.js for a long time to come, thanks to its salient features and unique advantages that it offers.