Vue
Frontend UI LibrariesThe progressive JavaScript framework
Overview
Vue is a progressive JavaScript framework designed for building user interfaces through a component-based architecture. Unlike monolithic frameworks, Vue is incrementally adoptable—you can use it to enhance a single interactive element on a static page or scale up to a full single-page application with routing, state management, and build tooling. With over 8.5 million weekly downloads, it's one of the most popular frontend frameworks in the JavaScript ecosystem.
The npm package provides multiple build formats (CommonJS, ES Module, and UMD) to support different development workflows. Modern bundlers like Webpack, Rollup, and Vite can leverage the ES Module builds for tree-shaking, eliminating unused code from production bundles. Vue 3 includes both runtime-only builds (CSP-compliant, recommended for most use cases) and full builds with template compilation for applications that need in-browser template parsing.
Vue's design philosophy emphasizes developer experience through intuitive APIs, excellent documentation, and a gentle learning curve. The framework supports Single File Components (.vue files) that encapsulate template, script, and styles in a single file, making components highly portable and maintainable. Vue's reactive system automatically tracks dependencies and efficiently updates the DOM when state changes, eliminating manual DOM manipulation.
The framework is particularly popular among teams transitioning from jQuery-based applications, developers building data-driven dashboards, and organizations that need a flexible solution that works with existing tech stacks. Vue's plugin ecosystem extends core functionality with official libraries for routing (Vue Router), state management (Pinia), and server-side rendering (Nuxt), while the component system allows teams to share reusable UI elements across projects via npm.
Quick Start
import { createApp, ref, computed } from 'vue';
const app = createApp({
setup() {
const tasks = ref([
{ id: 1, text: 'Learn Vue basics', completed: true },
{ id: 2, text: 'Build a component', completed: false },
{ id: 3, text: 'Deploy to production', completed: false }
]);
const newTaskText = ref('');
const remaining = computed(() => {
return tasks.value.filter(t => !t.completed).length;
});
const addTask = () => {
if (newTaskText.value.trim()) {
tasks.value.push({
id: Date.now(),
text: newTaskText.value,
completed: false
});
newTaskText.value = '';
}
};
const toggleTask = (id) => {
const task = tasks.value.find(t => t.id === id);
if (task) task.completed = !task.completed;
};
return { tasks, newTaskText, remaining, addTask, toggleTask };
},
template: `
<div>
<h2>Tasks ({{ remaining }} remaining)</h2>
<ul>
<li v-for="task in tasks" :key="task.id">
<input
type="checkbox"
:checked="task.completed"
@change="toggleTask(task.id)"
/>
<span :style="{ textDecoration: task.completed ? 'line-through' : 'none' }">
{{ task.text }}
</span>
</li>
</ul>
<input
v-model="newTaskText"
@keyup.enter="addTask"
placeholder="New task"
/>
<button @click="addTask">Add</button>
</div>
`
});
app.mount('#app');Use Cases
Single-page applications (SPAs): Build complete client-side applications with complex routing, state management, and async data fetching. Vue's component model scales from small prototypes to enterprise applications with thousands of components.
Progressive enhancement of existing pages: Drop Vue into a traditional server-rendered application to add interactivity to specific sections without rewriting the entire frontend. Mount Vue instances on individual DOM elements to create interactive widgets alongside existing jQuery or vanilla JavaScript code.
Component libraries and design systems: Package reusable Vue components as npm modules for distribution across multiple applications. Teams use Vue's Single File Component format to create button libraries, form controls, data tables, and complete design systems that maintain consistency across product lines.
Admin panels and dashboards: Vue excels at data-heavy interfaces with forms, tables, charts, and real-time updates. The reactive system efficiently handles frequent data changes, making it ideal for internal tools, analytics dashboards, and content management systems.
Hybrid mobile applications: Combine Vue with frameworks like Capacitor or NativeScript to build cross-platform mobile apps using web technologies. Vue's lightweight runtime and component architecture translate well to mobile environments where performance and bundle size matter.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Gentle learning curve with intuitive template syntax and clear documentation makes onboarding faster than React or Angular
- +Single File Components (.vue) provide excellent code organization with collocated template, logic, and styles
- +Flexible architecture allows incremental adoption—use as much or as little as needed without full commitment
- +Excellent performance with efficient virtual DOM implementation and automatic dependency tracking in reactivity system
- +Strong TypeScript support in Vue 3 with improved type inference and Composition API
- +Multiple build formats (ESM, CommonJS, UMD) support diverse deployment scenarios from legacy apps to modern bundlers
Cons
- −Smaller job market compared to React, particularly in North America, may limit career opportunities
- −Community ecosystem is less extensive than React—fewer third-party libraries and commercial component suites available
- −Single File Components require build tooling (Webpack/Vite) for most projects, adding complexity to simple use cases
- −Migration from Vue 2 to Vue 3 required significant code changes, and some popular libraries still lack Vue 3 support
- −Options API and Composition API coexistence creates inconsistency in codebases and teaching materials
- −Less corporate backing than React (Meta) or Angular (Google), raising long-term sustainability questions for some enterprises
Install
npm install vuepnpm add vuebun add vue