Vue - A Beginner's Guide for Interactive Websites

In this beginner's guide, we are going to introduce you to Vue.js, a JavaScript framework that has been gaining popularity rapidly due to its simplicity and versatility.

Vue.js

Vue.js (in short “Vue” and often pronounced as "view") is an open-source JavaScript framework used for building user interfaces and single page applications, known for its simplicity and reactivity system. It was created by Evan You, a former Google employee. Published under the MIT License, which means that it's free to use, modify, and distribute.

Vue.js is a progressive and flexible web framework that was designed to be easy to learn while still being powerful enough to build complex and scalable applications. Here we will take a closer look at what Vue.js is and why it's a great choice for ASP.NET Core developers.

Vue vs React

React developed by Facebook is one of the most popular JavaScript libraries for building UIs. It offers a highly efficient way to render and update UI components. However, React comes with a steeper learning curve, especially for beginners.

Vue.js, on the other hand, is known for its gentle learning curve. Its syntax is easy to understand which makes it an excellent choice for developers who are just starting. You can start building small projects with Vue.js relatively quickly.

Vue vs Angular

Angular developed by Google is a comprehensive framework for building web applications. While it provides a robust set of tools it can be overwhelming for beginner web developers due to its complexity.

Vue.js, in contrast, is lightweight and focused on the view layer of your application. It's easy to integrate with other libraries or existing projects, making it a versatile choice.

Vue Components

Vue.js is built around the concept of components. A component is a self-contained, reusable piece of code that encapsulates a specific part of your user interface. Components make it easier to manage complex UIs by breaking them down into smaller and more manageable pieces.

For example, you might have a header component, a sidebar component, and a footer component, each responsible for rendering its respective part of the web page.

With a build step, Vue components are typically defined in dedicated files with the .vue extension, called Single File Components (SFC). Without a build step, a Vue component is just a plain JavaScript object with Vue-specific settings.

Vue Props

Vue Props (short for properties) is a way for passing data from parent component to a child component. They allow you to make your components more flexible and reusable. Let's take a look at an example.

Vue Data Binding

Data binding in Vue.js allows you to establish a connection between the data in your JavaScript code and the HTML elements in your template. There are two types of data binding:

• One-way Data Binding: In one-way data binding, data flows in one direction, from the JavaScript code to the HTML template.
• Two way Data Binding: Two-way data binding allows data to flow/move in both directions, from the JavaScript code to the HTML template and vice versa. It is primarily used with form elements like input fields.

Vue Directive

Vue.js provides a set of directives that you can use to add special behavior to your HTML elements. Directives are prefixed with “v-” and are used in the form of HTML attributes. Some of Built-in Directive are listed below.

• v-if: Conditional rendering based on a condition.
• v-for: Looping through an array to render a list of items.
• v-on: Adding event listeners to elements.
• v-bind: Binding values to element attributes.
• v-model: Creating two-way data binding for form elements.
• v-show: Conditional rendering with CSS display property.
• v-pre: Skipping compilation for this element and all its children.
• v-cloak: Used to keep an element and its children from being compiled until Vue.js is ready.
• v-once: Render an element and its children only once.

Vue Tutorial

Install Vue

There are several ways to start using Vue.js, but for this guide, we'll keep it simple by including Vue.js through a Content Delivery Network (CDN). This means you won't have to download or install anything to get started.

To include Vue.js in your HTML file, add the following script tag inside the <head> section:

<script src="https://unpkg.com/vue@3/dist/vue.global.js"></script>

This script tag fetches Vue.js from a CDN, making it available for use in your project.

Create Vue App

Now, let's create a simple Vue.js application to understand the basics. We'll build a counter that increments each time a button is clicked. Simply create an HTML file and copy this code into that.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
   
    <title>My First Vue.js App</title>
    <script src="https://unpkg.com/vue@3/dist/vue.global.js"></script></head>
<body>
    <div id="app">
    <p>{{ message }}</p>
    <button @click="incrementCounter">Increment</button>
    <p>Counter: <span>{{ counter }}</span></p>

</div>

    <script>
        const app = Vue.createApp({
            data() {
                return {
                    message: 'Welcome to my Vue.js app!',
                    counter: 0
                }
            },
            methods: {
                incrementCounter() {
                    this.counter++
                }
            }
        })

        app.mount('#app')
</script>
</body>
</html>

In this example, we:

• Include Vue.js using a CDN.
• Create a Vue app instance using Vue.createApp().
• Define a data object to store our application's data.
• Use Vue's double curly braces {{ }} syntax to display data.
• Create a method incrementCounter to update the counter data property when the button is clicked.
• Mount the Vue app to the #app element in the HTML.

When you open this HTML file in your browser, you'll see a message and a button. Clicking the button will increment the counter value!

Vue with ASP.NET Core

Vue.js and ASP.NET Core can interact seamlessly to build a full-stack web application. Here's a high-level overview of how these two technologies can interact:

Frontend Development with Vue.js:

• You start by developing the frontend of your web application using Vue.js. Vue.js is responsible for creating the user interface and handling client-side interactions.
• Vue.js components are used to create various parts of the UI, such as forms, lists, navigation menus, and more.
• Vue Router is used for client-side routing, allowing you to define routes and navigate between different views within the SPA (Single Page Application).

Backend Development with ASP.NET Core:

• ASP.NET Core serves as the backend of your application. It handles server-side logic, data processing, and communication with databases.
• You create RESTful APIs using ASP.NET Core controllers to expose endpoints that can be accessed by your Vue.js frontend.
• ASP.NET Core also manages authentication and authorization, providing secure access to your application's resources.

Vue Hosting

After you've developed your Vue app, you'll need to host it on a web server so that users can access it online. While there are various hosting options available, including paid services and cloud platforms, ASPNETCORE.NET is one of the best and always free.

ASPNETCORE.NET is a hosting platform that provides services for hosting ASP.NET Core, Blazor apps, React, Angular, and Vue.js applications.

Summary

Vue.js is an easy-to-learn JavaScript framework for making dynamic web apps. We've covered the basics in this guide, including key concepts and how to start. We also discussed using Vue.js with ASP.NET Core for modern web apps. As you continue, you'll discover more advanced features for creating impressive web apps.