Unlock the Power of Vue 3: A Comprehensive Guide to Building Reliable Components with TypeScript
Getting Started with Vue 3 and TypeScript
Vue 3 has revolutionized the way we create components, introducing the Composition API, which enables better code maintenance, reuse, and reliability. However, one major hurdle stands in the way: Vue components heavily rely on the JavaScript object’s this keyword, making it challenging to create a TypeScript object. To overcome this issue, we’ll explore the Vue Class Component plugin, which leverages ECMAScript decorators to pass statically typed values directly to components, ensuring the compiler understands what’s happening.
Prerequisites
To follow along, you’ll need:
- Knowledge of TypeScript
- npm and Node.js ≥v12.22.0 installed on your local machine
- Familiarity with setting up a Vue project
Setting Up Your Project
Open your terminal, navigate to your desired project directory, and run the following command:
vue create my-project
During setup, choose the following configurations:
- Select “Manually select features”
- Choose “TypeScript” as your preferred language
- Select “Vue 3” as your Vue version
- Choose “Class-style component syntax”
Installing Vue Property Decorator
The Vue Class Component plugin doesn’t cover all Vue features, such as props, inject, model, ref, emit, and provide. That’s where Vue Property Decorator comes in – a library that fully depends on Vue Class Component and is endorsed by the Vue core team. Install it by running:
npm install vue-property-decorator
Creating a TypeScript Vue Component
With the class-style component syntax, we’ll build components by extending the Vue object. In App.vue, copy and paste the following code:
“`typescript
@Component
export default class App extends Vue {
data() {
return {
myInputData: ”
}
}
@Watch(‘myInputData’)
onDataChanged() {
console.log(‘Watched Data Changed’)
}
}
“`
Defining Props
Using the @Prop decorator from Vue Property Decorator, we can define props on the class, providing additional details like required, type, and default values for reusability.
“`typescript
import { Prop } from ‘vue-property-decorator’
@Component
export default class App extends Vue {
@Prop({ required: true, type: String }) text!: string
@Prop({ type: Number }) age!: number
//…
}
“`
Defining Computed Properties
Computed properties are written as getters and setters, defined on the class. Here’s an example:
typescript
@Component
export default class App extends Vue {
@Computed
get computedProp(): number {
return Math.random()
}
}
Defining Watchers
We can define watchers on the class by importing the @Watch decorator from Vue Property Decorator. Here’s an example:
“`typescript
import { Watch } from ‘vue-property-decorator’
@Component
export default class App extends Vue {
@Watch(‘myWatchedData’)
onDataChanged() {
console.log(‘Watched Data Changed’)
}
}
“`
With these decorators, you’ll be able to create robust, reliable, and maintainable Vue components that leverage the power of TypeScript. Happy coding!