Unlock the Power of JavaScript with Vue Render Functions
Get Started with Vue
Before diving into the world of Vue render functions, make sure you have the necessary tools installed on your PC:
- Node.js version 10.x and above
- A code editor like Visual Studio Code
- Vue’s latest version installed globally on your machine
- Vue CLI 3.0 installed on your machine
- A Vue starter project downloaded and unzipped
How Vue Works in Browsers
Vue JS focuses on the view layer of your JavaScript projects, providing templates to showcase your presentation (markup language). When template code is sent to the DOM, the browser breaks it down into nodes. Vue then provides a template to write presentation code while assembling these nodes.
The Virtual DOM
To monitor and manage nodes, Vue builds a virtual DOM, a component tree of all virtual nodes. This virtual DOM is where Vue does the dirty work of keeping up with nodes and how they change from mounting to unmounting.
The Render Function
The render function is a JavaScript function used inside a Vue component to perform tasks like creating an element. It accepts up to three parameters:
- The first parameter is the render element, usually an HTML tag name, component option, or a function that resolves to a tag name.
- The second parameter is the definition of the component or HTML tag name, usually an object and optional.
- The third parameter is the children parameter, which can be a string or an array of data values or child nodes.
Demo Time!
Let’s create a sample example using the render function. Open your App.vue file and add the Hello component to the template. Then, go back to the main.js file and add the code block before the new Vue code block. This creates a new Vue component called Hello and adds a paragraph element inside it.
Utilizing the Power of JavaScript
With the render function, you can leverage your knowledge of JavaScript to control the virtual DOM directly. You can add a data object with values and use it to refer to the created paragraph. You can also use props, like car properties, to make references to the app.vue template section.
Creating Nested Components
Using the render function, you can also nest elements like this:
Take Control of Your Vue App
With knowledge of both Vue and JavaScript, you can comfortably have total control over the DOM. Happy hacking!
Debugging Vue Apps Made Easy
Debugging Vue.js applications can be difficult, especially with dozens of mutations during a user session. Try LogRocket, a DVR for web and mobile apps, to monitor and track Vue mutations for all your users in production.