Nuxtjs

Why?

How?

Oh yeah!

VueDay Italy - 12.04.19

About Me

Alexander Lichter

Nuxt.js Core Team

@TheAlexLichter

https://blog.lichter.io

from 🇩🇪

and about you!

The Why

Why should you use Nuxt?

Why using a Framework...

...on top of aNOTHEr Framework?

There are reasons, right?

Because a huge Variety of companies PUT trust in it?

Because the community recommends it?

Because of other reasons?

Valid! But...

it's another abstraction

To make

developer's life easier

The How

How Does Nuxt makes it easier for Developers?

  • ⚡️ Batteries included
  • 💾 Leverages the FS
  • 🚀 Optimized
  • 🃏 Versatile
  • 🧩 Modular
  • 🤗 Developer-friendly

It comes with batteries included ⚡️⚡️⚡️

Disclaimer: no physical batteries included

Common Libraries included by default

  • vue-router
  • vuex (if needed/activated)
  • vue-meta (for meta tags / SEO)

Build tools out of the box

  • Babel (with own Nuxt preset)
  • Fine-tuned webpack config
  • PostCSS already included

PREDEFINED FOLDER STRUCTURE

  • feel "at home" across projects
  • a place for almost every file
  • fully optional

Supercharged components

  • asyncData / fetch for SSR
  • page transitions built-in
  • layout concept

TypeScript Support?

Yes!

It Leverages the FILE SYSTEM 💾

Disclaimer: no floppy disk included

Who likes to write router.js files?

LeveraginG the file system (1)


LeveraginG the file system (1)

 

Do we actually need a router.js file? 🤔

my-page.com/about

my-page.com/

🎉 File based routing

LeveraginG the file system (2)

 

Another lengthy thing.

Initializing our Vuex store!

import user from '....'
import cart from '....'
import favorites from '....'
import Vuex from 'vuex'

const createStore = () => {
  return new Vuex.Store({
    namespaced: true,
    state: () => ({
      query: ''
    }),
    mutations: {
      updateQuery(state, query) {
        state.query = query;
      }
    },
    modules: {
      user,
      cart,
      favorites,
    },
    actions: {
      async newSearch({dispatch, commit}, data) {
        //...
      },

      async populateQuery({dispatch, commit}, query) {
        //...
      },

      async doThings({dispatch, commit}) {
        //...
      }
    },
    getters: {
      getQuery: state => state.query,
      getLoading: state => state.isLoading
    },
  })
};

LeveraginG the file system (2)

 

Same as with the router, we can use the power of the file system here!

🎉 One module per file!

export const state = () => ({/**/})

export const mutations = {/**/}

export const actions = {/**/}

export const getters = {/**/}

LeveraginG the file system (2)

 

But wait... what was that folder?

Fine-grained control and splitting possible

export default {
  setName(state, name){
    state.name = name
  },
  // more mutations here!
}

It is OPTIMIZED 🚀

Disclaimer: no rocket included

Performant Production builds (1)

  • Code splitting and critical CSS per route
  • Smart prefetching
  • Modern mode

Performant Production builds (2)

  • Cache busting included (through webpack)
  • GZIP Compression
  • HTTP2 push support

It is VERSATILE 🃏

Disclaimer: no joker or jester but jest included

Versatility of Nuxt

  • Server Side Rendering
  • Build traditional SPA
  • Static site generation

SSR 101 - Debunked

Let's do a quick time travel!

Traditional SSR

Backend

1. Request

4. HTML

DB

2. Query

3. Results

But: "Click and wait" for every page

SPA

CDN

1. Request

2. Return Javascript

3. Parsing

API

4. Request

5. Response

Advantages

  • No full reload on further navigation
  • better UX compared to "click and wait"

Problems

  • Slow Time to first paint due to parsing
  • White screen / flash of content
  • Javascript generates HTML -> bad SEO
  • mediocre UX for initial page load

But could we get the best of both worlds?

Universal

Node.js

Server

1. Request

4. HTML + JS

API

2. Request

3. JSON

5. Hydration after JS Download

optional

5. Request

6. JSON

Advantages

  • Fast Time to first Paint
  • Perfect for SEO
  • Easy Social Network Sharing (with preview)
  • Only one server call (initial request)

Problems

  • Needs a server running all the time (or doesn't it?)
  • Prone to memory leaks
  • Not all Vue plugins are "ssr-ready" (but it's not hard)

It is Modular 🧩

Disclaimer: Solving a 1k puzzle is harder than using Nuxt
Also, sadly, no jigsaw included

Why Modularity?

  • No need to reinvent the wheel
  • "Single responsibility" per module
  • Isolated, decoupled and testable
  • Easy to share and to open-source

How Nuxt SUPPORTS Modularity

  • Simple and plain API -> almost no limits
  • Change Nuxt's behavior through hooks
  • Module template to get started quickly
  • Exposure through awesome-nuxt

CONFIGURATIOn

  • Only one config file:  nuxt.config.js
  • Can be written in ESM syntax (import/export default)
  • Sensible defaults -> only configure what you need
  • No lock in, you have the freedom

It is

DEVELOPER-FRIENDLY 🤗

Disclaimer: a lot of friendliness and joy included

We want you to love nuxt as much as we do

an elegant CLI/UI FOR the developerS

  • Always improving documentation
  • RFC process for major changes to gather feedback
  • Discord for help, suggestions and chit-chatting!
  • A timed release plan for future versions
  • Contribution guide

Nuxt + Community = 💚

https://discord.nuxtjs.org

Try it!

Live DEMO?

OH YEAH!

Getting started

To get going really fast, you can use the Nuxt CodeSandbox template at https://template.nuxtjs.org/

Locally, you can use

yarn create nuxt-app PROJECTNAME
# or
npm create-nuxt-app PROJECTNAME

Almost done!

🤔

Feedback

https://joind.in/event/vueday-2019/nuxtjs---why-how-oh-yeah

Slides and Feedback

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Q&A Time!

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