vue js free full stack

Starter Guide for a Vuejs Frontend in 4 parts

Creating a full-stack application might seem daunting at first, but with the right guidance, it’s an achievable goal even for beginners. In this article, we’ll break down the process into simple, easy-to-follow steps. We’ll build a basic web application using Vue.js for the frontend and Express.js for the backend. By the end of this Starter guide for a Vuejs frontend, you’ll also understand how to integrate an external API into your project.

Part 1: Setting Up the Frontend

Prerequisites

Before we begin, you need to have Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) installed on your computer. Node.js is a runtime environment for JavaScript outside of a browser, and npm is a package manager that comes with Node.js.

Step 1: Installing Vue CLI

Vue CLI is a tool for quickly scaffolding Vue.js projects. To install it, open your terminal and run:

npm install -g @vue/cliCode language: CSS (css)

This command installs Vue CLI globally on your system.

Step 2: Creating a New Project

To create a new project, use Vue CLI. In your terminal, navigate to the folder where you want your project and run:

vue create my-vue-app

Replace my-vue-app with your desired project name. Follow the prompts in the terminal to select presets for your project. For beginners, the default presets are recommended.

File Structure Overview

After creating your project, your file structure should look like this:

my-vue-app/
|-- node_modules/
|-- public/
|   |-- index.html
|-- src/
|   |-- components/
|   |   |-- UserProfile.vue
|   |-- App.vue
|   |-- main.js
|-- package.json



Code language: PHP (php)

Step 3: Understanding the Project Structure

After the project is created, navigate to the project directory:

cd my-vue-app

You’ll find several files and folders. Key ones to note:

  • node_modules/: Contains all your project dependencies.
  • src/: Where your Vue.js source files live.
  • components/: For Vue components.
  • App.vue: The main Vue component.
  • main.js: The entry point of your Vue app.

You can edit this file to change the appearance and behavior of your app.

Step 4: Building Your First Component

Open src/App.vue. This file is structured into three parts:

  • <template>: The HTML structure of your component.
  • <script>: The JavaScript logic.
  • <style>: The CSS specific to this component.

Step 5: Running the Application

To see your app in action, run:

npm run serve

This command starts a development server. Open your browser and navigate to the URL shown in your terminal (usually http://localhost:8080).

Part 2: Adding User Profile Functionality

Step 1: Creating the UserProfile Component

Create a new file named UserProfile.vue in the src/components/ directory. Here, you’ll define a new component for user profiles, which includes a form for username and password inputs.

<template>
  <div class="user-profile">
    <h2>User Profile</h2>
    <form @submit.prevent="submitForm">
      <div>
        <label for="username">Username:</label>
        <input type="text" id="username" v-model="username">
      </div>
      <div>
        <label for="password">Password:</label>
        <input type="password" id="password" v-model="password">
      </div>
      <button type="submit">Submit</button>
    </form>
  </div>
</template>

<script>
import axios from 'axios';

export default {
  data() {
    return {
      username: '',
      password: ''
    };
  },
  methods: {
    async submitForm() {
      try {
        const response = await axios.post('http://localhost:3000/register', {
          username: this.username,
          password: this.password
        });
        alert(response.data.message);
        // Reset form or handle response
      } catch (error) {
        console.error(error);
      }
    }
  }
};
</script>

<style scoped>
.user-profile {
  /* Style your user profile form here */
}
</style>Code language: HTML, XML (xml)

Step 2: Integrating UserProfile in App.vue

In App.vue, import the UserProfile component and add it to your template. This step allows you to display the user profile form in your app.

App.vue

This is the main Vue component located in the src/ directory.

<template>
  <div id="app">
    <UserProfile />
  </div>
</template>

<script>
import UserProfile from './components/UserProfile.vue';

export default {
  name: 'App',
  components: {
    UserProfile
  }
};
</script>

<style>
/* Global styles */
</style>Code language: HTML, XML (xml)

main.js

The entry point of the Vue application, also in the src/ directory.

import Vue from 'vue';
import App from './App.vue';

Vue.config.productionTip = false;

new Vue({
  render: h => h(App),
}).$mount('#app');Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

index.html

Located in the public/ folder, this file is the main HTML file where the Vue app is mounted.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>My Vue App</title>
</head>
<body>
  <div id="app"></div>
  <!-- Vue will mount the application on this div -->
</body>
</html>Code language: HTML, XML (xml)

package.json

This file in the root directory manages project metadata and dependencies.

{
  "name": "my-vue-app",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "scripts": {
    "serve": "vue-cli-service serve",
    "build": "vue-cli-service build"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "axios": "^0.21.1",
    "vue": "^3.0.0"
  }
  // Other metadata and dependencies
}Code language: JSON / JSON with Comments (json)

Part 3: Setting Up the Express.js Backend

Step 1: Installing Express and Body-Parser

Create a new directory for your backend and install Express and Body-Parser, tools to create and handle an Express server and to parse incoming request bodies.

mkdir my-backend
cd my-backend
npm init -y

Installing Express and Body-Parser

npm install express body-parser

Step 2: Creating an Express Server

In the backend directory, create a file named server.js. Write code to set up an Express server and define a POST endpoint /register that will handle user registration.

server.js:

const express = require('express');
const bodyParser = require('body-parser');

const app = express();
const PORT = 3000;

// Middleware to parse JSON bodies
app.use(bodyParser.json());

// Mock database (in a real application, you'd use a database here)
let users = [];

// POST endpoint for user registration
app.post('/register', (req, res) => {
  const { username, password } = req.body;
  
  // In a real application, you should hash the password here
  users.push({ username, password });
  
  res.status(200).json({ message: 'User registered successfully' });
});

// Starting the server
app.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`Server running on http://localhost:${PORT}`);
});
Code language: PHP (php)

Explanation

  • Express Setup: The server is set up with Express and listens on a specified port (3000 in this case).
  • Body-Parser Middleware: It’s used to parse incoming JSON payloads.
  • Mock Database: An array named users is used as a mock database.
  • Registration Endpoint: The /register endpoint handles user registration. It receives a username and password, adds them to the mock database, and returns a success message.
  • Security Note: In a real-world application, never store passwords as plain text. Always use a hashing algorithm (e.g., bcrypt) for password storage.

Step 3: Running the Server

Start your Express server by running node server.js in your backend directory’s terminal.

node server.js
Code language: CSS (css)

This command starts the server, and it will be listening for requests at http://localhost:3000.

Testing the Backend

You can test the /register endpoint using tools like Postman or cURL by sending a POST request with a JSON body containing a username and password.

Remember, this server is quite basic and meant for educational purposes. For a real application, you would need to add database connectivity, proper error handling, input validation, security measures, and more.

Part 4: Integrating Frontend with Backend

Step 1: Installing Axios

Axios is a popular library for making HTTP requests. Install it in your Vue.js project to facilitate communication with your backend.

Step 2: Updating UserProfile for API Interaction

Modify UserProfile.vue to send user data to your Express server using Axios. This involves adding a method to handle form submission and making a POST request to your server.

Running the Full-Stack Application

  1. Backend: Ensure your Express server is running.
  2. Frontend: Start your Vue.js application.
  3. Testing: Submit the form in your Vue app and observe the backend handling the data.

Integrating an External API

Later, if you wish to integrate an external API, you’ll follow a similar process to what we did with Axios. You’ll identify the API endpoint you want to interact with, then use Axios to send or retrieve data from that API. Remember to handle the API responses and errors appropriately.

Notes

  • Axios: Used in UserProfile.vue for making HTTP requests to the backend.
  • Styling: Add your CSS styles in the respective <style> sections of Vue components.
  • npm Scripts: Use npm run serve to start the development server and npm run build for production builds.

This structure and these files form the core of your Vue.js frontend. You can expand upon this, adding more components, routing, state management, etc., as needed for your application.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve just built a basic full-stack application with Vue.js and Express.js. This tutorial was a stepping stone into the world of full-stack development. The skills you’ve learned here setting up a

project, creating components, and integrating with a backend lay the foundation for more complex applications.

Remember, the journey of learning web development is ongoing. Here are some tips to advance your skills further:

Experiment and Explore

  • Refine Your Frontend: Experiment with different Vue.js features. Add more components, use Vue Router for navigation, and Vuex for state management. Take a look at the Vue.js documentation to learn more.
  • Enhance the Backend: Extend your Express.js backend. Connect it to a real database like MongoDB or PostgreSQL, implement user authentication, and explore RESTful API design.
  • Responsive Design: Make your frontend responsive and accessible. Learn about CSS frameworks like Bootstrap or Tailwind CSS that can help with this.

Best Practices

  • Version Control: Use Git for version control. This is a crucial skill for any developer.
  • Read Documentation: Always refer to the official documentation of the technologies you are using. Vue.js and Express.js have excellent docs.
  • Security: Learn about web security essentials. For instance, never store plain-text passwords; always hash them (using libraries like bcrypt).

Integrating External APIs

Integrating an external API involves:

  • Understanding the API: Read the API documentation to understand its endpoints, request methods, and data formats.
  • Making HTTP Requests: Use Axios to make requests to the API. Handle the responses and display the data in your Vue.js app.
  • Error Handling: Implement proper error handling for failed API requests.
  • API Keys: If the API requires authentication, manage API keys securely.

Continuous Learning

  • Join Communities: Engage with communities on platforms like Stack Overflow, GitHub, or Reddit. They can be invaluable resources for learning and problem-solving.
  • Tutorials and Courses: Keep learning through online courses, tutorials, and coding challenges.
  • Build Projects: Nothing beats hands-on experience. Keep building different types of projects to improve and diversify your skills.

Wrapping Up

You’ve taken a significant first step into full-stack development. The world of web development is vast and constantly evolving, so stay curious and keep learning, soon you will be ready to start your own website click here for a comprehensive guide. Remember, every expert was once a beginner. With practice and perseverance, you’ll continue to grow as a developer. Happy coding!

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