What are the benefits and drawbacks of utilizing two distinct methods to regulate a component in Vue?

Question

What are the benefits and drawbacks of utilizing two distinct methods to regulate a component in Vue?

I've developed two components that display "on" or "off" text, along with a button that toggles the state of both components.

Here is the link to the codesandbox for reference: https://codesandbox.io/s/serene-mclean-1hychc?file=/src/views/Home.vue

Although both components exhibit the same behavior, their implementation methods differ:

In the first component, I utilize props to transmit the state from the parent component to the child, with the parent controlling the child's state.
Conversely, in the second component, I maintain the state within the child component and provide a method to toggle the state to the parent component using defineExpose.

What are the pros and cons of each approach?

typescript vue.js architecture frontend vuejs3

Answer 1

Answer №1

It is advised to refrain from calling a child component's method through its $ref due to several drawbacks:

A. It's akin to manipulating the DOM
Essentially, this approach follows old practices observed in jQuery. In Vue, the state/data should steer changes, delegating DOM rendering, updating, and optimization tasks to Vue itself. By calling a child component method from the parent, the change cannot be executed unless the child is present in the DOM. Conversely, directly altering the data in the parent avoids concerns about the child's rendering state.

B. It results in tight coupling and disrupts component isolation
Permitting external components to call a component's methods severely restricts the scope for future refactoring, making both modifications and testing more complicated. Altering the child's method may necessitate adjustments in every component utilizing the method as well as their respective tests. This elevation in maintenance costs does not offer any discernible advantages. Furthermore, breaching isolation raises debugging and optimization expenses.

In practical scenarios, it is advisable to address other queries before tackling the current one:

Is a parent-child relationship truly necessary in this context?
Can the code be reorganized in a manner that eliminates the need for one party to trigger the change?
If both entities require the ability to execute the change and maintain synchronization, is it feasible to transfer the method to a composable/helper function that can be imported by each parent and child, then utilize v-model to synchronize data?

Typically, resolving the aforementioned inquiries can preempt the issue before it necessitates the current question.

As a general guideline, it is beneficial to minimize coupling. Put simply, the child component should have minimal knowledge about the parent, and vice versa. When communication between them is indispensable, restrict the communication surface and adhere to established patterns (e.g., use v-model if the child must communicate with the parent, or utilize props in other cases).
If achieving the desired functionality mandates a custom pattern, contemplate employing a store or restructuring to ensure encapsulation/isolation.

The significance of this principle cannot be overstated in terms of development speed and overall expenditure, as a maintenance-free application is a fallacy. Every real-world application necessitates modifications in some capacity, and this principle significantly influences the time and resources required for alterations, testing, debugging, and optimization.

Answer 2

It is advised to refrain from calling a child component's method through its $ref due to several drawbacks:

A. It's akin to manipulating the DOM
Essentially, this approach follows old practices observed in jQuery. In Vue, the state/data should steer changes, delegating DOM rendering, updating, and optimization tasks to Vue itself. By calling a child component method from the parent, the change cannot be executed unless the child is present in the DOM. Conversely, directly altering the data in the parent avoids concerns about the child's rendering state.

B. It results in tight coupling and disrupts component isolation
Permitting external components to call a component's methods severely restricts the scope for future refactoring, making both modifications and testing more complicated. Altering the child's method may necessitate adjustments in every component utilizing the method as well as their respective tests. This elevation in maintenance costs does not offer any discernible advantages. Furthermore, breaching isolation raises debugging and optimization expenses.

In practical scenarios, it is advisable to address other queries before tackling the current one:

Is a parent-child relationship truly necessary in this context?
Can the code be reorganized in a manner that eliminates the need for one party to trigger the change?
If both entities require the ability to execute the change and maintain synchronization, is it feasible to transfer the method to a composable/helper function that can be imported by each parent and child, then utilize v-model to synchronize data?

Typically, resolving the aforementioned inquiries can preempt the issue before it necessitates the current question.

As a general guideline, it is beneficial to minimize coupling. Put simply, the child component should have minimal knowledge about the parent, and vice versa. When communication between them is indispensable, restrict the communication surface and adhere to established patterns (e.g., use v-model if the child must communicate with the parent, or utilize props in other cases).
If achieving the desired functionality mandates a custom pattern, contemplate employing a store or restructuring to ensure encapsulation/isolation.

The significance of this principle cannot be overstated in terms of development speed and overall expenditure, as a maintenance-free application is a fallacy. Every real-world application necessitates modifications in some capacity, and this principle significantly influences the time and resources required for alterations, testing, debugging, and optimization.

Answer 3

Answer №2

When dealing with a simple component like Label that requires no logic, it is best to utilize Component1.
. Adding unnecessary logic to stateless components goes against good design principles

For more complex components like Dialog with extensive logic and exposed functions, Component2 is the recommended choice.
. Especially when the component is frequently created by scripts and has numerous exposed functions.

For components that fall in the middle ground, such as Toggle, leveraging two-way bindings is the way to go.
. When two-way binding is required, it's best to implement the appropriate binding.

<script setup lang="ts">
import { useVModel } from '@vueuse/core'

const props = defineProps<{
  on: string
  off: string
  modelValue: string
}>()
const emit = defineEmits(['update:modelValue'])

const val = useVModel(props, 'modelValue', emit)

const defaultText = 'Off';

</script>

<template>
  <div @click="val = !val">
    {{ val ? on ?? '[on]' : off ?? 'off' }}
  </div>
</template>

Answer 4

When dealing with a simple component like Label that requires no logic, it is best to utilize Component1.
. Adding unnecessary logic to stateless components goes against good design principles

For more complex components like Dialog with extensive logic and exposed functions, Component2 is the recommended choice.
. Especially when the component is frequently created by scripts and has numerous exposed functions.

For components that fall in the middle ground, such as Toggle, leveraging two-way bindings is the way to go.
. When two-way binding is required, it's best to implement the appropriate binding.

<script setup lang="ts">
import { useVModel } from '@vueuse/core'

const props = defineProps<{
  on: string
  off: string
  modelValue: string
}>()
const emit = defineEmits(['update:modelValue'])

const val = useVModel(props, 'modelValue', emit)

const defaultText = 'Off';

</script>

<template>
  <div @click="val = !val">
    {{ val ? on ?? '[on]' : off ?? 'off' }}
  </div>
</template>

Answer 5

Answer №3

In my perspective, the answer to this question is subjective and based on the specific requirements at hand.

For demonstration purposes, a toggle scenario was created, and the initial approach presented appears to be efficient and effective.

Instead of simply listing the pros and cons, I will elucidate on the practical applications of both methods with an illustrative example:

Approach 1: Utilizing props and events for inter-component communication.

If the goal is to pass data from a parent component to inform decisions within the child component, this approach is recommended as a best practice.

https://i.sstatic.net/5L8yD.png

Approach 2: Leveraging the use of ref to expose and trigger child component methods from the parent.

If the objective is to execute specific logic within the child component by initiating an event from the parent, this approach is a suitable method to adopt.

https://i.sstatic.net/HVYvP.png

Answer 6

In my perspective, the answer to this question is subjective and based on the specific requirements at hand.

For demonstration purposes, a toggle scenario was created, and the initial approach presented appears to be efficient and effective.

Instead of simply listing the pros and cons, I will elucidate on the practical applications of both methods with an illustrative example:

Approach 1: Utilizing props and events for inter-component communication.

If the goal is to pass data from a parent component to inform decisions within the child component, this approach is recommended as a best practice.

https://i.sstatic.net/5L8yD.png

Approach 2: Leveraging the use of ref to expose and trigger child component methods from the parent.

If the objective is to execute specific logic within the child component by initiating an event from the parent, this approach is a suitable method to adopt.

https://i.sstatic.net/HVYvP.png

What are the benefits and drawbacks of utilizing two distinct methods to regulate a component in Vue?

Answer №1

Answer №2

Answer №3

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