My Journey with Vue.js: From Hesitation to Passion
After I graduated, I started working with some backend frameworks — mainly Laravel. While I enjoyed backend development, I always had the feeling that I was missing something on the frontend side. I wanted to build beautiful, interactive user interfaces — and for that, I needed a frontend framework.
At that time, I started searching. Naturally, like many developers, I came across React, but since I was already working with Laravel, I stumbled upon Vue.js as well. The Laravel community had a lot of support for Vue, and that made me feel like it was a good starting point.
I almost went for React, but something about Vue.js felt right. It was simpler, more elegant, and just clicked for me.
🎯Choosing Vue 3… Even in Beta
When I first started learning Vue, Vue 3 was still in beta. The stable version wasn't released yet. Most tutorials and libraries were still based on Vue 2, and naturally, most developers would have started with that.
But I didn't like the Options API in Vue 2 — it reminded me too much of working with jQuery: a lot of data and methods thrown together without a strong structure. Then I discovered the Composition API, which brought a whole new way of organizing logic in Vue. That was it — I was sold.
I found some ways to use the Composition API with Vue 2, but it felt like patching things. So I decided to go all in and start with Vue 3 beta, even though it wasn't fully supported yet.
⚠️Struggles, Risks, and Growth
Of course, using a beta version came with its own set of challenges. Many libraries hadn't been updated to support Vue 3 yet. I often faced compatibility issues, bugs, and missing features. But instead of seeing that as a problem, I saw it as an opportunity.
If something didn't exist — I built it. Some people might see that as a waste of time, but for me, it was a valuable learning experience. I dove deeper into the Vue ecosystem and frontend development in general. I also followed every new release of Vue 3 to see what had been fixed or improved. And every time an issue I faced got resolved in an update, it made me genuinely happy — like I was part of something growing.
Eventually, Vue 3 was officially released, and it felt like a win. I was already comfortable with the Composition API and how Vue 3 worked, so I could move faster and better than before.
💚Discovering Nuxt.js
Later on, I started hearing about Nuxt.js — a framework built on top of Vue that focused on SSR (Server-Side Rendering) and SEO. At first, I doubted myself. It sounded complex and advanced. But curiosity got the better of me, and I gave it a try. And wow — I fell in love with it.
Nuxt's file-based routing felt magical. The automatic handling of SEO and SSR made it feel like it was built to help developers focus more on building rather than configuring. It was like Vue with superpowers.
💭Looking Back
Looking back, choosing Vue (and Nuxt) was one of the best tech decisions I've made. It wasn't the most popular choice at the time — but it was the right one for me. It helped me grow as a developer, think in components, and love frontend development.
Whether you're just starting out or switching stacks, I'd say: follow what clicks with you. For me, Vue.js was that click. 🔥