vue-reactive-store

Vue.js (only) library for managing a centralized state, inspired by Vue.js and VueX.

Without mutations, and with async actions mutating directly the state.

We could talk about mutactions.

Compatible with vue-devtools by using a plugin.

This library is in a WIP state.

You can create issues to ask for some features, or if you find bugs.

If feedbacks are goods, I'll write a better documentation :-) with english examples and take care of this library.

Core concepts

vue-reactive-store is a library trying to make easier the centralization of your app's data.

A store is composed of :

• a name
• a state, that will evolve in time (think the data of a Vue.js instance)
• computed properties based on this state (think the computed of a Vue.js instance, or the getters for VueX)
• actions that will make API calls, mutate the state, ... (think actions for VueX, but with mutations inside)
• watch(ers) that could react to state / computed evolutions (same as watch for Vue.js instance)
• plugins, trigerred for state evolution, computed properties, actions / watchers trigerred
• modules, aka sub-stores, namespaced
• props, like Vue.js instances, but, just an idea for the moment

Why creating an alternative ?

I think we can do a store simpler than VueX.

With VS Code and Intellisense, I would like my IDE tell me what's in my store, instead of calling dispatch functions or mapGetters / mapState functions.

We could trigger actions by importing them directly where we want to use them. Not by dispatching an action with a string composed by his namespace / function name.

And I think we can do better with TypeScript, to help us with typings.

For the moment, autocompletion is not as good as I want. I'm working on it.

How to use it

I hope the use of TypeScript will benefit for better understanding.

First, install vue-reactive-store in your Vue.js app.

npm i vue-reactive-store

Add a store as a JS object, and transform it by creating a VueReactiveStore instance.

// src/store.js
import VueReactiveStore from 'vue-reactive-store'

const store = {
  state: {
    loading: false,
    error: null,
    data: null
  },
  computed: {
    myCurrentState() {
      if (store.state.loading === true) return 'is loading...'
      if (store.state.error) return 'error...'
      return 'store seems ok'
    }
  },
  actions: {
    async fetchData() {
      store.state.loading = true
      try {
        // make api call
        const response = await myApi.fetchSomeData()
        store.state.data = response
      } catch (e) {
        store.state.error = e
      }
      store.state.loading = false
    }
  },
  plugins: [{
    actions: {
      after(storeName, actionName, storeState) {
        console.log('action is finished, this is my store : ', storeState)
      }
    }
  }]
}

const reactiveStore = new VueReactiveStore(store)

export default reactiveStore

Finally, use it in your components by importing the store, and put the data that interest you in the data and computed part of your app.

// src/components/myComponent.js
<template>
  <div>
    {{ myCurrentState }}
    <div v-if="!state.loading">
      Data : {{ state.data }}
    </div>
    <div v-if="state.error">
      {{ state.error }}
    </div>
  </div>
</template>

<script>
import store from '../store'

export default {
  data: {
    state: store.state
  },
  computed: store.computed,
  created() {
    store.actions.fetchData()
  }
}
</script>

That sould do the trick, now your store is reactive, and you could use it in all the component you want by importing this object. But, don't import it everywhere, just use it in your 'top-level' components to facilitate your project maintenability...

IMPORTANT ! To use the data, you'll have to wire the state property of the store. If you wire store.state.data, you'll get null and your data property isn't reactive yet.

import store from '../store'

export default {
  data: {
    data: store.state.data, // here, you'll always get 'null'
    state: store.state // here, state is reactive, and so all children, like data
  },
  …
}

For computed properties or actions, it'll be fine. You can wire directly the computed property or the action.

Logger plugin

There is a logger plugin that logs

• each action trigerred (before / after)
• each mutation on the state (after)
• each computed property recomputed (after)

To use it, you can do like this :

// src/store.js
import VueReactiveStore from 'vue-reactive-store'
import VRSPluginLogger from 'vue-reactive-store/dist/index.esm'

const store = {
  state: {
    loading: false,
    error: null,
    data: null
  },
  computed: {
    myCurrentState() {
      if (store.state.loading === true) return 'is loading...'
      if (store.state.error) return 'error...'
      return 'store seems ok'
    }
  },
  actions: {
    async fetchData() {
      store.state.loading = true
      try {
        // make api call
        const response = await myApi.fetchSomeData()
        store.state.data = response
      } catch (e) {
        store.state.error = e
      }
      store.state.loading = false
    }
  }
}

VueReactiveStore.registerPlugin(VRSPluginLogger);

const reactiveStore = new VueReactiveStore(store)

// this call will fetch data
// and the VRSPluginLogger will log
// * the action trigerred (before)
// * the state mutations (after)
// * the computed properties (after)
// * the end of the action (after)
store.actions.fetchData()

export default store

You can also decide to just log action / state / computed without previous/next state.

// by default all are true and so are verbose logs
VRSPluginLogger.logSettings.actions = false;
VRSPluginLogger.logSettings.computed = false;
VRSPluginLogger.logSettings.state = false;

Devtools plugin

Like VueX, you can debug your store with vue-devtools.

It's not enabled 'by default', and you have to explicitly add the devtools plugin like that :

import VueReactiveStore from 'vue-reactive-store'
import VRSPluginDevtools from 'vue-reactive-store/dist/devtools.esm'

const store = {
  state: {
    loading: false,
    error: null,
    results: null
  },
  actions: {
    async fetchData () {
      store.state.loading = true
      try {
        // blablabla
        store.state.results = 'pwet'
      } catch (e) {
        store.state.error = e
      }
      store.state.loading = false
    }
  },
  plugins: [
    VRSPluginDevtools
  ]
}

new VueReactiveStore(store)

export default store

Then you could observe there is a store detected in the VueX tab of vue-devtools.

Time Travel is normally ok, but maybe there are some lacks for Commit mutations.

Submit an issue if you find bugs.

Next episodes

• finishing blog articles (FR)
• release a plugin for storing data in localStorage
• release a plugin for history (undo / redo)
• listen to community needs