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Vue.JS

Step-by-Step Tutorial for Server-side Rendering with Vue and NuxtJS

Last Updated on January 2, 2024

Quick Summary:

Server-Side Rendering has gained a lot of popularity among business owners who operate SEO-dependent websites with static content. This is large because server-side rendering offers a better user experience, particularly for users with slow or unreliable internet connections.

In this blog post, we’ve explored the distinction between SSR and CSR and provided a comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to create a basic application using Server-side Rendering with Vue and Nuxtjs.

Introduction to Server-Side Rendering

Server-side Rendering or SSR refers to a technique for rendering web applications on the server side before they are sent to the client. We can infer that the server generates the HTML content for the web page and then sends it to the user’s browser rather than relying on the client-side JavaScript to generate the content after the page has loaded.

We can also say that in SSR or Server Side Rendering when a user requests a page from a server that uses the SSR, the server runs the application code, generates the HTML content for the page, and after that, send it to the user browser, especially for the users having slow internet connection. SSR can also improve the accessibility and the search engine ranking of your web application because search engines and users with disabilities can more easily index or interpret the page’s content.

SSR can be beneficial for complex or dynamic web applications that require significant amounts of JavaScript to render the content on the client side. By using SSR, web developers can provide a better user experience and improve the performance, accessibility, search engine ranking, and maintainability of their web applications. But before we jump onto our topic of Server-side Rendering with Vue and NuxtJS, let us first understand the difference between CSR and SSR.

How Server-side Rendering differs from Client-side Rendering?

Generally, there is a fundamental difference between server-side rendering and client-side rendering. However, the impact they make can be of the essence. A simple shift from CSR to SSR can significantly benefit your web application. Given below are a few points that will help you better understand the difference between the two:

Parameter	SSR or Server-Side Rendering	CSR or Client Side Rendering
Rendering	Server-Side	Client-Side
Rendering Time	Before the content is sent to the client’s browser	After the initial page load and JavaScript execution on the browser
Initial Load Time	One-way data binding	Two-way data binding
DOM	Faster	Comparatively Slower
User Experience	The user sees the fully rendered page instantly	Initially, the user sees a blank page or loading spinner
Accessibility	Better accessibility for users with slow or unreliable internet	Users with slow or unreliable internet may face challenges
Search Engine Optimization	Easier for search engines to index pre-rendered content	Difficult for search engines to index dynamic content
Dynamic Content	Limited as new requests on the server are required	More interactive and faster updates without full page reload.
Complexity	Server-side complexity with additional server resources	Client-side complexity due to JavaScript resources

Overview of Vue.js and Nuxt.js

Vue.js is a widely used JavaScript framework for creating UIs and SPAs. It utilizes a reactive data model and provides a lightweight and flexible approach to web application development. Built on standard web technologies, Vue uses a component-based and declarative programming model, making UI development simpler. Vue is renowned among developers for its ease of use and extensive documentation.

Nuxt.js is a framework built on Vue.js that makes creating server-side rendered web applications easier. It simplifies routing and rendering and has features like automatic code splitting and static site generation to improve development efficiency.

Now that we have consolidated the basic details of the heads as needed, let us move forward with the Step-by-Step for creating a basic Vue server-side rendering application with Nuxt.js.

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Step-by-Step Process to Create a Basic Server-side Rendering with Vue and NuxtJS Application

To help you better understand the benefits of Vue SSR with NuxtJS, let us move ahead with our step-by-step tutorial on How to use Server-Side Rendering with Nuxt.js and Vue Application:

Step: 1 Creating a New Directory and Installing Nuxt.js

The first step is to create a new directory for your project and install Nuxt.js by using npm or yarn.

mkdir my-ssr-app
cd my-ssr-app
npm install nuxt
# or
yarn add nuxt

Step 2: Configuring Your Project

Then, create a nuxt.config.js file in the root directory and specify the options you wish to customize:

For Nuxt 2

export default {
   server: {
     port: 3000
   },

  // Specify the root URL of the app
  router: {
    base: '/'
  },
  
  components: {
    dirs: [
      '~/components',
      '~/shared/components'
    ]
  }
}

For Nuxt 3

export default defineNuxtConfig({
   // Specify the root URL of the app
   router: {
   },

   //specify the css
   css : [],
   
   //specify any module if used
   modules: []
})

Step 3: Creating your Vue.js Components

Thereafter, create a basic Vue.js component in the components/ directory:

For Nuxt 2

<template>
  <div>
    <h1>Hello, {{ name }}!</h1>
  </div>
</template>

<script>
export default {
  name: 'HelloWorld',
  props: {
    name: String
  }
}
</script>

For Nuxt 3

<template>
  <div>
    <h1>Hello, {{ name }}!</h1>
  </div>
</template>

<script setup>
  const props = defineProps({
     name: String
  )}
</script>

Step 4: Creating Pages

To create pages for your project, generate a new directory named “pages/” and for every page create a Vue.js component where the URL of each page will correspond to the name of its component file.

For Nuxt 2

<template>
  <div>
    <h1>This is the homepage</h1>
    <HelloWorld name="World" />
  </div>
</template>

<script>
import HelloWorld from '~/components/HelloWorld.vue'

export default {
  components: {
    HelloWorld
  }
}
</script>

For Nuxt 3

<template>
  <div>
    <h1>This is the homepage</h1>
    <HelloWorld name="World" />
  </div>
</template>

<script setup>
  //components are auto-imported in Nuxt 3
</script>

Step 5: Starting the Server

In the end, start the server using the command given below:

npm run dev

Now, that you have completed setting up your application, visit http://localhost:3000 to access it. Further, after examining the source code of your page, you can see that it has already been pre-rendered on the server.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you want to improve the performance, accessibility, search engine ranking, and maintainability of your web applications, then Server-side Rendering with Vue and NuxtJS is an excellent option. Following this step-by-step tutorial, you can create a basic application using SSR with Vue and Nuxt.js. This will enhance the user experience for users with slow or unreliable internet connections and provide fully rendered pages instantly.

Overall, SSR is a powerful technique that can take your web application to the next level, and Nuxt.js is an indispensable tool for easily achieving it. However, if you are a business owner and confused if Nuxt JS server side rendering Vue can benefit your web application Hire Vue Developer from Bacancy and give yourself peace of mind and bring out the best for your next project.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the difference between Nuxt and Vue?

Vue.js is a JavaScript framework for developing Single-Page Applications or SPAs and creating UIs. Nuxt.js, on the other hand, is a framework built on top of Vue.js, which offers additional features for building universal applications and specifically for server-side rendering.

Does Vue support Server-Side Rendering?

Yes, Vue.js supports server-side rendering (SSR) through its dedicated framework called Nuxt.js, which is built on top of Vue.js and presents an easy way to create server-rendered Vue.js applications.

What are the benefits of using Nuxt.js for SSR?

Nuxt.js streamlines the development of SSR applications, with Vue.js presenting pre-configured settings, conventions, a file-based routing system, and server-side middleware. This simplifies the implementation of SEO, enhances performance, and results in a better UX.

Can I still use Vue.js for Client-Side Rendering (CSR) with Nuxt.js?

Yes. Nuxt.js supports both Server-Side Rendering (SSR) and Client-Side Rendering (CSR) with Vue.js.