Getting Started with Vue Storefront: A Beginner’s Guide

Vue Storefront is an open-source eCommerce framework built on top of Vue.js, a popular JavaScript framework for building user interfaces. It provides a fast, reliable, and scalable solution for building modern eCommerce websites, mobile apps, and PWAs (progressive web apps) that can run on any device. By building your progressive app with Vue Storefront development you can enhance user experience through personalized features like product recommendations.

In this beginner’s guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to get started with Vue Storefront, including how to install it, create a simple store, customize it, integrate it with a backend system, and deploy it to a live server.

Before we dive into the details, it’s important to note that you should have a basic understanding of JavaScript and Vue.js to follow this guide. Additionally, we’ll be using some recommended tools and software throughout this tutorial, so make sure to install them before getting started.

Prerequisites 

Basic understanding of JavaScript and Vue.js

Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) installed

Git installed

You will need to have a code editor such as Visual Studio Code installed and a modern web browser like Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Vue.js Devtools browser extension (optional but recommended)

 

Installing Vue Storefront

To install Vue Storefront, follow these steps:

Step 1: Create a new directory for your project and navigate to it in the terminal.

Step 2: Clone the Vue Storefront development repository from GitHub using the following command.

Step 3: Install the required dependencies using the following command.

Note: Yarn is a faster and more reliable alternative to npm. If you don’t have Yarn installed, you can install it using the following command.

Step 4: Start the development server using the following command:

This command will start the server on http://localhost:3000. Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000 to see the default Vue Storefront home page.

Understanding the Vue Storefront architecture

Vue Storefront has a modular and scalable architecture that allows you to extend and customize it to meet your specific requirements. It Comprises of multiple essential elements, comprising.

Core: The core module provides the foundation for the rest of the application, including routing, state management, and UI components.

API: The API module handles all the communication with the backend system, including fetching and updating data.

Theme: The theme module provides the UI components and styling for the storefront.

Extensions: The extensions module includes additional functionality and integrations that can be added to the storefront.

 To create a simple store with Vue Storefront, follow these steps:

Step 1: Create a new project directory and navigate to it in the terminal.

Step 2: Clone the Vue Storefront template from GitHub using the following command.

Step 3: Install the required dependencies using the following command.

Step 4: Start the development server using the following command.

Step 5: Create a product catalog by adding some sample products to the storefront. You can accomplish this by heading to the “src/api/catalog” directory and opening the “product.js” file.. Replace the default product data.

Step 6: Create a homepage by customizing the default Vue Storefront home page. src/pages” directory and access the “Home.vue” file. You can modify the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code to create a custom homepage for your store.

Customizing Vue Storefront

Vue Storefront is highly customizable, and you can modify every aspect of the storefront to meet your specific requirements. Here are a few ways to customize Vue Storefront:

Change the appearance of the store by modifying the theme module. You can create a custom theme or modify the existing theme to match your brand’s colors and style.

Add new functionality to the storefront by creating custom extensions. You can add new features, integrations, and components to the storefront using the Vue Storefront Extensions API.

Modify existing components by overriding them in your custom theme or extension. You can change the behavior, appearance, and functionality of any component in the storefront.

Integrating Vue Storefront with a backend system

Vue Storefront is designed to work with any backend system, including popular eCommerce platforms like Magento, WooCommerce, and Shopify. Here are a few ways to integrate Vue Storefront with a backend system:

Use the API module to fetch data from the backend system. The API module provides a unified interface for fetching and updating data from the backend system.

Use the Magento 2 integration module to integrate Vue Storefront with a Magento 2 backend. This module provides a seamless integration between Vue Storefront and Magento 2, including real-time synchronization of data.

Use the GraphQL module to integrate Vue Storefront with any backend system that supports GraphQL. This module provides a flexible and efficient way to fetch and update data from any GraphQL endpoint.

Deploying Vue Storefront

To deploy Vue Storefront to a live server, you’ll need to optimize the storefront for production, configure the server environment, and deploy the storefront to the server. Here are some guidelines to adhere to:

Step 1: Optimize the storefront for production by using the following command:

This command will optimize the storefront for production by minifying and bundling the JavaScript and CSS code, optimizing images, and creating a production-ready build.

Step 2: Configure the server environment by setting up a server that meets the requirements of Vue Storefront. You’ll need to install Node.js and other required dependencies on the server.

Step 3: Deploy the storefront to the server using a deployment tool like Jenkins or GitLab CI/CD. You’ll need to configure the deployment pipeline to automate the deployment process and ensure that the storefront is always up-to-date.

Conclusion :

Vue Storefront is a powerful and flexible eCommerce framework that provides a fast, reliable, and scalable solution for building modern eCommerce websites, mobile apps, and PWAs. In this beginner’s guide, we covered everything you need to know to get started with Vue Storefront, including how to install it, create a simple store, customize it, integrate it with a backend system, and deploy it to a live server. With this knowledge, you can start building your own custom eCommerce storefronts using Vue Storefront.

Author Bio :

Ashish Jain is the global head of offshore strategic partnerships at AddWeb Solution, a renowned Vue Storefront development company delivering innovative solutions to meet clients’ needs. With expertise in the latest software technologies, he has a reputation for delivering flexible and dependable services to clients across a range of industries.