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Juris vs Vue.js: Framework Comparison

#webdev #javascript #programming #web

The JavaScript landscape evolves with new paradigms. Juris, with its "Object-First" architecture, presents a different approach to reactive development compared to Vue.js. This comparison examines both frameworks across architecture, performance, and use cases.

Framework Overview

Vue.js: The Progressive Framework
Vue.js combines React's component architecture with Angular's templates, offering gentle learning curves and excellent developer experience. Vue 3's Composition API brings improved TypeScript support and better logic reuse.

Juris: The Object-First Revolutionary
At 2,616 lines of code, Juris transforms web development through object-first architecture where reactivity is intentional, not automatic. It delivers true progressive enhancement without build tools.

Core Architecture

Vue.js: Template-Based Reactivity

  • HTML-like templates with directives
  • Component-based encapsulation
  • Automatic reactive data binding
  • Virtual DOM with proxy-based reactivity

Juris: Object-First Intentional Reactivity

  • Pure JavaScript objects (no compilation)
  • Functions define reactive properties explicitly
  • Branch-aware dependency tracking
  • Dual rendering modes (fine-grained/batch) 
// Vue 3 Component <template> <div :class="{ completed: todo.completed }"> <input v-model="todo.completed" @change="toggleTodo" /> <span>{{ todo.text }}</span>  <button @click="deleteTodo">×</button>  </div> </template>  <script setup> const props = defineProps(['todo']) const emit = defineEmits(['toggle', 'delete']) const toggleTodo = () => emit('toggle', props.todo.id) const deleteTodo = () => emit('delete', props.todo.id) </script>  // Juris Component - Pure JavaScript Objects const TodoItem = (props, context) => ({ div: { className: () => props.todo.completed ? 'completed' : '', // Reactive function children: [ { input: { type: 'checkbox', checked: () => props.todo.completed, onchange: () => props.onToggle(props.todo.id) } }, { span: { text: () => props.todo.text } }, // Reactive { button: { text: '×', onclick: () => props.onDelete(props.todo.id) } } // Static ] } });
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Performance & Bundle Size

Framework Bundle Size Build Tools Key Features
Vue.js ~34KB Required VDOM, proxy reactivity, compilation
Juris ~47KB None Dual rendering, temporal independence, 2,616 LOC

Vue.js Performance:

  • Efficient virtual DOM with automatic dependency tracking
  • Template compilation adds build-time overhead
  • Can cause cascade updates in complex apps

Juris Performance Innovations:

  • Temporal Independence: Path-based state prevents cascade re-renders
  • Dual Rendering: Fine-grained (compatibility) + batch (performance) modes
  • Element Recycling: VDOM optimizations with automatic fallback
  • Branch-Aware Tracking: Only tracks dependencies in executed code paths

Setup & Development Experience

Vue.js Setup:

npm create vue@latest my-project cd my-project && npm install && npm run dev # Requires: Vite/Webpack, build tools, compilation
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Juris Setup:

<script src="https://unpkg.com/juris@0.4.3/juris.js"></script> <script> const app = new Juris({ states: { count: 0 }, layout: { div: { children: [ { h1: { text: () => `Count: ${app.getState('count')}` } }, { button: { text: 'Increment', onclick: () => app.setState('count', app.getState('count') + 1) } } ] } } }); app.render('#app'); </script>
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Component Systems

Vue.js: Standard Components

// Lifecycle hooks onMounted(() => console.log('mounted')) onUnmounted(() => console.log('unmounted'))
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Juris: Dual Architecture (UI + Headless)

// UI Component const Counter = (props, context) => ({ div: { children: [/* UI definition */] } }); // Headless Component (logic only) const CounterLogic = (props, context) => ({ api: { increment: () => context.setState('count', context.getState('count', 0) + 1), reset: () => context.setState('count', 0) }, hooks: { onRegister: () => console.log('Counter logic ready') } }); // Any UI can use the headless logic app.registerHeadlessComponent('CounterLogic', CounterLogic, { autoInit: true });
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State Management Revolution

Vue.js: Automatic Reactivity

import { ref, computed } from 'vue' const count = ref(0) const doubled = computed(() => count.value * 2) // Changing count triggers all dependent updates
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Juris: Path-Based Temporal Independence

// Domain-based paths prevent cascade updates context.setState('user.profile.name', 'Jane'); // Only affects user.profile subscribers context.setState('user.preferences.theme', 'dark'); // Only affects user.preferences subscribers context.setState('cart.items.0.quantity', 3); // Only affects specific cart item // Components subscribe only to needed paths const UserProfile = (props, context) => ({ div: { text: () => context.getState('user.profile.name'), // Only updates when this path changes style: () => ({ color: context.getState('user.preferences.theme') === 'dark' ? '#fff' : '#000' }) } });
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Progressive Enhancement

Vue.js: Hydration (Replacement)

// Server renders HTML, client replaces with reactive version app.mount('#app') // Takes over existing HTML
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Juris: True Enhancement (No Replacement)

// Enhance existing HTML without replacement app.enhance('.checkout-button', { style: () => ({ opacity: context.getState('cart.items.length') > 0 ? 1 : 0.5 }), onclick: () => context.setState('checkout.step', 'payment') }); // Advanced nested enhancement app.enhance('.data-table', (ctx) => ({ 'th[data-column]': { className: (el) => () => { const column = el.dataset.column; const sort = ctx.getState('sort.column'); return sort === column ? 'sortable active' : 'sortable'; }, onclick: (el) => () => ctx.setState('sort.column', el.dataset.column) }, '.status': { style: (el) => () => ({ backgroundColor: el.textContent === 'active' ? '#28a745' : '#dc3545' }) } }));
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Testing Complexity

Vue.js Testing:

// Requires Vue Test Utils, mounting, and mock setup import { mount } from '@vue/test-utils' import TodoItem from '@/components/TodoItem.vue' describe('TodoItem', () => { test('toggles completion', async () => { const todo = { id: 1, text: 'Test', completed: false } const wrapper = mount(TodoItem, { props: { todo }, emits: ['toggle'] }) await wrapper.find('input[type="checkbox"]').trigger('change') expect(wrapper.emitted('toggle')).toBeTruthy() }) })
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Juris Testing:

// Pure JavaScript functions - easy to test directly import { TodoItem } from './components.js' describe('TodoItem', () => { test('creates correct structure', () => { const props = { todo: { id: 1, text: 'Test', completed: false } } const mockContext = { getState: jest.fn(), setState: jest.fn() } const result = TodoItem(props, mockContext) // Test pure function output expect(result.div.children).toHaveLength(3) expect(result.div.children[1].span.text()).toBe('Test') // Test reactive functions const checkbox = result.div.children[0].input expect(checkbox.checked()).toBe(false) // Test event handlers checkbox.onchange() expect(props.onToggle).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1) }) })
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When to Choose Each

Aspect Vue.js Juris
Setup Complexity High - requires mounting, mocking Low - pure functions
Test Dependencies Vue Test Utils, jsdom Standard Jest/testing library
Component Testing Template + logic integration Direct function testing
State Testing Mock store/composables Mock context object
Event Testing Trigger DOM events Call functions directly
Learning Curve Vue-specific testing patterns Standard JavaScript testing

Choose Vue.js For:

  • Production applications requiring proven stability
  • Large teams with existing Vue expertise
  • Complex applications needing mature ecosystem
  • TypeScript projects requiring strong integration
  • SEO-critical apps with Nuxt.js SSR/SSG

Choose Juris For:

  • Legacy modernization requiring true progressive enhancement
  • Performance-critical apps with complex state management
  • Rapid prototyping without build tool setup
  • AI-assisted development with pure JavaScript objects
  • Educational projects exploring reactive programming

Quick Example Comparison

Vue Todo App:

<template> <div> <input v-model="newTodo" @keyup.enter="addTodo"> <li v-for="todo in todos" :key="todo.id"> <input type="checkbox" v-model="todo.completed"> {{ todo.text }} </li>  </div> </template>  <script setup> import { ref, reactive } from 'vue' const newTodo = ref('') const todos = reactive([]) const addTodo = () => { if (newTodo.value.trim()) { todos.push({ id: Date.now(), text: newTodo.value, completed: false }) newTodo.value = '' } } </script>
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Juris Todo App:

const TodoApp = (props, context) => ({ div: { children: [ { input: { value: () => context.getState('newTodo', ''), oninput: (e) => context.setState('newTodo', e.target.value), onkeyup: (e) => { if (e.key === 'Enter') { const text = context.getState('newTodo', '').trim(); if (text) { const todos = context.getState('todos', []); context.setState('todos', [...todos, { id: Date.now(), text, completed: false }]); context.setState('newTodo', ''); } } } } }, { ul: { children: () => context.getState('todos', []).map(todo => ({ li: { key: todo.id, children: [ { input: { type: 'checkbox', checked: () => todo.completed, onchange: () => { const todos = context.getState('todos', []); const updated = todos.map(t => t.id === todo.id ? { ...t, completed: !t.completed } : t ); context.setState('todos', updated); } } }, { span: { text: todo.text } } ] } })) } } ] } }); new Juris({ states: { todos: [], newTodo: '' }, components: { TodoApp }, layout: { TodoApp: {} } }).render('#app');
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Conclusion

Vue.js and Juris represent different philosophies: Vue.js offers mature, proven development with excellent tooling, while Juris introduces revolutionary concepts that solve fundamental problems affecting almost all web development.

Vue.js is ideal for traditional applications, large teams, and risk-averse environments requiring proven stability and extensive ecosystem support.

Juris excels at legacy modernization, performance-critical applications, and scenarios requiring true progressive enhancement without build complexity.

The choice depends on your specific needs: Vue.js for stability and ecosystem, Juris for innovation and progressive enhancement capabilities.

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