vue-component-meta

vue-component-meta allows you to extract the meta-data like props, slots, events, etc from your components via static code analysis. You can even generate description for your props from your source code. This helps document your components via automation. Please refer to the reference section for references.

Guide 📗

First of all, you need to create a component meta checker using createChecker:

``ts
import * as url from 'url'
import path from 'path'

import type { MetaCheckerOptions } from 'vue-component-meta'
import { createChecker } from 'vue-component-meta'

const __dirname = url.fileURLToPath(new URL('.', import.meta.url))

const checkerOptions: MetaCheckerOptions = {
forceUseTs: true,
schema: { ignore: ['MyIgnoredNestedProps'] },
printer: { newLine: 1 },
}

const tsconfigChecker = createChecker(
// Write your tsconfig path
path.join(__dirname, 'path-to-tsconfig'),
checkerOptions,
)
`

Now, you can extract the component meta using getComponentMeta method of checker:

`ts
import * as url from 'url'
import path from 'path'

const __dirname = url.fileURLToPath(new URL('.', import.meta.url))

const componentPath = path.join(__dirname, 'path-to-component');
const meta = checker.getComponentMeta(componentPath);
`

This meta contains really useful stuff like component props, slots, events and more. You can refer to its type definition for more details.

$3

The component meta also includes name and description fields at the root level:

- name: Extracted from the name property in the component options (for Options API components)
- description: Extracted from JSDoc comments above the component export (for TypeScript/JavaScript files)

`ts
/**
* My awesome component description
*/
export default defineComponent({
name: 'MyComponent',
// ... component definition
})
`

When you extract the component meta, you'll get:
`ts
meta.name // 'MyComponent'
meta.description // 'My awesome component description'
`

$3

vue-component-meta will automatically extract the prop details like its name, default value, is required or not, etc. Additionally, you can even write prop description in source code via JSDoc comment for that prop.

`ts
/**
* Hide/Show alert based on v-model value
*/
modelValue: {
type: Boolean,
default: null,
},
`

When you extract the component meta and extract the description property of that prop it will be "Hide/Show alert based on v-model value" 😍

> Warning
>
> Do note that meta.props will be array of props so you can't access it via meta.props.. Moreover, meta.props will also contain some global prop which you can identify via prop.global property.

You can use it to document your component as you build your project without writing additional documentation.

Pitfalls 👀

As vue-component-meta uses static code analysis, it can't extract the dynamic prop definition.

$3

vue-component-meta won't be able to extract default value for prop as props can't be analyzed.

`ts
props: {
// Props definition by function execution
...useLayerProps({
color: {
default: 'primary',
},
variant: {
default: 'light',
},
}),
}
`

In this scenario, to get the correct default value you can let vue-component-meta know it by writing them explicitly:

`ts
props: {
// let vue-component-meta found it
color: { default: 'primary' },
variant: { default: 'light' },

// Props definition by function execution
...useLayerProps({
color: {
default: 'primary',
},
variant: {
default: 'light',
},
}),
}
`

$3

Same as above scenario you might have issue with description not generating when prop definition is dynamic. In this case writing prop description can be tricky.

When it's function execution, write prop description in function definition:

`ts
export const useLayerProp = (...) => {
const props = {
/**
* Layer variant
*/
variant: {
type: String,
default: 'text',
},
}

export { props }
}
`

$3

For generating the correct required value for props like below:

`ts
// @/composables/useProps.ts
export const disabled = {
type: Boolean,
default: false,
}
`

`ts
import { disabled } from '@/composables/useProps'

export default defineComponent({
props: {
disabled,
},
})
`

You need to add as const to variable definition:

`diff
export const disabled = {
type: Boolean,
default: false,
- }
+ } as const
`

Used by 🎉

- Anu UI library uses vue-component-meta` to generate components' API via automation.

Reference 📚

- tests
- Anu's components' API automation
- Discord chat for dynamic usage