Integrating Framework Features in Your Custom Application¶
Once you have a grasp of creating applications, developing modules, and understanding architectural best practices, the next step is to effectively integrate the rich set of features provided by the @vc-shell/framework. This framework offers numerous composables (Vue Composition API functions) and services designed to accelerate development and provide common functionalities out-of-the-box.
This guide provides an overview of the key framework features and, crucially, directs you to the detailed "How-To" guides located in the Essentials/Usage-Guides/ directory for in-depth explanations and usage examples.
Introduction to VC-Shell Composables and Services¶
The @vc-shell/framework is packed with utilities to handle common application concerns. These are generally exposed as Vue composables (functions you call within your component's setup script or other composables) or, in some cases, as injectable services.
Key categories of features include:
- UI & Layout Management: Tools for building and controlling the user interface, navigation elements, and overall application layout (e.g., app bar, side menus, dashboards, blades, popups). Provides consistency and accelerates UI development.
- Navigation & Routing: Helpers for managing application navigation, breadcrumbs, and menu services, ensuring intuitive user flows.
- Data Handling & API Interaction: Utilities for making API calls, managing asynchronous operations, and working with API clients, simplifying backend communication.
- User Management & Permissions: Functions for accessing user information, checking permissions, and controlling access to features, crucial for security and personalization.
- Notifications & User Feedback: Services for displaying toast notifications and managing push notifications, enhancing user engagement and awareness.
- State Management & Events: Composables for managing global or local loading states, handling browser events, and more, facilitating reactive and dynamic applications.
- Forms & Validation: Support for implementing form validation within your application's views (often blades), improving data quality.
- Modularity & Plugins: Core mechanisms for module registration, internationalization (i18n), and other plugin-based extensions, enabling scalable and extensible applications.
- Error Handling & Telemetry: Centralized error handling and integration with application insights for monitoring, leading to more robust applications.
- Settings & Configuration: Tools for managing application and user settings, allowing for customization and flexibility.
Instead of re-implementing these common patterns, you should always look to the framework first. This not only saves development time but also ensures consistency with the broader VC-Shell ecosystem.