What is the Options API in Vue?
Why Interviewers Ask This
Foundational questions like this help interviewers calibrate the rest of the interview. A confident, accurate answer signals that you have solid Vue.js basics — a prerequisite for any developer role.
Answer
The Options API organizes component logic into predefined options (sections): export default { name: "UserCard", components: { Avatar }, props: { user: Object }, data() { return { isExpanded: false, localCopy: "" }; }, computed: { fullName() { return this.user.first + " " + this.user.last; } }, watch: { "user.name"(newVal) { this.fetchDetails(newVal); } }, methods: { toggleExpand() { this.isExpanded = !this.isExpanded; }, async fetchDetails(name) { this.localCopy = await api.get(name); } }, created() { this.fetchDetails(this.user.name); }, mounted() { this.$nextTick(() => { this.$refs.input.focus(); }); } };. Options: name, components, directives, extends, mixins, props, emits, expose, setup, data, computed, methods, watch, provide/inject, lifecycle hooks (beforeCreate, created, beforeMount, mounted, beforeUpdate, updated, beforeUnmount, unmounted, errorCaptured, renderTracked, renderTriggered, activated, deactivated). this context: in Options API methods, this refers to the component instance. All data, props, computed, and methods are accessible via this. When to use: straightforward for simple components, easier for Vue 2 developers, good for teams new to Vue. Can be mixed with Composition API (setup() option works within Options API components).
Pro Tip
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