When comparing Scala.js vs Vue.js, the Slant community recommends Scala.js for most people. In the question“What are the best solutions to "The JavaScript Problem"?” Scala.js is ranked 17th while Vue.js is ranked 23rd. The most important reason people chose Scala.js is:
Scala offers type inference, which, while giving the same safety as Java's type system, allows programmers to focus on the code itself, rather than on updating type annotations.
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Pros
Pro Type inference
Scala offers type inference, which, while giving the same safety as Java's type system, allows programmers to focus on the code itself, rather than on updating type annotations.
Pro Implements a mature language
In contrast to other options, Scala.js is a compiler plugin for an already existing and mature language: Scala.
As such, it benefits automatically from the existing compiler, from the language design choices made for Scala, which exists and is established in the industry since years.
Pro Easy, type-safe, interop with JavaScript
The JavaScript-interop of Scala.js is very direct and lightweight.
Pro The strength of Scala on the server
The strength of Scala (JVM) on the server can not be underestimated, and is probably superior to any other choice listed here (where applicable; many have no server-side equivalent).
Being able to use such a powerful language (and ecosystem) on the server AND on the client, and sharing code between the two, is a big advantage.
Pro Extensive standard libraries
Scala.js implements most of the Scala standard library and many parts of the Java one. Among others, it supports Scala's rich collection library.
Pro Dead-code elimination
Scala.js performs dead-code elimination out of the box (when running in the "fullOpts" mode).
Pro Multiparadigm
Scala supports both Functional and Object Oriented styles of programming. Beginners can learn both paradigms without having to learn a new language, and experts can switch between the two according to what best suits their needs at the time.
Pro Crossbuilding
Keeps your client and server sources in sync.
Pro Incremental compilation
Through SBT, Scala.js supports incremental compilation out of the box. That is: SBT automatically picks-up the changes (think "watch" in other tools) and only recompiles what is needed.
This makes the development cycle fast and very pleasant to work with.
Pro Excellent tooling (IDE) support
The same good and mature tooling that can be used for Scala can be used for Scala.js out of the box (code-completion, refactoring, immediate feedback, etc.).
Pro Immutable values
The immutable values make it perfect for working with concurrency.
Pro Macros
Because Scala.js is a plugin to the Scala compiler, the whole power of the Scala language is available at compile-time. Which includes macros. Very expressive things can be done, in a type-safe way, which are difficult or impossible in other languages.
Pro Simple build system compared to Javascript
While SBT is arguably not as simple as Maven, it beats the chaos of the JavaScript build ecosystem.
Pro Can be used with any front-end stack
Vue can easily be integrated with other front-end libraries. This makes it an extremely versatile tool and it's easy to fix its shortcomings or missing features by just plugging in another library.
Pro Single file component
Very useful.
Pro Lightweight
Vue.js weighs in at 16kb min+gzip.
Pro Vuex store, events system
Pro Reactivity system
Pro CLI and Webpack integration
Pro Responsive server-side rendering
Since most of the mainstream server-side rendering implementations are synchronous, they can block the server's event loop when the application is complex.
Vue implements streaming server-side rendering, which allows you to render your component, get a readable stream and directly pipe that to the HTTP response. This allows you to have a responsive server and decreases the time your users have to wait before they get your rendered content.
Pro Supports inline templating
Although you can build components in JavaScript files, you can also use inline handlebars-like templating in your HTML views where simplicity is often a more sane choice.
Pro Can be made even lighter
Since the template-to-virtual-DOM and compiler can be separated, you can compile the templates in your machine and then deploying only the interpreter which is 12KB minified and gzipped.
Pro Support for both templates and JSX
You can choose to use either a templating language, or if you feel it's necessary to drop on a lower virtual-dom level, you can use JSX. This is simply done by replacing the template
option with a render
function.
Or alternatively, you can embed functions inside templates by using the <render>
tag.
Pro SEO friendly
Starting with Vue 2.0, Vue supports server-side rendering. This helps with SEO a lot, since the views are rendered directly on the server, which are indexed by search engines.
Pro VueRouter
Cons
Con Can be intimidating for beginners
Scala is an industrial language. It brings functional programming to the JVM. All books/tutorials cover friendly aspects of Scala, but there are corners of the language that one can wander into that are not friendly to beginners.
Con A complex language with a lot of incidental complexity that results in significant mental overhead
Con Combines OOP and functional programming for a hodge-podge paradigm
Its excellent mix of functional and OOP programming just like Python to use the tool best suited
Con Poor typescript support
Very basic typescript support.
Con Very enterpris-ey in design and tooling
