Frontend Academy · Lesson

Directives: v-if v-for v-bind v-on

Conditionally render with v-if and v-show, loop with v-for, bind attributes dynamically with v-bind, and listen to DOM events with v-on.

Lesson 3 of 413 steps

Directives: v-if v-for v-bind v-on is a free Frontend Academy lesson on CoddyKit. This is lesson 3 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Frontend Academy learning path, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app. The Frontend Academy course includes 4 lessons in total.

What Are Vue Directives?

Directives are special attributes prefixed with v- that tell Vue to do something to a DOM element. They're evaluated as JavaScript expressions and react to reactive data changes.

v-if, v-else-if, v-else

v-if conditionally renders an element based on a truthy expression. The element is completely removed from the DOM when false. v-else provides the fallback.

<div v-if="isLoggedIn">
  <UserDashboard />
</div>
<div v-else-if="isLoading">
  <Spinner />
</div>
<div v-else>
  <LoginForm />
</div>

v-show — Visibility Toggle

v-show toggles CSS display: none instead of adding/removing from the DOM. Use v-show when the element toggles frequently; use v-if when the condition rarely changes.

<!-- Good for frequently toggling: -->
<div v-show="isDropdownOpen">...</div>

<!-- Good for rarely changing: -->
<div v-if="userHasPremium">...</div>

v-for — Rendering Lists

v-for="item in items" renders the element for each item. Always include :key for stable updates.

<ul>
  <li v-for="user in users" :key="user.id">
    {{ user.name }} — {{ user.email }}
  </li>
</ul>

<!-- With index: -->
<li v-for="(item, index) in items" :key="item.id">
  {{ index + 1 }}. {{ item.title }}
</li>

v-for with Object

Iterate over an object's values, or key-value pairs.

<dl>
  <template v-for="(value, key) in user" :key="key">
    <dt>{{ key }}</dt>
    <dd>{{ value }}</dd>
  </template>
</dl>

v-bind — Binding Attributes

v-bind:attr or the shorthand :attr dynamically binds an HTML attribute to a reactive value.

<img :src="user.avatar" :alt="user.name">
<a :href="getLink(post.id)">{{ post.title }}</a>
<button :disabled="isLoading" :class="{ active: isActive }">Save</button>

v-bind Object Syntax

Bind multiple attributes at once using an object.

<input v-bind="{
  type: 'email',
  placeholder: 'Enter email',
  disabled: isSubmitting
}">

Class Binding: :class

Bind CSS classes conditionally with an object (key = class name, value = condition) or an array.

<div :class="{ 'is-active': isActive, 'has-error': hasError }">...</div>

<!-- Array syntax: -->
<div :class="[baseClass, isActive ? 'active' : '']">

<!-- Dynamic in script setup: -->
:class="{ card: true, [variantClass]: true }"

Style Binding: :style

Bind inline styles with a camelCase object.

<div :style="{ backgroundColor: brandColor, padding: spacing + 'px' }">

v-on — Listening to Events

v-on:event or the shorthand @event attaches event listeners.

<button @click="handleClick">Click Me</button>
<input @input="value = $event.target.value">
<form @submit.prevent="handleSubmit">...</form>

Event Modifiers

Vue provides built-in event modifiers: .prevent (preventDefault), .stop (stopPropagation), .once (fires once), .self (only if target is element itself), .passive (improves scroll performance).

<form @submit.prevent="submit">
<button @click.stop="selectItem">
<div @click.self="closeModal">
<div @scroll.passive="onScroll">

Quick Check

When should you use v-show instead of v-if?

Answer it in the interactive lesson

Recap: Vue Directives

v-if removes/adds from DOM. v-show toggles display. v-for renders lists (always :key). v-bind (:) binds attributes, :class, :style. v-on (@) attaches event listeners. Event modifiers .prevent, .stop, .once. v-model for two-way binding (combines v-bind:value and v-on:input).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the “Directives: v-if v-for v-bind v-on” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Directives: v-if v-for v-bind v-on” is free to read here on the web. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the Frontend Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO. The Frontend Academy course includes 4 lessons in total.

What will I learn in “Directives: v-if v-for v-bind v-on”?

Conditionally render with v-if and v-show, loop with v-for, bind attributes dynamically with v-bind, and listen to DOM events with v-on. You practise Frontend Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start Frontend Academy?

No prior experience is required. Frontend Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace. This is lesson 3 of 4.

How long does the “Directives: v-if v-for v-bind v-on” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

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