Directus UI Extensions Mastery

Directus UI Extensions Mastery

Overview

This skill provides expert guidance for building production-ready Vue 3 UI extensions in Directus. Master the creation of custom panels, interfaces, displays, and layouts using the @directus/extensions-sdk with modern Vue 3 Composition API patterns. Implement real-time data visualization, responsive design, and seamless integration with Directus' component library.

When to Use This Skill

• Building custom dashboard panels for data visualization
• Creating specialized input interfaces for complex data types
• Developing custom collection displays and layouts
• Implementing real-time components with WebSocket integration
• Adding glass morphism or modern UI design patterns
• Ensuring mobile parity and responsive design
• Integrating with Directus theme system
• Creating reusable UI components for teams

Core Concepts

Extension Types

1. Panels - Dashboard widgets for Insights module
2. Interfaces - Custom input components for data entry
3. Displays - Custom rendering of field values
4. Layouts - Alternative collection views
5. Modules - Complete custom sections in Directus

Technology Stack

• Vue 3 with Composition API
• TypeScript for type safety
• @directus/extensions-sdk for Directus integration
• Vite for building and development
• Pinia for state management (via useStores)
• Vue Router for navigation (in modules)

Process: Building a Custom Panel

Step 1: Initialize Extension

# Create new panel extension
npx create-directus-extension@latest

# Select options:
# > panel
# > my-custom-panel
# > typescript

Step 2: Configure Panel Metadata

// src/index.ts
import { definePanel } from '@directus/extensions-sdk';
import PanelComponent from './panel.vue';

export default definePanel({
  id: 'custom-analytics',
  name: 'Analytics Dashboard',
  icon: 'analytics',
  description: 'Real-time analytics and metrics',
  component: PanelComponent,
  minWidth: 12,
  minHeight: 8,
  options: [
    {
      field: 'collection',
      type: 'string',
      name: 'Collection',
      meta: {
        interface: 'system-collection',
        width: 'half',
      },
    },
    {
      field: 'dateField',
      type: 'string',
      name: 'Date Field',
      meta: {
        interface: 'system-field',
        options: {
          collectionField: 'collection',
          typeAllowList: ['datetime', 'date', 'timestamp'],
        },
        width: 'half',
      },
    },
    {
      field: 'refreshInterval',
      type: 'integer',
      name: 'Refresh Interval (seconds)',
      meta: {
        interface: 'input',
        width: 'half',
      },
      schema: {
        default_value: 30,
      },
    },
  ],
});

Step 3: Implement Vue Component

<!-- src/panel.vue -->
<template>
  <div class="analytics-panel">
    <div v-if="loading" class="loading-state">
      <v-progress-circular indeterminate />
    </div>

    <div v-else-if="error" class="error-state">
      <v-notice type="danger">
        {{ error }}
      </v-notice>
    </div>

    <div v-else class="panel-content">
      <div class="metrics-grid">
        <div class="metric-card" v-for="metric in metrics" :key="metric.id">
          <div class="metric-value">{{ formatNumber(metric.value) }}</div>
          <div class="metric-label">{{ metric.label }}</div>
          <div class="metric-change" :class="metric.trend">
            <v-icon :name="getTrendIcon(metric.trend)" small />
            {{ metric.change }}%
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>

      <div class="chart-container">
        <canvas ref="chartCanvas"></canvas>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</template>

<script setup lang="ts">
import { ref, computed, onMounted, onUnmounted, watch } from 'vue';
import { useApi, useStores } from '@directus/extensions-sdk';
import { Chart, registerables } from 'chart.js';

// Register Chart.js components
Chart.register(...registerables);

// Props from panel configuration
interface Props {
  collection?: string;
  dateField?: string;
  refreshInterval?: number;
  showHeader?: boolean;
  height: number;
  width: number;
}

const props = withDefaults(defineProps<Props>(), {
  refreshInterval: 30,
  showHeader: true,
});

// Composables
const api = useApi();
const { useItemsStore } = useStores();
const itemsStore = useItemsStore();

// Reactive state
const loading = ref(true);
const error = ref<string | null>(null);
const metrics = ref([]);
const chartData = ref([]);
const chart = ref<Chart | null>(null);
const chartCanvas = ref<HTMLCanvasElement>();
const refreshTimer = ref<NodeJS.Timeout>();

// Computed properties
const chartConfig = computed(() => ({
  type: 'line',
  data: {
    labels: chartData.value.map(d => formatDate(d.date)),
    datasets: [{
      label: 'Activity',
      data: chartData.value.map(d => d.value),
      borderColor: 'var(--theme--primary)',
      backgroundColor: 'var(--theme--primary-background)',
      tension: 0.4,
      fill: true,
    }],
  },
  options: {
    responsive: true,
    maintainAspectRatio: false,
    plugins: {
      legend: {
        display: false,
      },
      tooltip: {
        backgroundColor: 'var(--theme--background-accent)',
        titleColor: 'var(--theme--foreground)',
        bodyColor: 'var(--theme--foreground-subdued)',
      },
    },
    scales: {
      x: {
        grid: {
          color: 'var(--theme--border-color-subdued)',
        },
        ticks: {
          color: 'var(--theme--foreground-subdued)',
        },
      },
      y: {
        grid: {
          color: 'var(--theme--border-color-subdued)',
        },
        ticks: {
          color: 'var(--theme--foreground-subdued)',
        },
      },
    },
  },
}));

// Methods
async function fetchData() {
  if (!props.collection) {
    error.value = 'No collection selected';
    loading.value = false;
    return;
  }

  try {
    loading.value = true;
    error.value = null;

    // Fetch aggregate data for metrics
    const { data: aggregateData } = await api.get(`/items/${props.collection}`, {
      params: {
        aggregate: {
          count: '*',
          avg: 'amount',
          sum: 'amount',
        },
        groupBy: props.dateField ? [props.dateField] : undefined,
        filter: props.dateField ? {
          [props.dateField]: {
            _between: [getStartDate(), getEndDate()],
          },
        } : undefined,
        limit: -1,
      },
    });

    // Process metrics
    processMetrics(aggregateData);

    // Fetch time series data for chart
    if (props.dateField) {
      const { data: timeSeriesData } = await api.get(`/items/${props.collection}`, {
        params: {
          fields: [props.dateField, 'amount'],
          filter: {
            [props.dateField]: {
              _between: [getStartDate(), getEndDate()],
            },
          },
          sort: [props.dateField],
          limit: 100,
        },
      });

      processChartData(timeSeriesData);
    }

    loading.value = false;
  } catch (err) {
    console.error('Error fetching data:', err);
    error.value = 'Failed to load data';
    loading.value = false;
  }
}

function processMetrics(data: any) {
  // Calculate and format metrics
  const total = data?.count || 0;
  const average = data?.avg?.amount || 0;
  const sum = data?.sum?.amount || 0;

  metrics.value = [
    {
      id: 'total',
      label: 'Total Items',
      value: total,
      change: calculateChange(total, 'previous'),
      trend: total > 0 ? 'up' : 'neutral',
    },
    {
      id: 'average',
      label: 'Average Value',
      value: average,
      change: calculateChange(average, 'previous'),
      trend: average > 0 ? 'up' : 'down',
    },
    {
      id: 'sum',
      label: 'Total Value',
      value: sum,
      change: calculateChange(sum, 'previous'),
      trend: sum > 0 ? 'up' : 'neutral',
    },
  ];
}

function processChartData(data: any[]) {
  // Aggregate data by date
  const aggregated = data.reduce((acc, item) => {
    const date = new Date(item[props.dateField!]).toLocaleDateString();
    if (!acc[date]) {
      acc[date] = { date, value: 0, count: 0 };
    }
    acc[date].value += item.amount || 0;
    acc[date].count++;
    return acc;
  }, {});

  chartData.value = Object.values(aggregated);
  updateChart();
}

function updateChart() {
  if (!chartCanvas.value) return;

  if (chart.value) {
    chart.value.destroy();
  }

  chart.value = new Chart(chartCanvas.value, chartConfig.value as any);
}

function setupAutoRefresh() {
  if (props.refreshInterval && props.refreshInterval > 0) {
    refreshTimer.value = setInterval(() => {
      fetchData();
    }, props.refreshInterval * 1000);
  }
}

function cleanupAutoRefresh() {
  if (refreshTimer.value) {
    clearInterval(refreshTimer.value);
  }
}

// Utility functions
function formatNumber(value: number): string {
  return new Intl.NumberFormat('en-US', {
    notation: 'compact',
    maximumFractionDigits: 1,
  }).format(value);
}

function formatDate(date: string): string {
  return new Date(date).toLocaleDateString('en-US', {
    month: 'short',
    day: 'numeric',
  });
}

function getTrendIcon(trend: string): string {
  switch (trend) {
    case 'up': return 'trending_up';
    case 'down': return 'trending_down';
    default: return 'trending_flat';
  }
}

function calculateChange(current: number, previous: number | string): number {
  // Mock calculation - replace with actual logic
  return Math.round(Math.random() * 20 - 10);
}

function getStartDate(): string {
  const date = new Date();
  date.setDate(date.getDate() - 30);
  return date.toISOString();
}

function getEndDate(): string {
  return new Date().toISOString();
}

// Lifecycle hooks
onMounted(() => {
  fetchData();
  setupAutoRefresh();
});

onUnmounted(() => {
  cleanupAutoRefresh();
  if (chart.value) {
    chart.value.destroy();
  }
});

// Watchers
watch(() => props.collection, () => {
  fetchData();
});

watch(() => props.refreshInterval, () => {
  cleanupAutoRefresh();
  setupAutoRefresh();
});
</script>

<style scoped>
.analytics-panel {
  height: 100%;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  padding: var(--content-padding);
  background: var(--theme--background);
  border-radius: var(--theme--border-radius);
}

.loading-state,
.error-state {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
  height: 100%;
}

.panel-content {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  gap: var(--spacing-l);
  height: 100%;
}

.metrics-grid {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(200px, 1fr));
  gap: var(--spacing-m);
}

.metric-card {
  padding: var(--spacing-m);
  background: var(--theme--background-accent);
  border-radius: var(--theme--border-radius);
  border: 1px solid var(--theme--border-color-subdued);
}

.metric-value {
  font-size: 1.75rem;
  font-weight: 600;
  color: var(--theme--primary);
  line-height: 1.2;
}

.metric-label {
  font-size: 0.875rem;
  color: var(--theme--foreground-subdued);
  margin-top: var(--spacing-xs);
}

.metric-change {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: var(--spacing-xs);
  margin-top: var(--spacing-s);
  font-size: 0.875rem;
}

.metric-change.up {
  color: var(--theme--success);
}

.metric-change.down {
  color: var(--theme--danger);
}

.metric-change.neutral {
  color: var(--theme--foreground-subdued);
}

.chart-container {
  flex: 1;
  position: relative;
  min-height: 200px;
}

/* Responsive design */
@media (max-width: 768px) {
  .metrics-grid {
    grid-template-columns: 1fr;
  }

  .metric-card {
    padding: var(--spacing-s);
  }

  .metric-value {
    font-size: 1.5rem;
  }
}

/* Glass morphism variant */
.analytics-panel.glass {
  background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1);
  backdrop-filter: blur(10px);
  border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2);
}

.analytics-panel.glass .metric-card {
  background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.05);
  backdrop-filter: blur(5px);
  border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1);
}
</style>

Process: Building a Custom Interface

Step 1: Interface Structure

// src/index.ts
import { defineInterface } from '@directus/extensions-sdk';
import InterfaceComponent from './interface.vue';

export default defineInterface({
  id: 'color-palette',
  name: 'Color Palette',
  icon: 'palette',
  description: 'Select colors from a predefined palette',
  component: InterfaceComponent,
  types: ['string', 'json'],
  group: 'selection',
  options: [
    {
      field: 'palette',
      type: 'json',
      name: 'Color Palette',
      meta: {
        interface: 'code',
        options: {
          language: 'json',
        },
      },
      schema: {
        default_value: [
          '#FF6B6B', '#4ECDC4', '#45B7D1',
          '#96CEB4', '#FECA57', '#FF9FF3',
        ],
      },
    },
    {
      field: 'allowMultiple',
      type: 'boolean',
      name: 'Allow Multiple Selection',
      meta: {
        interface: 'boolean',
        width: 'half',
      },
      schema: {
        default_value: false,
      },
    },
  ],
});

Step 2: Interface Component

<!-- src/interface.vue -->
<template>
  <div class="color-palette-interface">
    <div class="color-grid">
      <button
        v-for="color in palette"
        :key="color"
        class="color-swatch"
        :class="{ selected: isSelected(color) }"
        :style="{ backgroundColor: color }"
        @click="toggleColor(color)"
        :title="color"
      >
        <v-icon
          v-if="isSelected(color)"
          name="check"
          small
        />
      </button>
    </div>

    <div v-if="selectedColors.length > 0" class="selected-display">
      <span class="label">Selected:</span>
      <div class="selected-colors">
        <span
          v-for="color in selectedColors"
          :key="color"
          class="color-tag"
          :style="{ backgroundColor: color }"
        >
          {{ color }}
          <v-icon
            name="close"
            x-small
            @click="removeColor(color)"
          />
        </span>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</template>

<script setup lang="ts">
import { ref, computed, watch } from 'vue';

interface Props {
  value: string | string[] | null;
  palette?: string[];
  allowMultiple?: boolean;
  disabled?: boolean;
}

const props = withDefaults(defineProps<Props>(), {
  palette: () => [
    '#FF6B6B', '#4ECDC4', '#45B7D1',
    '#96CEB4', '#FECA57', '#FF9FF3',
  ],
  allowMultiple: false,
  disabled: false,
});

const emit = defineEmits<{
  input: [value: string | string[] | null];
}>();

const selectedColors = ref<string[]>([]);

// Initialize selected colors from value
watch(() => props.value, (newValue) => {
  if (Array.isArray(newValue)) {
    selectedColors.value = newValue;
  } else if (newValue) {
    selectedColors.value = [newValue];
  } else {
    selectedColors.value = [];
  }
}, { immediate: true });

function isSelected(color: string): boolean {
  return selectedColors.value.includes(color);
}

function toggleColor(color: string) {
  if (props.disabled) return;

  if (props.allowMultiple) {
    if (isSelected(color)) {
      removeColor(color);
    } else {
      selectedColors.value.push(color);
      emitValue();
    }
  } else {
    selectedColors.value = [color];
    emitValue();
  }
}

function removeColor(color: string) {
  if (props.disabled) return;

  const index = selectedColors.value.indexOf(color);
  if (index > -1) {
    selectedColors.value.splice(index, 1);
    emitValue();
  }
}

function emitValue() {
  if (props.allowMultiple) {
    emit('input', selectedColors.value.length > 0 ? selectedColors.value : null);
  } else {
    emit('input', selectedColors.value[0] || null);
  }
}
</script>

<style scoped>
.color-palette-interface {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  gap: var(--spacing-m);
}

.color-grid {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(48px, 1fr));
  gap: var(--spacing-s);
}

.color-swatch {
  aspect-ratio: 1;
  border-radius: var(--theme--border-radius);
  border: 2px solid transparent;
  cursor: pointer;
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
  transition: all 0.2s ease;
  position: relative;
  overflow: hidden;
}

.color-swatch:hover {
  transform: scale(1.05);
  box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15);
}

.color-swatch.selected {
  border-color: var(--theme--primary);
  box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px var(--theme--primary-background);
}

.color-swatch:disabled {
  cursor: not-allowed;
  opacity: 0.5;
}

.selected-display {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: var(--spacing-m);
  padding: var(--spacing-s);
  background: var(--theme--background-accent);
  border-radius: var(--theme--border-radius);
}

.label {
  font-size: 0.875rem;
  color: var(--theme--foreground-subdued);
}

.selected-colors {
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
  gap: var(--spacing-xs);
}

.color-tag {
  display: inline-flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: var(--spacing-xs);
  padding: var(--spacing-xs) var(--spacing-s);
  border-radius: var(--theme--border-radius);
  color: white;
  font-size: 0.75rem;
  font-weight: 500;
}

.color-tag .v-icon {
  cursor: pointer;
  opacity: 0.8;
  transition: opacity 0.2s;
}

.color-tag .v-icon:hover {
  opacity: 1;
}
</style>

Using Directus Composables

Available Composables

import {
  useApi,        // API client for making requests
  useStores,     // Access to Directus stores
  useSync,       // Sync data between components
  useCollection, // Collection metadata
  useItems,      // Items management
  useLayout,     // Layout configuration
  usePermissions,// User permissions
  useFilterFields,// Field filtering
} from '@directus/extensions-sdk';

API Usage Examples

// Fetch data from API
const api = useApi();

// GET request
const response = await api.get('/items/articles', {
  params: {
    filter: { status: { _eq: 'published' } },
    limit: 10,
    sort: ['-date_created'],
  },
});

// POST request
await api.post('/items/comments', {
  article: 1,
  content: 'Great article!',
  author: 'current-user-id',
});

// File upload
const formData = new FormData();
formData.append('file', fileBlob);
await api.post('/files', formData);

Store Usage Examples

const { useItemsStore, useCollectionsStore, useFieldsStore } = useStores();

// Items store
const itemsStore = useItemsStore();
const items = await itemsStore.getItems('articles', {
  limit: 10,
  fields: ['id', 'title', 'content'],
});

// Collections store
const collectionsStore = useCollectionsStore();
const collections = collectionsStore.collections;

// Fields store
const fieldsStore = useFieldsStore();
const fields = fieldsStore.getFieldsForCollection('articles');

Real-time Features with WebSockets

Setup WebSocket Connection

import { useApi } from '@directus/extensions-sdk';
import { io, Socket } from 'socket.io-client';

const api = useApi();
let socket: Socket | null = null;

function connectWebSocket() {
  // Get the API URL
  const baseURL = api.defaults.baseURL || window.location.origin;

  socket = io(baseURL, {
    transports: ['websocket'],
    auth: {
      access_token: api.defaults.headers.common['Authorization']?.replace('Bearer ', ''),
    },
  });

  socket.on('connect', () => {
    console.log('WebSocket connected');
    subscribeToCollections();
  });

  socket.on('subscription', handleRealtimeUpdate);
}

function subscribeToCollections() {
  if (!socket) return;

  socket.emit('subscribe', {
    collection: 'articles',
    query: {
      fields: ['*'],
      filter: { status: { _eq: 'published' } },
    },
  });
}

function handleRealtimeUpdate(data: any) {
  // Handle real-time updates
  if (data.action === 'create') {
    // New item created
  } else if (data.action === 'update') {
    // Item updated
  } else if (data.action === 'delete') {
    // Item deleted
  }
}

Theme Integration

Using Theme Variables

/* Available theme variables */
.my-component {
  /* Colors */
  color: var(--theme--foreground);
  background: var(--theme--background);
  border-color: var(--theme--border-color);

  /* Primary colors */
  background: var(--theme--primary);
  background: var(--theme--primary-background);
  background: var(--theme--primary-subdued);

  /* Semantic colors */
  color: var(--theme--success);
  color: var(--theme--warning);
  color: var(--theme--danger);

  /* Spacing */
  padding: var(--spacing-s);
  margin: var(--spacing-m);
  gap: var(--spacing-l);

  /* Border radius */
  border-radius: var(--theme--border-radius);

  /* Typography */
  font-family: var(--theme--fonts--sans--font-family);
  font-size: var(--theme--fonts--sans--font-size);

  /* Shadows */
  box-shadow: var(--theme--shadow);
}

/* Dark mode support */
@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
  .my-component {
    background: var(--theme--background-accent);
  }
}

Using Directus Component Library

Import Components

<template>
  <div class="my-extension">
    <!-- Directus components -->
    <v-button @click="handleClick" :loading="isLoading">
      Click Me
    </v-button>

    <v-input
      v-model="inputValue"
      placeholder="Enter text..."
      :disabled="isDisabled"
    />

    <v-notice type="info">
      This is an informational notice
    </v-notice>

    <v-dialog
      v-model="dialogOpen"
      title="Confirm Action"
      @confirm="handleConfirm"
    >
      Are you sure you want to proceed?
    </v-dialog>

    <v-progress-circular
      v-if="loading"
      indeterminate
    />
  </div>
</template>

Available Components

• Forms: v-input, v-textarea, v-select, v-checkbox, v-radio
• Buttons: v-button, v-button-group, v-icon-button
• Feedback: v-notice, v-dialog, v-tooltip, v-progress-circular
• Layout: v-card, v-divider, v-tabs, v-drawer
• Data: v-table, v-pagination, v-chip
• Navigation: v-breadcrumb, v-menu, v-list

Mobile Responsive Design

Responsive Grid System

<template>
  <div class="responsive-layout">
    <div class="grid-container">
      <div class="grid-item" v-for="item in items" :key="item.id">
        <!-- Content -->
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</template>

<style scoped>
.grid-container {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(300px, 1fr));
  gap: var(--spacing-m);
}

/* Tablet */
@media (max-width: 768px) {
  .grid-container {
    grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(250px, 1fr));
    gap: var(--spacing-s);
  }
}

/* Mobile */
@media (max-width: 480px) {
  .grid-container {
    grid-template-columns: 1fr;
    gap: var(--spacing-xs);
  }
}

/* Touch-friendly interactions */
@media (hover: none) {
  .clickable-element {
    min-height: 44px; /* iOS touch target */
    min-width: 44px;
  }
}
</style>

Testing Extensions

Unit Testing with Vitest

// test/panel.test.ts
import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, vi } from 'vitest';
import { mount } from '@vue/test-utils';
import PanelComponent from '../src/panel.vue';

// Mock Directus SDK
vi.mock('@directus/extensions-sdk', () => ({
  useApi: () => ({
    get: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ data: [] }),
    post: vi.fn(),
  }),
  useStores: () => ({
    useItemsStore: () => ({
      getItems: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([]),
    }),
  }),
}));

describe('Analytics Panel', () => {
  let wrapper;

  beforeEach(() => {
    wrapper = mount(PanelComponent, {
      props: {
        collection: 'test_collection',
        dateField: 'created_at',
        height: 400,
        width: 600,
      },
    });
  });

  it('renders loading state initially', () => {
    expect(wrapper.find('.loading-state').exists()).toBe(true);
  });

  it('displays metrics after data loads', async () => {
    // Wait for async operations
    await wrapper.vm.$nextTick();
    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 100));

    expect(wrapper.findAll('.metric-card').length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
  });

  it('handles error state gracefully', async () => {
    wrapper.vm.error = 'Test error';
    await wrapper.vm.$nextTick();

    expect(wrapper.find('.error-state').exists()).toBe(true);
    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('Test error');
  });
});

Deployment

Build Process

# Development
npm run dev

# Production build
npm run build

# Output structure
dist/
├── index.js        # Compiled extension
├── index.css       # Styles (if any)
└── package.json    # Extension metadata

Installation Methods

1. Via NPM:

npm install directus-extension-my-panel

2. Via Extensions Folder:

# Copy to extensions directory
cp -r dist/ /directus/extensions/panels/my-panel/

3. Via Admin Panel:

• Navigate to Settings → Extensions
• Upload the .tar.gz package

Best Practices

Performance Optimization

1. Use computed properties for derived state
2. Implement virtual scrolling for large lists
3. Debounce API calls for search/filter inputs
4. Lazy load heavy components
5. Cache API responses when appropriate
6. Use Web Workers for heavy computations

Code Organization

extension/
├── src/
│   ├── components/     # Reusable components
│   ├── composables/    # Shared logic
│   ├── utils/          # Helper functions
│   ├── types/          # TypeScript types
│   ├── index.ts        # Extension entry
│   └── panel.vue       # Main component
├── test/
│   └── *.test.ts       # Test files
├── package.json
└── tsconfig.json

Error Handling

// Comprehensive error handling
try {
  const response = await api.get('/items/collection');
  // Process response
} catch (error) {
  // User-friendly error messages
  if (error.response?.status === 403) {
    showNotification({
      type: 'error',
      title: 'Permission Denied',
      description: 'You don't have access to this resource',
    });
  } else if (error.response?.status === 404) {
    showNotification({
      type: 'warning',
      title: 'Not Found',
      description: 'The requested resource was not found',
    });
  } else {
    showNotification({
      type: 'error',
      title: 'Error',
      description: error.message || 'An unexpected error occurred',
    });
  }

  // Log for debugging
  console.error('[Extension Error]:', error);
}

Troubleshooting Guide

Common Issues and Solutions

1. Extension not loading

   • Check id uniqueness in index.ts
   • Verify build output in dist/
   • Check browser console for errors
   • Ensure Directus version compatibility

2. API calls failing

   • Verify user permissions
   • Check API endpoint paths
   • Validate authentication tokens
   • Review CORS settings

3. Styling issues

   • Use Directus theme variables
   • Check CSS scoping
   • Test in light/dark modes
   • Verify responsive breakpoints

4. Performance problems

   • Profile with Vue DevTools
   • Check API query efficiency
   • Implement pagination
   • Optimize reactive dependencies

Success Metrics

• ✅ Extension loads without errors
• ✅ Data fetches and displays correctly
• ✅ Real-time updates work (if implemented)
• ✅ Mobile responsive design functions
• ✅ Theme integration is seamless
• ✅ Performance is smooth (< 100ms interactions)
• ✅ Error states are handled gracefully
• ✅ Accessibility standards are met
• ✅ TypeScript types are properly defined
• ✅ Unit tests pass with > 80% coverage

Resources

• Directus Extensions SDK Documentation
• Vue 3 Composition API
• Directus Component Library Storybook
• TypeScript Vue Support
• Vite Configuration
• Chart.js Documentation

Version History

• 1.0.0 - Initial release with comprehensive Vue 3 extension patterns