articleJanuary 2, 2026

The 6 Levels of Reusability

A progressive framework for Vue component reusability, from basic templating to sophisticated nested composition.

The Six Levels

Level 1 — Templating: Wrap code in a component instead of copy-pasting. Eliminates redundancy.

Level 2 — Configuration: Use props to create variations without new components.

Level 3 — Adaptability: Slots let parent components pass markup, enabling unforeseen use cases.

Level 4 — Inversion: Scoped slots pass rendering instructions rather than complete markup. The child provides data; the parent decides presentation.

Level 5 — Extension: Multiple named slots create extension points throughout the component.

Level 6 — Nesting: Layer components with increasing specificity. Like biological taxonomy: Animal → Mammal → Dog → Poodle.

Key Insight

Each level trades simplicity for flexibility. Start at Level 1; move up only when requirements demand it. Over-engineering hurts maintainability more than under-engineering.

Connections

Builds on patterns from 12-design-patterns-in-vue. The slot techniques connect to 13-vue-composables-tips for state reuse.

Connections (11)