Vue CLI 3 just released its Beta, and it's very different from the previous CLI 2. Here are my impressions after trying it out.

The Biggest Change: Zero Configuration

CLI 2 required manually maintaining webpack.config.js — the file was long and hard to understand. CLI 3 fully encapsulates the webpack config so everything works out of the box:

npm install -g @vue/cli
vue create my-app
cd my-app
npm run serve

That's it — no touching webpack config needed at all.

Configuration: vue.config.js

If you need customization, create vue.config.js in the project root:

// vue.config.js
module.exports = {
  // Public path
  publicPath: process.env.NODE_ENV === "production" ? "/my-app/" : "/",

  // Dev server proxy
  devServer: {
    proxy: {
      "/api": {
        target: "http://localhost:3000",
        changeOrigin: true,
      },
    },
  },

  // Merge webpack config
  configureWebpack: {
    plugins: [new MyPlugin()],
  },

  // Chain-modify webpack config
  chainWebpack: (config) => {
    config.plugin("html").tap((args) => {
      args[0].title = "My App";
      return args;
    });
  },
};

Plugin System

A major highlight of CLI 3 is its plugin-based architecture. Adding features no longer means manually editing config — you install a plugin:

vue add router      # Add Vue Router
vue add vuex        # Add Vuex
vue add element-ui  # Add Element UI
vue add pwa         # Add PWA support
vue add typescript  # Add TypeScript

Plugins automatically modify the project structure and config — no manual changes required.

Environment Variables

# .env.production
VUE_APP_API_URL=https://api.example.com
VUE_APP_VERSION=1.0.0

Access them in code with process.env.VUE_APP_* (only variables prefixed with VUE_APP_ are exposed to the client).

GUI Interface

CLI 3 also includes a web-based UI (!):

vue ui

Open your browser and you can manage plugins, run scripts, and view build analysis. Very friendly for people who aren't comfortable with the command line.

Migrating from CLI 2

There's currently no automatic migration tool for old projects. The recommendation is to use CLI 3 for new projects. Old projects can continue with CLI 2 until the time is right to migrate.

Summary

• Zero configuration — webpack is fully encapsulated, no manual maintenance needed
• vue.config.js provides a flexible configuration entry point
• vue add plugin command integrates features in one step
• The GUI interface is a highlight that lowers the barrier to entry