Yes, there are edge cases where `ref()` is more beneficial than `reactive()` for nested objects:
1. Handling Primitive Values: `ref()` can handle primitive values (e.g., strings, numbers, booleans) directly, whereas `reactive()` only works with objects and cannot handle primitives directly. This makes `ref()` more suitable for handling nested objects that contain primitive values[1][2][3].
2. Auto-unwrap in Templates: `ref()` automatically unwraps the value in templates, which can simplify code and reduce the need for `.value` property access. This can be beneficial when working with nested objects that contain primitive values[4].
3. Interoperability with Non-Reactive Objects: `ref()` can be used to create a reactive reference to a non-reactive object, which can be useful when working with legacy code or third-party libraries that do not use reactive objects. This interoperability can be beneficial in certain edge cases where `reactive()` might not be suitable[3].
4. Performance: In some cases, `ref()` might be more performant than `reactive()` because it does not create a proxy object for the entire nested object. This can be beneficial when working with large, deeply nested objects[2].
Here is an example of using `ref()` for nested objects with primitive values:
javascript
import { ref } from 'vue';
const user = ref({
name: 'Michael Scott',
address: {
street: '123 Main St',
city: 'Scranton',
state: 'PA',
zip: '12345'
}
});
// Accessing nested properties
console.log(user.value.name); // logs Michael Scott
console.log(user.value.address.street); // logs 123 Main St
In summary, `ref()` is more beneficial than `reactive()` for nested objects in edge cases where handling primitive values, auto-unwrapping in templates, interoperability with non-reactive objects, and performance are important considerations.
Citations:[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/vuejs/comments/1192u4q/ref_vs_reactive_which_is_best/
[2] https://laracasts.com/discuss/channels/vue/is-there-any-penalty-using-reactive-rather-than-ref
[3] https://mokkapps.de/blog/ref-vs-reactive-what-to-choose-using-vue-3-composition-api
[4] https://blog.logrocket.com/reactivity-vue-3-composition-api-ref-reactive/
[5] https://stackoverflow.com/questions/61452458/ref-vs-reactive-in-vue-3