Vue Devtools Integration with Custom Data

Integrating custom data into Vue Devtools allows developers to inspect application state beyond the standard Vue reactivity system. This challenge focuses on building a Vue plugin that exposes a specific piece of application data (a simple user profile object) to the Vue Devtools, enabling easier debugging and monitoring of application state. This is particularly useful for complex applications where understanding the state of various components and services is crucial.

Problem Description

You need to create a Vue plugin that extends the Vue Devtools with a custom tab displaying a user profile object. The plugin should:

1. Register a Vue Plugin: Create a Vue plugin that can be installed globally or locally within a component.
2. Expose User Profile Data: The plugin should maintain a userProfile object (initially an empty object). This object will be updated programmatically (simulated in this challenge - see "Notes").
3. Devtools Integration: The plugin should integrate with the Vue Devtools, adding a new tab labeled "User Profile". This tab should display the current value of the userProfile object.
4. Update Devtools on Change: Whenever the userProfile object is modified, the Devtools tab should automatically update to reflect the new data.
5. Handle Devtools Absence: The plugin should gracefully handle the scenario where the Vue Devtools are not installed (e.g., in a production environment). In this case, the plugin should not attempt to register the custom tab and should log a message to the console indicating that Devtools are not available.

Expected Behavior:

• When the Vue Devtools are present, a "User Profile" tab appears in the Devtools.
• Initially, the "User Profile" tab displays {}.
• When the userProfile object is updated programmatically (as described in "Notes"), the "User Profile" tab in the Devtools updates to reflect the new data.
• If the Vue Devtools are not installed, the plugin logs a message to the console and does not attempt to register a custom tab.

Examples

Example 1:

Input: Vue instance initialized with the plugin, and the userProfile is updated to { name: "Alice", id: 123 }
Output: Vue Devtools "User Profile" tab displays: { name: "Alice", id: 123 }
Explanation: The plugin detects the Devtools are present, registers the custom tab, and updates the tab's content when userProfile changes.

Example 2:

Input: Vue instance initialized with the plugin, but Vue Devtools are not installed.
Output: Console log: "Vue Devtools not detected. Custom tab will not be registered."
Explanation: The plugin detects the absence of Devtools and avoids attempting to register a custom tab, logging a message to the console.

Example 3:

Input: Vue instance initialized with the plugin, userProfile is updated multiple times: { name: "Bob" }, { age: 30 }, { name: "Charlie", city: "New York" }
Output: Vue Devtools "User Profile" tab updates dynamically to reflect each change in userProfile.
Explanation: The plugin continuously updates the Devtools tab whenever the userProfile object is modified.

Constraints

• The plugin must be written in TypeScript.
• The plugin should be compatible with Vue 3.
• The plugin should not introduce any unnecessary dependencies.
• The userProfile object should be a plain JavaScript object.
• The plugin should not cause any performance issues when updating the Devtools tab. Updates should be reasonably efficient.

Notes

• Simulating User Profile Updates: For the purpose of this challenge, you don't need to implement a real user profile management system. Instead, you can simulate updates to the userProfile object within a component or a separate function. For example:

  // Inside a component or a separate function
  setTimeout(() => {
    userProfile.name = "Alice";
  }, 1000);
  
  setTimeout(() => {
    userProfile.id = 123;
  }, 2000);
  

• Vue Devtools API: You'll need to use the Vue Devtools API to register the custom tab. Refer to the Vue Devtools documentation for details: https://devtools.vuejs.org/api/index.html

• Devtools Detection: You can detect the presence of the Vue Devtools by checking for the existence of the __VUE_DEVTOOLS_GLOBAL_HOOK__ object in the global scope.

• Error Handling: While not strictly required, consider adding basic error handling to prevent the plugin from crashing if there are issues with the Devtools API.