Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

Building a ‘Select All’ React Hook for your Table

Jim Cummins (he/him), Human, Design Systems Team / Dev Center @ SPS Commerce (jobs.spscommerce.com)

Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

A coworker presented the question:

A rough timeline of the past few months

Can we expose a hook that allows people to easily add select all to tables?

Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

Then two days ago...

Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

Building a ‘Select All’ React Hook for your Table

The Challenges of Building a ‘Select All’ React Hook for your Table

Jim Cummins (he/him), Human, Design Systems Team / Dev Center @ SPS Commerce (jobs.spscommerce.com)

Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

Failure can result in feeling

  • incapable
  • irrelevant
  • like a disappointment
  • angry
  • ashamed

 

Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

So what do we do?

  • expect to fail so don't try? :(
  • assume we'll probably fail and fail fast
  • empathize with others by reflecting on shared failures / challenges / learning.

 

 

Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

Critical Mass of Use Cases

 

+ Empathy

= "A nice API"

Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

 

Open Source

 

Humility is understanding that others may be new to the problem space or may be arriving through new concrete examples.

 

One way to approach OSS is fail fast while learning enough to be able to contribute.

 

Competition and collaboration are linked.

Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

A rough timeline of the past few months

I created a first attempt at a hook that solved the immediate problem.

Good things

Solved the problem

Learned about indeterminate checkboxes

 

Challenges

Used setState

Made too many assumptions

Not configurable enough

Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

What react-table v7 gets right

  • Recognizes that table state can be managed or unmanaged
  • Uses state hook composition which is tree shakeable
  • Headless, allows for full control of styling.
  • Excellent balance of OOTB and DIY

Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

Before we look at code

Open source is both fun and devastating.

Learning and improving is important in its own right. Failing fast can be a good way to learn.

Ship early, but be humble. Be aware you lack universal concrete examples.

Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

Thank you!

Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

State

State is a representation of the known facts at a point in time during an application's lifespan. Here is how we use the React.useState hook.

Quick review of hooks

const [age, setState] = React.useState(17);
const [today, setToday] = React.useState("2019-08-08");
const [name, setName] = React.useState("James");

Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

Side Effects

React effects allows a programmer to define a function that will be called when state changes.

getNewLicense()

name

today

age

When run, my effect will call

I need to tell my effect when to run. Given what I know about getNewLicense, changes to these should run my effect:

James

8th

17

Quick review of hooks

Slides: devj.im /select-all-hook

@JimTheDev @SPSCommerce

What happens when today changes and our age changes at the same time?

We'd need to always run:

const [age, setState] = React.useState(17);
const [today, setToday] = React.useState("2019-08-08");

Building a 'Select All' React Hook for your Table

By jimthedev

Building a 'Select All' React Hook for your Table

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