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Interactive React

Joel Ross
Autumn 2023

View of the Day

  • Quick Review: Chat Components

  • Review: React Events

  • Managing State

  • Working with Forms

Updating Lecture Code

# switch to starter branch to get new starter code
git checkout starter

# download new starter code
git pull

# switch back to main branch for coding
git checkout main

# merge in new starter code (use default msg)
git merge starter --no-edit

# code and enjoy!

Get the starter code from the starter branch, but do all of your work on main.

Our chat app so far...

Let's make a chat app!

Conditional Rendering

You can use control logic (if statements) to specify whether or not a component should be rendered.

function ConditionalPanel(props) {
  //assign element to show to variable
  let thingToRender = null; //null element will not render
  if(conditionOne){ //based on props or state
    thingToRender = <OptionA />
  } else if(conditionTwo) {
    thingToRender = <OptionB />
  } else if(conditionThree) {
    return null; //show nothing!
  }
    
  //keep return statement as simple as possible!
  return (<div>{thingToRender}</div>);
}
function ConditionPanel(props) {
  //can use inline expressions via shortcutting. Use with caution
  return (
    <div>
      {conditionOne == true && <OptionA />}
    </div>
  )
}

React Events

We add user interaction in React the same way as with the DOM: by listening for events and executing callback functions when they occur. 

function MyButton() {
  //A function that will be called when clicked 
  //The name is conventional, but arbitrary.
  //The callback will be passed the DOM event as usual
  const handleClick = function(event) {
    console.log("clicky clicky");
  }

  //make a button with an `onClick` attribute!
  //this "registers" the listener and sets the callback
  return <button onClick={handleClick}>Click me!</button>;
}

special React prop

can only put listeners on HTML
elements, not Components!

function MyButton(props) {
  //A function that will be called when clicked 
  //The name is conventional, but arbitrary.
  //The callback will be passed the DOM event as usual
  const handleClick = (event) => {
    console.log("clicky clicky");
  }

  //make a button with an `onClick` attribute!
  //this "registers" the listener and sets the callback
  return <button onClick={handleClick}>Click me!</button>;
}

DOM Interactivity

//The current "state"
const state = {
  data: [ {}, {}, {} ],
  ...
}

  
//define presentation - lots of these kinds of functions
function renderData() {
  //render all the data
  //...
}

//define user interaction
button.addEventListener('click', function() {
  //MODIFY THE STATE
  state.data[i] = ...; 

  //CLEAR OLD VIEW AND RE-RENDER CONTENT
  document.querySelector('#main').innerHTML = '';
  renderData(); //RE-RENDER CONTENT    
})

changeable data lives out here

1. modify the state data

2. re-render the view

2. re-render the view

On button click, do 2 things:

In addition to the props, React components can also track their internal state. This keeps track of information about the Component that may change due to user interaction.

React State

State is reserved only for interactivity, that is, data that changes over time

Some examples of state data:

  1. The sorted order of child components
  2. Timers or dynamic content
  3. Which model data are shown!

You add state to a component by using a state hook. The hook defines a "state variable" which will retain its value across Component function calls, as well as a function to update that variable.

Using State Hooks

//import the state hook function `useState()` to define state
import React, { useState } from 'react';

function CountingButton(props) {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);

  
  
 
  const handleClick = (event) => {
    setCount(count+1); //update the state to be a new value
                       //and RE-RENDER the Component!
  }

  return (
      <button onClick={handleClick}>Clicked {count} times</button>
  );
}

state variable

update function

initial value for variable

Naming Conventions Matter!

In order to write correct React (that can be understood
and debugged by you and others), you need to follow the naming conventions:

  • The argument to a Component function is called props (with an s)
     
  • A "state-setter" function for state variable foo is called setFoo (replacing "foo" with the state variable name)

Changing State

React state is changed asynchronously.
Calling a "state-setter" function automatically re-renders the Component (by calling the function again).

function CountingButton(props) {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(3) //initial value of 3

  console.log(count); //will have "current" value of state
                    //3 first render, 4 after clicking
  
  const handleClick = (event) => {
    setCount(4); //request to change `count` to 4 AND re-render!
    console.log(count); //will output "3"; 
                        //state has not changed yet!
  }  
 
  return (
    <button onClick={handleClick}>Clicked {count} times</button>
  );    
}

Debugging State

Because state changes are asynchronous, you can only "see" them after the component has re-rendered. Use console logs at the "rendering" step to debug 

function CountingButton(props) {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(3) //initial value of 3

  console.log("DEBUG: count", count); //debug! variable here, 
                                      //after re-render
  
  
  const handleClick = (event) => {
    setCount(count + 1); //incremenet count AND re-render!
    //do not debug variable here!
  }  
  
  return (
    <button onClick={handleClick}>Clicked {count} times</button>
  );    
}

Multiple State Variables

Components can (and often do) contain multiple state variables.

//Example from React documentation
function ExampleWithManyStates(props) {
  //Declare multiple state variables!
  const [age, setAge] = useState(42);
  const [fruit, setFruit] = useState('banana');
  const [todos, setTodos] = useState([{ text: 'Learn Hooks' }]);
  
  //...  
}

state variable is an array of objects!

State & Arrays/Objects

State variables will only be updated if a different value is passed to the setter function. For arrays and objects, pass a copy of the element with an updated element or property.

function TodoListWithError(props) {
  //a state value that is an array of objects
  const [todos, setTodos] = useState([{ text: 'Learn Hooks' }]);

  const handleClick = (event) => {
    todos[0].text = "Fix bugs"; //modify the object 
                                //but don't make a new one
    setTodos(todos) //This won't work! Not "changing"
  }
  
  //...
}
function TodoList(props) {
  //a state value that is an array of objects
  const [todos, setTodos] = useState([{ text: 'Learn Hooks' }]);

  const handleClick = (event) => {
    //create a copy of the array using the `map()` function
    const todosCopy = todos.map((todoObject, index) => {
      const objCopy = {...todoObject}; //copy object as well
      if(index == 0) { //transform objects if needed
        objCopy.text = "Fix bugs"
      }
      return objCopy; //return object to go into new array
    })
    setTodos(todosCopy) //This works!
  }
  
  //...
}

Props vs State

props are for information that doesn’t change from the Component’s perspective, including “initial” data. state is for information that will change, usually due to user interaction (see React FAQ).

  1. Is the value passed in from a parent via props? If so, it probably isn’t state.
     
  2. Does the value remain unchanged over time? If so, it definitely isn’t state.
     
  3. Can you compute it based on any other state or props in your component? If so, it definitely isn’t state.

props are for information that doesn’t change from the Component’s perspective, including “initial” data. state is for information that will change, usually due to user interaction (see React FAQ).

React Form Inputs

To access the value in an <input>, save that value in the state (and update it onChange). This is called a controlled form.

use DOM event to refer to which input element

function MyInput(props) {
  const [inputValue, setInputValue] = useState('')
  
  const handleChange = (event) => {
    let newValue = event.target.value
    setInputValue(newValue);
  }

  return (
    <div>
      <input type="text" onChange={handleChange} value={inputValue} />
      You typed: {value}
    </div>);
  )
}

ALL FORMS MUST BE CONTROLLED

Passing Callbacks

function App(props) {
  const [data, setData] = useState([]);
  
  const addItemToData = (newItem) => {
    const newData = [...data, newItem]; //copy via spread
    setData(newData); //update state
  }

  return (
    <FruitButton callback={addItemToData} text={"Apple"} />
    <FruitButton callback={addItemToData} text={"Banana"} />
  )
}

function FruitButton(props) {
  //what to do when clicked
  const handleClick = (event) => {
    //call given callback, passing in given text
    props.callback(props.text);   
  }

  return (
    <button onClick={handleClick}>{props.text}</button>
  )
}

To allow child components to "update" the parent's state, pass them a callback function as a prop.
Style Guide: do not pass a state setter function directly.

Lifting Up State

If multiple components rely on the same data (variable), you should "lift up" that state to a shared parent, who can pass the information back down as props.

ChildA

ChildB

Parent

Has Data
(state)

Needs Data

<ChildA data={data} />

Has Data (prop)

Has Data (prop)

<ChildA data={data} />

Has Data (state)

Action Items!

Action Items!

  • Read/Review Ch 16-17: React & Interactive React

  • Problem Set 07 due Friday!

    • Get it done this week

  • Project Draft 2 due next Wednesday

    • Convert Draft 1 into React Components!
    • Add one interactive feature

 

Next time: more interactive React!

info340au23-interactive-react

By Joel Ross

info340au23-interactive-react

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