I have to react variable, let's call it temp, it's not a state variable but a normal let variable.
the problem is that I am not able to get the updated value in the render.
I know it's not a state variable so it won't rerender the UI, whenever the variable is updated.
but, I am not accessing the variable until the variable is set.
ex: ->
const MyComponent = (props) => {
let temp;
const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
init = () => {
setLoading(true);
temp = "updated value";
setLoading(false);
}
useEffect(() => {
init();
}, [])
return (
{laoding ? <div>loading</div> : <div> {temp}</div>}
)
}
in the above code, if the loading is false and the temp variable is set, then the UI should reflect the updated value.
but, it's not,
it works fine in-class components.
am I missing something here?
You can utilize the effect for the functional components. useEffect gets triggered every time its dependency changes which will trigger rerender for you.
However, I can't see the real use of the init variable. So assuming you want to set value during component mount. I think it'll look like the below.
const MyComponent = (props) => {
let temp;
const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
useEffect(() => {
// Empty array means that this will be executed when component mounts
init()
}, [])
useEffect(() => {
// Rerender will be triggered whenever temp gets changed
}, [temp])
const init = () => {
setLoading(true);
temp = "updated value";
setLoading(false);
}
return (
<>
{
loading ? <span>loading...</span> : <span>{temp}</span>
}
</>
)
}
NOTE: I'd still go with storing temp as a state in this case because it's the part of react's system and that's how it should be used.
the execution here is: component renders => mounts => use effect runs => state is changed => rerenders => temp is newly created as undefined let. use useRef for temp and assign temp.current = ... in init. it guarantees to persist through renders.
const MyComponent = (props) => {
const temp = useRef();
const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
const init = () => {
setLoading(true);
temp.current = "updated value";
setLoading(false);
};
useEffect(() => {
init();
}, []);
return <>{loading ? <div>loading</div> : <div>{temp.current}</div>}</>;
};
Related
I want to detect which of the argument props have changed inside my use effect. How can I achieve this? I need something like this:
const myComponent = () => {
...
useEffect(() => {
if (prop1 === isTheOneThatChangedAndCusedTheTrigger){
doSomething(prop1);
}else{
doSomething(prop2);
}
},[prop1, prop2]);
};
export function myComponent;
While you can use something like usePrevious to retain a reference to the last value a particular state contained, and then compare it to the current value in state inside the effect hook...
const usePrevious = (state) => {
const ref = useRef();
useEffect(() => {
ref.current = state;
}, [value]);
return ref.current;
}
const myComponent = () => {
const [prop1, setProp1] = useState();
const prevProp1 = usePrevious(prop1);
const [prop2, setProp2] = useState();
const prevProp2 = usePrevious(prop2);
useEffect(() => {
if (prop1 !== prevProp1){
doSomething(prop1);
}
// Both may have changed at the same time - so you might not want `else`
if (prop2 !== prevProp2) {
doSomething(prop2);
}
},[prop1, prop2]);
};
It's somewhat ugly. Consider if there's a better way to structure your code so that this isn't needed - such as by using separate effects.
useEffect(() => {
doSomething(prop1);
}, [prop1]);
useEffect(() => {
doSomething(prop2);
}, [prop2]);
I am using a context like the following:
const placeCurrentOrder = async () => {
alert(`placing order for ${mealQuantity} and ${drinkQuantity}`)
}
<OrderContext.Provider
value={{
placeCurrentOrder,
setMealQuantity,
setDrinkQuantity,
}}
>
and I'm calling this context deep down with something like this (when the user clicks a button):
const x = () => {
orderContext.setMealQuantity(newMealQuantity)
orderContext.setDrinkQuantity(newDrinkQuantity)
await orderContext.placeCurrentOrder()
}
Sort of like I expect, the state doesn't update in time, and I always get the previous value of the state. I don't want to have a useEffect, because I want control over exactly when I call it (for example, if mealQuantity and drinkQuantity both get new values here, I don't want it being called twice. The real function is far more complex.)
What is the best way to resolve this? I run into issues like this all the time but I haven't really gotten a satisfactory answer yet.
You can set them in a ref. Then use the current value when you want to use it. The easiest way is probably to just create a custom hook something like:
const useStateWithRef = (initialValue) => {
const ref = useRef(initialValue)
const [state, setState] = useState(initialValue)
const updateState = (newState) => {
ref.current = typeof newState === 'function' ? newState(state) : newState
setState(ref.current)
}
return [state, updateState, ref]
}
then in your context provider component you can use it like:
const [mealQuantity, setMealQuantity, mealQuantityRef] = useStateWithRef(0)
const [drinkQuantity, setDrinkQuantity, drinkQuantityRef] = useStateWithRef(0)
const placeOrder = () => {
console.log(mealQuantityRef.current, drinkQuantityRef.current)
}
You can also just add a ref specifically for the order and then just update it with a useEffect hook when a value changes.
const [drinkQuantity, setDrinkQuantity] = useState(0)
const [mealQuantity, setMealQuantity] = useState(0)
const orderRef = useRef({
drinkQuantity,
mealQuantity
})
useEffect(() => {
orderRef.current = {
drinkQuantity,
mealQuantity,
}
}, [drinkQuantity, mealQuantity])
const placeOrder = () => {
console.log(orderRef.current)
}
I have a component that is using Context like so:
export const MyContext = React.createContext({});
export const MyComponent = React.memo(({children}) => {
const [myVar, setMyVar] = React.useState({});
const myFunction = () => {
console.log(myVar);
setMyVar({...myVar, {extraData: 'hi there'}});
};
const updateMyVar = React.useCallback((data) => {
setMyVar(data);
}, []);
const doSomethingElse = React.useCallback(() => {
myFunction();
}, []);
return (
<MyContext.Provider value={{myVar, updateMyVar, doSomethingElse}}>{children}</MyContext.Provider>
);
});
And then using it in a component:
const {myVar, updateMyVar, doSomethingElse} = React.useContext(FormContext);
The child component can seem to update myVar just fine, but inside of the MyComponent component, when I try to read myVar in something like the myFunction function just returns whatever the state was initially initialized with. It never updates to show the data that is there currently. The funny thing is that the child component always reads the correct data.
Since there is no code sandbox linked to the question, I can only take a guess. I think your myFunction will be stale if it is called within doSomethingElse as the dependencies are stale.
Can you try this ?
const doSomethingElse = React.useCallback(() => {
myFunction();
}, [myFunction]);
If you don't want to do that, another way would be to do this. Here you are accessing the current value of the state using the callback variant of state setter function. Let me know if this helps.
const myFunction = () => {
console.log(myVar);
setMyVar(currentMyVar => {... currentMyVar, {extraData: 'hi there'}});
};
Since React hooks rely on the execution order one should generally not use hooks inside of loops. I ran into a couple of situations where I have a constant input to the hook and thus there should be no problem. The only thing I'm wondering about is how to enforce the input to be constant.
Following is a simplified example:
const useHookWithConstantInput = (constantIdArray) => {
const initialState = buildInitialState(constantIdArray);
const [state, changeState] = useState(initialState);
const callbacks = constantIdArray.map((id) => useCallback(() => {
const newState = buildNewState(id, constantIdArray);
changeState(newState);
}));
return { state, callbacks };
}
const idArray = ['id-1', 'id-2', 'id-3'];
const SomeComponent = () => {
const { state, callbacks } = useHookWithConstantInput(idArray);
return (
<div>
<div onClick={callbacks[0]}>
{state[0]}
</div>
<div onClick={callbacks[1]}>
{state[1]}
</div>
<div onClick={callbacks[2]}>
{state[2]}
</div>
</div>
)
}
Is there a pattern for how to enforce the constantIdArray not to change? My idea would be to use a creator function for the hook like this:
const createUseHookWithConstantInput = (constantIdArray) => () => {
...
}
const idArray = ['id-1', 'id-2', 'id-3'];
const useHookWithConstantInput = createUseHookWithConstantInput(idArray)
const SomeComponent = () => {
const { state, callbacks } = useHookWithConstantInput();
return (
...
)
}
How do you solve situations like this?
One way to do this is to use useEffect with an empty dependency list so it will only run once. Inside this you could set your callbacks and afterwards they will never change because the useEffect will not run again. That would look like the following:
const useHookWithConstantInput = (constantIdArray) => {
const [state, changeState] = useState({});
const [callbacks, setCallbacks] = useState([]);
useEffect(() => {
changeState(buildInitialState(constantIdArray));
const callbacksArray = constantIdArray.map((id) => {
const newState = buildNewState(id, constantIdArray);
changeState(newState);
});
setCallbacks(callbacksArray);
}, []);
return { state, callbacks };
}
Although this will set two states the first time it runs instead of giving them initial values, I would argue it's better than building the state and creating new callbacks everytime the hook is run.
If you don't like this route, you could alternatively just create a state like so const [constArray, setConstArray] = useState(constantIdArray); and because the parameter given to useState is only used as a default value, it'll never change even if constantIdArray changes. Then you'll just have to use constArray in the rest of the hook to make sure it'll always only be the initial value.
Another solution to go for would be with useMemo. This is what I ended up implementing.
const createCallback = (id, changeState) => () => {
const newState = buildNewState(id, constantIdArray);
changeState(newState);
};
const useHookWithConstantInput = (constantIdArray) => {
const initialState = buildInitialState(constantIdArray);
const [state, changeState] = useState(initialState);
const callbacks = useMemo(() =>
constantIdArray.map((id) => createCallback(id, changeState)),
[],
);
return { state, callbacks };
};
I am using ReactHooks. I am trying to access ref of User component in useEffect function, but I am getting elRef.current value as null, though I passed elRef.current as second argument to useEffect. I am supposed to get reference to an element, but outside (function body) of useEffect, ref value is available. Why is that ? How can I get elRef.current value inside useEffect?
code
import React, { Component, useState, useRef, useEffect } from "react";
const useFetch = url => {
const [data, setData] = useState(null);
const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
const [error, setError] = useState(null);
useEffect(
() => {
setIsLoading(true);
fetch(url)
.then(response => {
if (!response.ok) throw Error(response.statusText);
return response.json();
})
.then(json => {
setIsLoading(false);
setData(json.data);
})
.catch(error => {
setIsLoading(false);
setError(error);
});
},
[url]
);
return { data, isLoading, error };
};
const User = ({ id }) => {
const elRef = useRef(null);
const { data: user } = useFetch(`https://reqres.in/api/users/${id}`);
useEffect(() => {
console.log("ref", elRef.current);
}, [elRef.current]);
if (!user) return null;
return <div ref={elRef}>{user.first_name + " " + user.last_name}</div>;
};
class App extends Component {
state = {
userId: 1
};
handleNextClick = () => {
this.setState(prevState => ({
userId: prevState.userId + 1
}));
};
handlePrevNext = () => {
this.setState(prevState => ({
userId: prevState.userId - 1
}));
};
render() {
return (
<div>
<button
onClick={() => this.handlePrevClick()}
disabled={this.state.userId === 1}
>
Prevoius
</button>
<button onClick={() => this.handleNextClick()}>Next</button>
<User id={this.state.userId} />
</div>
);
}
}
export default App;
Codesandbox link
Thanks !
You should use useCallback instead of useRef as suggested in the reactjs docs.
React will call that callback whenever the ref gets attached to a different node.
Replace this:
const elRef = useRef(null);
useEffect(() => {
console.log("ref", elRef.current);
}, [elRef.current]);
with this:
const elRef = useCallback(node => {
if (node !== null) {
console.log("ref", node); // node = elRef.current
}
}, []);
It's a predictable behaviour.
As mentioned #estus you faced with this because first time when it's called on componentDidMount you're getting null (initial value) and get's updated only once on next elRef changing because, actually, reference still being the same.
If you need to reflect on every user change, you should pass [user] as second argument to function to make sure useEffect fired when user is changed.
Here is updated sandbox.
Hope it helped.
When you use a function as a ref, it is called with the instance when it is ready. So the easiest way to make the ref observable is to use useState instead of useRef:
const [element, setElement] = useState<Element | null>(null);
return <div ref={setElement}></div>;
Then you can use it in dependency arrays for other hooks, just like any other const value:
useEffect(() => {
if (element) console.log(element);
}, [element]);
See also How to rerender when refs change.
useEffect is used as both componentDidMount and componentDidUpdate,
at the time of component mount you added a condition:
if (!user) return null;
return <div ref={elRef}>{user.first_name + " " + user.last_name}</div>;
because of the above condition at the time of mount, you don't have the user, so it returns null and div is not mounted in the DOM in which you are adding ref, so inside useEffect you are not getting elRef's current value as it is not rendered.
And on the click of next as the div is mounted in the dom you got the value of elRef.current.
The assumption here is that useEffect needs to detect changes to ref.current, so needs to have the ref or ref.currentin the dependencies list. I think this is due to es-lint being a bit over-pedantic.
Actually, the whole point of useEffect is that it guarantees not to run until the rendering is complete and the DOM is ready to go. That is how it handles side-effects.
So by the time useEffect is executed, we can be sure that elRef.current is set.
The problem with your code is that you don't run the renderer with <div ref={elRef}...> until after user is populated. So the DOM node you want elRef to reference doesn't yet exist. That is why you get the null logging - nothing to do with dependencies.
BTW: one possible alternative is to populate the div inside the effect hook:
useEffect(
() => {
if(!user) return;
elRef.current.innerHTML = `${user.first_name} ${user.last_name}`;
}, [user]
);
...
//if (!user) return null;// Remove this line
return <div ref={elRef}></div>; //return div every time.
That way the if (!user) return null; line in the User component is unnecessary. Remove it, and elRef.current is guaranteed to be populated with the div node from the very beginning.
set a useEffect on the elem's.current:
let elem = useRef();
useEffect(() => {
// ...
}, [elem.current]);