Autocall any function in component where ever it is rendered - reactjs

I'm new to React JS coding...
I would like to know any method to be called in Class-Based Components whenever it gets props and called by another component in their render return methods.
Actually! I wanted to run that function every time when that component is being Rendered or Called By another component.
I appreciate that...

In React class components, the render method itself shouldn’t cause side effects. It would be too early — we typically want to perform our effects after React has updated the DOM.
This is why in React classes, we put side effects into componentDidMount and componentDidUpdate. Coming back to our example, here is a React counter class component that updates the document title right after React makes changes to the DOM:
class Example extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {
count: 0
};
}
componentDidMount() {
document.title = `You clicked ${this.state.count} times`;
}
componentDidUpdate() {
document.title = `You clicked ${this.state.count} times`;
}
render() {
return (
<div>
<p>You clicked {this.state.count} times</p>
<button onClick={() => this.setState({ count: this.state.count + 1 })}>
Click me
</button>
</div>
);
}
}
we have to duplicate the code between these two lifecycle methods in Classes.
This is because in many cases we want to perform the same side effect regardless of whether the component just mounted, or if it has been updated. Conceptually, we want it to happen after every render — but React class components don’t have a method like this. We could extract a separate method but we would still have to call it in two places.

Related

is componentDidMount rerender the component?

At first my favorite color is red, but give me a second, and it is yellow instead.
will componentDidMount cause the component rerender to display color yellow?
class Header extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {favoritecolor: "red"};
}
componentDidMount() {
setTimeout(() => {
this.setState({favoritecolor: "yellow"})
}, 1000)
}
render() {
return (
<h1>My Favorite Color is {this.state.favoritecolor}</h1>
);
}
}
ReactDOM.render(<Header />, document.getElementById('root'));
Taken from the React docs:
componentDidMount() is invoked immediately after a component is mounted (inserted into the tree).
so yes, but...
Also from the docs:
You may call setState() immediately in componentDidMount(). It will trigger an extra rendering, but it will happen before the browser updates the screen. This guarantees that even though the render() will be called twice in this case, the user won’t see the intermediate state.
That means you will only see the yellow color.
componentDidMount is a lifecycle method that is called only when the component is mounted. It is called only once after the first render.
componentDidMount() {
// Runs after the first render() lifecycle
}
When React looks at this code, it’s going to first render the component (the constructor() is the first method called) and you will see at first the color is red.
Right after that, React checks if the component has componentDidMount() method to run any side effects.
In your componentDidMount() method, you're telling React to update the state of the component.
So that, this.state.favoritecolor went from red to yellow.
Helpful Link: Understanding React componentDidMount and how it works

React-Redux Dispatch design

Overview
We have a page with a header (Blue color) and content section (Green color) that can be seen in image below. The requirement is when a user selects a year in header, then the content page will show data as per the selected year.
What is happening right now Technically
When user selects a year in header, we dispatch the selected value and the active container's mapStateToProps function is triggered and the selected year is passed to the component.
class Page1Content extends Component {
}
function mapStateToProps(state) {
return { selectedYear : state.userSelectedValue };
}
export default connect(mapStateToProps, null)(Page1Content);
Question 1
How will data on Page1Content will refresh? Few approaches:
In ComponentDidUpdate react life cycle method of the Page1Content API to fetch data can be called. However have seen opinions where we should avoid React hooks and life cycle methods with Redux.
In mapStateToProps function API can be called.
Can any one suggest what is the better place to call the API?
Question 2
Data on Page1Content will be used only by this page. This data will not be used by any other component and hence need not be shared by any other Component. Now question 2 is
In case we decide to use ComponentDidUpdate should we again dispatch the API call using Thunk or any other library and then catch the response in mapStatesToProps again?
Or we should make the API call and resolve it in the component itself as a promise. Then the response will be set in State and respective Template will be refreshed.
ComponentDidUpdate is a lifecycle method not a hook. Hooks is functionality that allows functional components to have class based functionality such as state.
You are using a class based component in your example so you are not using hooks.
https://reactjs.org/docs/hooks-intro.html
Yes Redux shouldnt be used with hooks since context is a better option.
You can lift state up so to speak and update the local state in the parent component getting rid of redux completely.
Just pass down the setState function and the state itself to the appropriate children.
class App extends Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {
some_prop: false
}
this.handleClick = this.handleClick.bind(this);
}
handleClick() {
this.setState({some_prop: true})
console.log('Click happened');
}
render() {
return (
<Header onClick={this.handleClick } />
<Page1Component props={this.state.some_prop} />
}
}
Edit:
Question 1
How will data on Page1Content will refresh?
best option is with a ternary expression in your render method, there is no need to check if the state updated. In react if the state is changed your component will automatically re render.
render() {
return (
<div>
{this.props.selectedYear
? <p> {this.props.selectedYear}</p>
: null
}
</div>
}
}
Question 2
Data on Page1Content will be used only by this page. This data will not be used by any other component and hence need not be shared by any other Component. Now question 2 is
If I understand this correctly you will need to use an action creators, redux thunk is overkill here.
class Header extends Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
}
handleClick() {
this.props.dispatchActionCreator({some_value})
console.log('Click happened');
}
render() {
return (
<button onClick={(some_value) => this.handleClick(some_value)}>Click </button>
}
}
function mapDispatchToProps(state) {
return {
dispatchActioNCreator: (some_value) => dispatch(ACTIONS.action_creator(some_value) };
}
This will save your value from your header to the global redux state and then you can just access with mapStateToProps in your Page1Component.

componentDidUpdate vs componentDidMount

I need to make sure an input element is focused when the following is true:
DOM is available
and properties got changed
Question: Do I need to put my code in both componentDidUpdate and componentDidMount or just componentDidUpdate would be suffice?
private makeSureInputElementFocused() {
if (this.props.shouldGetInputElementFocused && this.inputElement !== null) {
this.inputElement.focus();
}
}
componentDidMount() {
this.makeSureInputElementFocused(); // <-- do i need this?
}
componentDidUpdate() {
this.makeSureInputElementFocused();
}
You have to use both.
componentDidMount()
componentDidMount() is invoked immediately after a component is mounted. Initialization that requires DOM nodes should go here. If you need to load data from a remote endpoint, this is a good place to instantiate the network request. Setting state in this method will trigger a re-rendering.
componentDidUpdate()
componentDidUpdate() is invoked immediately after updating occurs. This method is not called for the initial render.
You also could place it into the render() method which seems like it's appropriate for your case since you always want to check the focus. Then you don't need to put it into componentDidMount() and componentDidUpdate()
Each of your conditions require you to place the code inside 1 function each:
the DOM is available and - componentDidMount
properties got changed - componentDidUpdate
So you have to place inside both functions.
Another option is to call setState() inside componentDidMount, so that componentDidUpdate is invoked.
componentDidUpdate is not called at initial render (see https://reactjs.org/docs/react-component.html#componentdidupdate) so you probably must call it twice as in your example.
componentDidMount()
componentDidMount() will be invoked immediately after a component is mounted. This method will render only once and all the initialization that requires DOM nodes should go here. Setting state in this method will trigger a re-rendering.
componentDidUpdate()
componentDidUpdate() is invoked immediately every time the updating occurs. This method is not called for the initial render.
You can understands more from this below example
import React from 'react';
class Example extends React.Component{
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {
count: 0
};
}
componentDidMount() {
//This function will call on initial rendering.
document.title = `You clicked ${this.state.count} times`;
}
componentDidUpdate() {
document.title = `You clicked ${this.state.count} times`;
}
render(){
return(
<div>
<p>You clicked {this.state.count} times</p>
<button onClick={() => this.setState({ count: this.state.count + 1 })}>
Click me
</button>
</div>
)
}
}
export default Example;
You can understand by commenting and un-commenting both methods.
In React v16.7.0-alpha you can use the useEffect hook:
import React, { useEffect, useRef } from "react";
function InputField() {
const inputRef = useRef();
useEffect(() => {
inputRef.current.focus();
});
return <input ref={inputRef} />;
}
From the docs:
If you’re familiar with React class lifecycle methods, you can think
of useEffect Hook as componentDidMount, componentDidUpdate, and
componentWillUnmount combined.
Example
Note: as mentioned, this will not work with class based components.

How to refresh props with React/Redux when user enters a container

I have CompetitionSection which repeats all the competitions from database. When user clicks on one, it redirects him to a Competition Page, loads for a second and renders the page with all the details in it. So far, so good.
But when users goes back to the Competition Section and then click on the second competition, it instantly loads up the previous competition, 0 loading time.
From my point of view, what is failing is that the props of the component are not updating when I render the component (from the second time). Is not a router problem, which was my first instinct because I'm seeing the route.params changing acordingly, but the actions I dispatch to change the props are not dispatching. Here's a bit of code of said component.
class CompetitionPage extends React.Component {
componentWillMount() {
let id = getIdByName(this.props.params.shortname)
this.props.dispatch(getCompAction(id));
this.props.dispatch(getCompMatches(id));
this.props.dispatch(getCompParticipants(id));
this.props.dispatch(getCompBracket(id));
}
render() {
let { comp, compMatches, compBracket, compParticipants } = this.props
...
I tried every lifecycle method I know. component Will/Did Mount, component Will/Did update and I even set shouldUpdate to true and didn't do the trick. As I understand, the problem will be solved with a lifecycle method to dispatch the actions everytime an user enters Competition Page and not just for the first time. I'm running out of options here, so any help will be appreciated.
NOTE: I'm a newbie at React/Redux so I KNOW there are a couple of things there are anti-pattern/poorly done.
UPDATE: Added CompetitionsSection
class CompetitionsSection extends React.Component {
render() {
const {competitions} = this.props;
return (
...
{ Object.keys(competitions).map(function(comp, i) {
return (
<div key={i} className={competitions[comp].status ===
undefined? 'hide-it':'col-xs-12 col-md-6'}>
...
<Link to={"/competitions/"+competitions[comp].shortName}>
<RaisedButton label="Ver Torneo" primary={true} />
</Link>
...
It helps to better understand the lifecycle hooks. Mounting a component is when it is placed on the DOM. That can only happen once until it is removed from the DOM. An UPDATE occurs when new props are passed or setState is called. There are a few methods to troubleshoot when updates are not happening when you think they should:
Ensure that you are changing state in componentDidMount or componentDidUpdate. You cannot trigger an update in componentWillMount.
Make sure that the new props or state are completely new objects. If you are passing an object down in props and you are just mutating the object, it will not trigger an update. For instance, this would not trigger a update:
class CompetitionPage extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props)
this.state = {
competitions: [ compA, compB ]
}
}
triggerUpdate() {
this.setState({
competitions: competitions.push(compC)
})
}
componentDidMount() {
triggerUpdate()
}
render() {
return(
<div>
Hello
</div>
)
}
This is due to the fact that a new competition is being appended to the array in state. The correct way is to completly create a new state object and change what needs to be changed:
const newCompetitions = this.state.competitions.concat(compC)
this.setState(Object.assign({}, this.state, { competitions: newCompetitions }))
Use ComponentWillRecieveProps on an update to compare previous and current prop values. You can setState here if clean up needs to be done:
Read more about this method in the React documentation:
https://facebook.github.io/react/docs/react-component.html#componentwillreceiveprops

flux multiple components in same page are influenced with each other, bugs

I am using same component multiple times in the same page, and I just realized that any event dispatched are intercepted by all the same companents and all the components are updated together.
This is not acceptable, as even if it is same component, if it is used to display different data, they should have totally independent behavior. Action performed in one component should never be listened by another component.
How can I fix this error?
You should have a container component which will get a data collection, which represents the component you are repeating. An action will change that data collection, and not the repeated component itself. In other words, the repeated component should not get data directly from the store.
You could see an full todomvc example, which has the same "TodoItem" component being rendered a few times in one page here: TodoMVC example
Example:
var ButtonStore = require('../stores/ButtonStore');
function getButtonState() {
return {
allButtons: ButtonStore.getAll()
}
}
const Button = (props) => {
return <button>{props.text}</button>
}
class ButtonList extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props)
this.state = getButtonState()
}
render() {
return <div>
{this.state.allButtons.map(button => <Button {...button} />)}
</div>
}
}
Here is a fiddle of the example, just without the store: Component List Example
It could be helpful, if you post some code example.

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