Forms and Validation in ReactJs

In this article, we'll explore the fundamentals of Forms and Validation in ReactJs. We'll dive into the different
ways you can handle form submission and validation using popular libraries and hooks.
by Curious Coder (CodeWithCurious.com)
Introduction to Forms in ReactJs
Handling forms is a common requirement for any web application. In ReactJs, forms are controlled
components meaning that the component state manages the input values rather than the DOM. This
section will provide an overview of form handling in ReactJs.

Uncontrolled Components Controlled Components

Uncontrolled Components are traditional HTML Controlled components are React components
form controls. ReactJs retrieves their current that provide all of their form data through props to
values using a ref. These components feel more the parent component. This is React's
natural and browser-native to some developers. recommended approach to handling form data.
Form elements in ReactJs
Forms in ReactJs are composed of various form elements that differ in their behavior and can be
customized. In this section, we'll explore the basic and complex form elements included in ReactJs and
their distinctive features.
Input The Input component is a basic form element
that receives most user inputs. It can accept a
variety of attributes such as 'type', 'value', and
'placeholder' and emit various events such as
'onChange', 'onBlur', and 'onKeyDown'.
Select The Select component provides a dropdown list
of selectable items. React wraps the native
Select component in two other components, the
Option component to wrap each option and the
OptGroup component to group the options.
Checkbox The Checkbox component is a basic form
element that is used for selecting one or more
options from a set of options. ReactJs provides
a rich interface to customize Checkbox
functionality.
Form Submitting in ReactJs
Submitting forms in ReactJs can be achieved through a variety of methods, such as sending an HTTP
POST request, interfacing with an external API, etc. In this section, we'll explore how to handle form
submission in ReactJs.
Using Formik, developers can have an opportunity to handle and analyze complex forms efficiently. It
abstracts away many of the inconveniences associated with handling form submission and provides a
means to incorporate complex form validation without having to reinvent the wheel.
Validation using Formik library
Invalid form data can cause issues for your application and your users. The Formik library provides a simple
means of validating users' inputs and displaying error messages.
1 Formik Yup validation Schema 2 Formik Helper Functions
Formik uses the Yup library to handle Formik provides helper functions to help you
validation. Formik Yup validation schema is a test and validate form inputs. It simplifies
powerful and flexible way to validate user handling onSubmit and onSubmitting events
inputs. It offers a simple schema definition via and provides many additional features to
a chainable interface and a comprehensive assist with rendering form state, form
list of validation rules. events, and errors.
Handling errors and displaying error
messages
Error messages help users know why their input has been rejected. The Formik library provides a simple
interface to create and display form errors. In this section, we'll explore how to manage errors and display
them properly.

Managing error on a field Dispalying an Error Message

Formik provides tools to set, remove or access In Formik, a touched property is set to true if the
data from individual form fields. To display an error user has interacted with the field. By default, error
message, we can associate each error message messages are only displayed if the corresponding
with its corresponding field using the 'errors' field is touched, and an error exists for the field.
property of Formik.
Form Validation using React Hooks
The React Hooks library provides a simple interface to share stateful logic between different components
of your application. It is an efficient way to handle data and lifecycle operations. In this section, we'll explore
form validation using React Hooks and how to apply them to different areas of your application.
1 useState and useEffect Hooks 2 useForm Hook
The useState and useEffect Hooks provide The useForm Hook is a custom Hook that
you with a convenient way to manage simplifies working with a form. It abstracts
component state and perform data side away many of the inconveniences
effects. They're perfect for managing form associated with individual form fields and
validation and can be used in combination provides various functions to interact with
with other Hooks or traditional React form data.
components.
Conclusion and Key Takeaways
Handling forms and validation in ReactJs can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. With ReactJs
libraries like Formik and Hooks, you can easily create, validate, and manage your data. In this article, we've
covered the basics of form handling and validation and explored various methods to make the process
simpler. Remember to keep your design concise, engage users, and make sure they get answers to their
questions efficiently.

Forms in ReactJs Formik Library

Understand the basic and complex form elements in Learn how to use Formik to manage form data and
ReactJs. Learn how to manage data and control validation easily. Formik offers a simple schema
user inputs to improve application performance and definition via a chainable interface and a
simplify data handling. comprehensive list of validation rules.