A Comprehensive Comparison of Form Handling in React: Functional Components and More

Introduction

Form handling is an integral part of web development, and React provides various methods to manage forms effectively. In this blog, we’ll explore and compare two approaches for handling forms in React: the standard React form handling using functional components and React Hook Form. We’ll evaluate their capabilities in terms of form submission, validation, re-rendering, and more. Let’s dive in!

Form Submission

Standard React Functional Components

In the functional component approach to standard React form handling, you can manage form submission using the useState hook to handle form values

import React, { useState } from 'react';

function StandardForm() {
  const [formData, setFormData] = useState({ username: '', password: '' });

  const handleSubmit = (e) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    // Handle form submission using formData
  };

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
      {/* Form fields */}
    </form>
  );
}

React Hook Form

React Hook Form simplifies form submission with the handleSubmit function, which abstracts the form submission process, providing a cleaner approach.

import { useForm, Controller } from 'react-hook-form';
function HookForm() {
 const { handleSubmit, control } = useForm();
const onSubmit = (data) => {
 // Handle form submission using the "data" object
 };
return (
 <form onSubmit={handleSubmit(onSubmit)}>
 {/* Form fields */}
 </form>
 );
}

Validation

Standard React Functional Components

In the standard React approach, you can manage validation by manually checking form values and displaying validation messages based on state changes.

import React, { useState } from 'react';

function StandardForm() {
  const [formData, setFormData] = useState({ username: '', password: '' });
  const [errors, setErrors] = useState({});

  const handleChange = (e) => {
    // Update formData and validate
  };

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
      <input
        type="text"
        name="username"
        value={formData.username}
        onChange={handleChange}
      />
      {errors.username && <p>{errors.username}</p>}
      {/* Form fields and validation logic */}
    </form>
  );
}

React Hook Form

React Hook Form streamlines validation by allowing you to define validation rules within the form configuration, making it cleaner and easier to maintain.

import { useForm, Controller } from 'react-hook-form';

function HookForm() {
  const { handleSubmit, control, formState: { errors } } = useForm();

  const onSubmit = (data) => {
    // Handle form submission
  };

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit(onSubmit)}>
      <Controller
        name="username"
        control={control}
        rules={{ required: 'Username is required' }}
        render={({ field }) => <input {...field} />}
      />
      {errors.username && <p>{errors.username.message}</p>}
      {/* Form fields and validation logic */}
    </form>
  );
}

Re-rendering

React Hook Form offers efficient re-rendering by optimizing rendering only for components affected by changes in form values or validation. This enhancement prevents unnecessary re-renders and results in a smoother user experience, especially in complex forms.

Standard React functional components rely on component state updates for re-rendering, which can lead to less optimized performance when handling larger or complex forms.

Additional Comparison: State Management and Performance

State Management

In standard React functional components, managing form state involves updating component state variables, which can become complex as the form grows. This approach may require you to use multiple useState hooks for different form fields, leading to a more cluttered codebase.

React Hook Form, on the other hand, manages form state outside the component’s state, making it easier to manage and access. It provides form state information like field values, dirty status, and validation errors without the need for additional state management.

Performance

React Hook Form’s optimized re-rendering and smart form reactivity system result in improved performance, especially in large and complex forms. By rendering only what’s necessary, it prevents unnecessary updates, resulting in a more responsive user interface.

Standard React functional components rely on component state changes, and updates may cause re-renders for the entire component tree. This can impact performance, especially in complex forms where many components might re-render unnecessarily.

Conclusion

In summary, React Hook Form offers a more streamlined and efficient approach to handling forms in React, especially when using functional components. It simplifies form submission, provides cleaner validation, and offers optimized re-rendering, making it an excellent choice for managing forms in your React applications. By implementing React Hook Form, you can simplify form state management, enhance performance, and improve the user experience in your projects.