useFormStatus Explained: Tips and Practical Applications

The useFormStatus hook is a game-changer for form management in React apps. It allows you to track the status of form submissions by returning a status object with useful properties such as pending, data, and method. This hook makes it easier to handle form submission states, including tracking the HTTP method used, the data submitted, and whether the form is in a pending state.

In this blog, we will dive into the basic usage of the useFormStatus hook, cover advanced topics like handling server actions, error messages, and integrating it with React components.

What is useFormStatus Hook?

The useFormStatus hook is designed to track the status of a form submission. It provides status information for the specific form it is attached to, such as whether there is an active or pending submission. This hook is typically used inside a <form> element, where the action attribute (or action prop) on the form component defines the form action endpoint.

Key Properties

The status object returned by the hook includes:

• pending: A Boolean value indicating if the form submission is active (i.e., an active submission is in progress). This property is essential for disabling the submit button or displaying a loading indicator.

• data: Contains the form data (this is initially null until the user submits the form). This data includes values from various input type fields.

• method: A string value that represents the HTTP method used during the submission (either GET, POST, etc.).

Diagram: The Flow of Form Submission with useFormStatus

Table: useFormStatus Hook Properties

Property	Description	Example Usage
pending	Indicates if the form submission is currently in progress	disabled={pending} on the submit button
data	Contains the form data submitted by the user	JSON.stringify(data) to display the data
method	A string value showing the HTTP method (e.g., POST, GET) used for the form action	Display the method in the UI

Implementing useFormStatus in a Form Component

Here is an example of a simple form component that uses the useFormStatus hook to manage form submission states.

Code Example: A Complete Client Component

1import React from 'react';
2import { useFormStatus } from 'your-form-library'; // Import the hook
3
4export default function App() {
5  const { pending, data, method } = useFormStatus(); // Get status information from the hook
6
7  async function submit(e) {
8    e.preventDefault();
9    try {
10      // Simulate a form submission with a promise
11      const response = await new Promise((resolve) =>
12        setTimeout(() => resolve({ status: 'success', response: 'OK' }), 2000)
13      );
14      console.log('Submission response:', response);
15    } catch (error) {
16      console.error('Submission failed:', error);
17    }
18  }
19
20  return (
21    <form onSubmit={submit} action="/submit" method="POST">
22      <div className="form-fields">
23        <input type="text" name="username" placeholder="Enter username" required />
24        <input type="email" name="email" placeholder="Enter email" required />
25      </div>
26      <button type="submit" disabled={pending}>
27        {pending ? 'Loading...' : 'Submit'} {/* button text changes based on pending state */}
28      </button>
29      {data && (
30        <div className="submission-summary">
31          <h4>Submission Details</h4>
32          <pre>{JSON.stringify(data, null, 2)}</pre>
33          <p>Method used: {method}</p>
34        </div>
35      )}
36      {/* Optionally, display error messages */}
37      {!pending && false && (
38        <div className="error-messages">
39          <p>Error: Please check your input and try again.</p>
40        </div>
41      )}
42    </form>
43  );
44}

Explanation:

• The useFormStatus hook provides the status (pending, data, and method) for form submission.
• The submit function handles the form submission and simulates a promise to represent a server action.
• The submit button text changes based on whether the form is pending (Loading... vs. Submit).
• The form displays the submitted data and HTTP method after submission.

Integrating useFormStatus with Other Hooks and Components

In more advanced scenarios, you may need to coordinate useFormStatus with other hooks to manage complex form states. For example, you can pass the form state to child components or use multiple hooks together to handle form actions and field updates.

Advanced Example: Coordinating Multiple Hooks

1import React, { useState } from 'react';
2import { useFormStatus, useActionStateHook } from 'your-form-library';
3
4export function AdvancedForm() {
5  const { pending, data, method } = useFormStatus();
6  const [state, setState] = useActionStateHook({ initialValue: {} });
7
8  async function submit(e) {
9    e.preventDefault();
10    setState({ ...state, formData: e.target.elements });
11    try {
12      const response = await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(() => resolve({ status: 'success' }), 1500));
13      console.log('Submission response:', response);
14    } catch (error) {
15      console.error('Submission error:', error);
16    }
17  }
18
19  return (
20    <form onSubmit={submit} action="/advanced-submit" method="POST">
21      <input type="text" name="fullname" placeholder="Full Name" required />
22      <input type="text" name="uri" placeholder="URI Value" required />
23      <button type="submit" disabled={pending}>
24        {pending ? 'Submitting...' : 'Submit'}
25      </button>
26      {data && (
27        <div className="submission-feedback">
28          <p>Submitted using method: {method}</p>
29          <pre>{JSON.stringify(data, null, 2)}</pre>
30        </div>
31      )}
32    </form>
33  );
34}

Explanation:

• The AdvancedForm component demonstrates using both useFormStatus and useActionStateHook to manage form submission.
• The form data is captured by useActionStateHook, and submission is handled by the submit function.

Wrapping Up: Mastering useFormStatus

Using the useFormStatus hook simplifies form management in React by handling submission states, errors, and server actions. By using it in combination with other hooks, you can easily manage complex form workflows.

This guide has shown you how to:

• Implement useFormStatus in your form components.
• Handle form submission with a loading indicator and error handling.
• Use the status information (pending, data, method) to update the UI.
• Integrate multiple hooks for more advanced form management.

With these concepts and examples, you can take full advantage of the useFormStatus hook to build powerful and efficient forms in your React applications.

Short on time? Speed things up with DhiWise!

Tired of manually designing screens, coding on weekends, and technical debt? Let DhiWise handle it for you!

You can build an e-commerce store, healthcare app, portfolio, blogging website, social media or admin panel right away. Use our library of 40+ pre-built free templates to create your first application using DhiWise.