I am using MUI timePicker, but I am not able to select the minutes in that. It's getting closed down as soon as I select the hour. How to fix this?

2 min read 05-10-2024
I am using MUI timePicker, but I am not able to select the minutes in that. It's getting closed down as soon as I select the hour. How to fix this?


MUI TimePicker: How to Fix the "Closing After Hour Selection" Issue

The Material-UI (MUI) TimePicker component is a versatile tool for picking times within your applications. However, users sometimes encounter a frustrating issue where the TimePicker closes immediately after selecting the hour, preventing them from choosing the minutes. This article explains why this happens and provides a simple solution to fix the problem.

Understanding the Issue

Imagine this scenario: You're using the MUI TimePicker to select a specific time for an event. You click on the hour selection, choose "3," and then try to select the minutes. However, the TimePicker unexpectedly closes before you can choose the minutes.

This behavior arises from the TimePicker's default functionality. When the user clicks on the hour selection, it assumes the selection process is complete and closes the component. While this may seem like a minor inconvenience, it significantly hinders usability.

Fixing the Issue

The solution is surprisingly straightforward: You need to control how the TimePicker reacts to user interaction. This can be achieved by leveraging the open prop.

Code Example:

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import TextField from '@mui/material/TextField';
import { AdapterDateFns } from '@mui/x-date-pickers/AdapterDateFns';
import { LocalizationProvider } from '@mui/x-date-pickers/LocalizationProvider';
import { TimePicker } from '@mui/x-date-pickers/TimePicker';

const MyTimePicker = () => {
  const [selectedTime, setSelectedTime] = useState(null);

  // Change the value of open prop based on whether a time is selected or not
  const [isOpen, setIsOpen] = useState(false);

  const handleChange = (newValue) => {
    setSelectedTime(newValue);
    // Close the TimePicker after the user selects the time
    setIsOpen(false);
  };

  return (
    <LocalizationProvider dateAdapter={AdapterDateFns}>
      <TimePicker
        label="Pick a Time"
        value={selectedTime}
        onChange={handleChange}
        open={isOpen}
        onOpen={() => setIsOpen(true)} // Open the TimePicker when clicked
      />
    </LocalizationProvider>
  );
};

export default MyTimePicker;

Explanation:

  1. We introduce a state variable isOpen to manage the TimePicker's open/closed state.
  2. We use the onOpen prop to trigger the opening of the TimePicker when the user clicks on it.
  3. When the user selects a time, we close the TimePicker by setting isOpen to false in the handleChange function.

Benefits of the Solution:

  • Enhanced User Experience: This solution provides a more intuitive experience, allowing users to select both hours and minutes without interruptions.
  • Code Clarity: The use of the isOpen prop makes the code more readable and understandable.
  • Flexibility: You can modify the isOpen state based on your application's specific requirements, potentially keeping the TimePicker open after selecting hours if needed.

Conclusion

The "closing after hour selection" issue in the MUI TimePicker is easily solvable by using the open prop and managing the component's open/closed state. This simple fix ensures a smooth user experience, allowing users to choose complete times without encountering unexpected behavior.

Additional Resources: