Material UI (MUI) date picker with react-hook-form

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05-10-2024

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Seamless Date Picking with Material UI and React Hook Form

Problem: Implementing a date picker within a React application often involves navigating complex state management and form validation. Combining Material UI's visually appealing components with the ease of use offered by React Hook Form can be a tricky task.

Simplified: You want a clean and efficient way to integrate a Material UI date picker into your React forms, handling both user interaction and validation without unnecessary complexity.

Scenario: Let's imagine you're building a booking form where users need to select their preferred date. We'll use Material UI's DatePicker component and leverage the power of React Hook Form for a smooth and robust solution.

Original Code (Problematic):

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import TextField from '@mui/material/TextField';
import AdapterDateFns from '@mui/lab/AdapterDateFns';
import LocalizationProvider from '@mui/lab/LocalizationProvider';
import DatePicker from '@mui/lab/DatePicker';

const BookingForm = () => {
  const [selectedDate, setSelectedDate] = useState(null);

  const handleSubmit = (event) => {
    event.preventDefault();
    // Handle form submission
    console.log(selectedDate);
  };

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
      <LocalizationProvider dateAdapter={AdapterDateFns}>
        <DatePicker
          label="Select Date"
          value={selectedDate}
          onChange={(newValue) => setSelectedDate(newValue)}
          renderInput={(params) => <TextField {...params} />}
        />
      </LocalizationProvider>
      <button type="submit">Submit</button>
    </form>
  );
};

export default BookingForm;

The Challenges:

• State Management: Managing the date value directly within the component's state can become cumbersome in larger forms.
• Form Validation: Implementing validation rules for the date picker requires additional code and potential state updates.
• Integration Complexity: Combining Material UI's date picker with a traditional form submission approach can be messy.

Solution:

React Hook Form offers a streamlined approach to form handling, eliminating the need for manual state management and providing built-in validation tools. Let's integrate it with our Material UI date picker:

import React from 'react';
import { useForm } from 'react-hook-form';
import TextField from '@mui/material/TextField';
import AdapterDateFns from '@mui/lab/AdapterDateFns';
import LocalizationProvider from '@mui/lab/LocalizationProvider';
import DatePicker from '@mui/lab/DatePicker';

const BookingForm = () => {
  const { register, handleSubmit, formState: { errors } } = useForm();

  const onSubmit = (data) => {
    console.log(data); // Handle form submission with the selected date
  };

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit(onSubmit)}>
      <LocalizationProvider dateAdapter={AdapterDateFns}>
        <DatePicker
          label="Select Date"
          {...register('selectedDate', { required: true })} // Register the date picker field
          renderInput={(params) => <TextField {...params} />}
        />
      </LocalizationProvider>
      {errors.selectedDate && <p>Please select a date.</p>} {/* Display validation error */}
      <button type="submit">Submit</button>
    </form>
  );
};

export default BookingForm;

Analysis:

1. Simplified State: React Hook Form's useForm hook manages form data, eliminating the need for manual state management.
2. Easy Validation: The register function from React Hook Form registers the date picker field, automatically applying validation rules (like the required rule in our example).
3. Clean Integration: The handleSubmit function handles form submission, making integration with Material UI's date picker seamless.

Additional Value:

• Enhanced User Experience: By handling validation automatically, you ensure a smooth user experience with instant feedback on errors.
• Improved Maintainability: React Hook Form's declarative approach makes your code more readable and maintainable.
• Extensibility: Easily add custom validation rules or complex form logic using React Hook Form's powerful API.

Conclusion:

By combining Material UI's visual components with React Hook Form's powerful features, you can build robust and user-friendly forms that streamline your development process. This approach ensures efficient state management, simplifies validation, and improves your application's overall maintainability.

References:

• Material UI
• React Hook Form
• Date Picker Documentation