Purely functional data binding for React

Library for purely functional data binding in React based on value link pattern.

Approach used by this library significantly differs to common way of dealing with state and forms in React. While based on original React Link idea, valuelink moves it far further providing simple and elegant solutions for common problems, such as data binding of the complex state and form validation.

Introductory tutorials explaining the basics of the 'Value Link' pattern:

• Managing state and forms with React. Part 1
• Managing state and forms with React, Part 2: Validation
• State and forms in React, part 3: Managing Complex State

Working examples are here

Features:

• Able to link complex React state with nested objects and arrays.
• All major data binding scenarios are supported, including radio groups and select lists.
• Declarative form validation.
• Support for 'pure render' optimization.
• Reference implementation of 'linked' UI controls (tags.jsx).
  • Standard tags: <Input /> and <TextArea /> (with validation), <Select />,
  • Custom tags: <Radio />, <Checkbox />, <NumberInput />
• TypeScript source and type definitions.
• Backward compatible with standard React 0.14 links API

This technology is one of the key components of NestedReact architecture, helping you to build large-scale React applications with a powerful and fast NestedTypes classical OO models.

New in 1.3

• API for links cache, dramatically simplifying forms data binding:
  • All links created with Link.state are cached, and are recreated only when value is different.
  • const links = Link.all( this, 'attr1', 'attr2', ... ) makes sure that links for specified state members are cached, and returns the reference to the cache. Thus, links.attr1 is the direct reference to the link.
  • Links cache is directly accessible in render() with this.links.
• Link methods for purely functional updates of the enclosed object:
  • Links to arrays: unshift(...), push(...), splice(...) proxy call to native Array methods.
  • Links to arrays and objects: remove( key ) removes element with specified key.
  • Links to array and object members: remove() removes element from parent object or array.
• Methods for links to objects and arrays:
  • link.pick( key1, key2, ... ) creates an object with links to listed object members, in the same way as Link.all.
  • link.clone() creates shallow copy of the enclosed object.
• Added "Users List" application example.
• link.toggle is removed. Use link.update( x => !x ) instead.
• <NumberInput/> tag with input rejection for numbers.

Installation

npm install valuelink

CommonJS module, MIT License. No side dependencies.

// Links
import Link from 'valuelink'

// You'll need this components with React 15.x instead of standard ones.
import { Input, TextArea, Select, Radio, Checkbox } from 'valuelink/tags.jsx'

tags.jsx intended to be starting boilerplate for your custom components. Copy this file to your project, and start hacking.

How to

Create link

Links can be created and used inside of the React component.render() method.

Linking to the state attributes

Link.state( this, stateKey ) : Link

You can create link to an attribute of component state directly:

const nameLink = Link.state( this, 'name' ),
      emailLink = Link.state( this, 'email' );

this.links : { [ key ] : Link }

All links to the state are cached inside the component.link object. When you create the link to the value which has not been changed since the last render, link object will be reused. Which means that you can use pure render optimization.

Link.all( this, stateKey1, stateKey2, ... ) : { [ key ] : Link }

Link.all ensures that links to the listed state members are cached and up to date, and returns this.links object.

const links = Link.all( this, 'name', 'email' ),
      { name, email } = links;

Links to object and arrays

linkToObject.at( key ) : Link

Create link to the member of array or object.

If linked value is plain object or array, it's possible to generate links to their members. Whenever this derivative links will be updated, it will lead to proper purely functional update (with shallow copying) of the parent element.

const deepLink = Link.state( this, 'array' ).at( 0 ).at( 'name' );

deepLink.set( 'Joe' ); // Will update component state.array

linkToObject.pick( key1, key2, ... ) : { [ key ] : Link }

Create links to the object's members, and wrap them in an object.

Example:

const links = userLink.pick( 'name', 'email' ),
      { name, email } = links;

linkToObject.map( ( linkToItem, itemKey ) => any | void ) : any[]

Map and filter through array or object.

var list = stringArrayLink.map( ( itemLink, index ) => {
    if( itemLink.value ){ // Skip empty elements
        return (
            <div key={ index }>
                <Input valueLink={ itemLink } />
            </div>
        );
    }
});

Offhand boolean links

linkToArray.contains( element ) : Link

Creates the link to the presence of value in array.

Resulting link value is true whenever element is present in array, and false otherwise. Whenever resulting link is assigned with new value, it will flip element in the array.

Useful for the large checkbox groups.

const optionXBoolLink = arrayLink.contains( 'optionX' );

linkToAny.equals( whenTrue ) : Link

Create boolean link to value equality.

Resulting link value is true whenever parent link value equals to whenTrue, and false otherwise. When resulting link is assigned with true, it sets parent link value with whenTrue, and with null otherwise.

Useful for radio groups.

const optionXLink = stringLink.equals( 'optionX' );

Custom links

Link.value( value, nextValue => void ) : Link

Create custom link with the given value and update function.

It may be used for different scenarios. Good example is to use 'edit element' component for adding new element.

Imagine that we have a component <EditUser valueLink={ userLink } /> expecting the link to an object. When editing is finished, EditUser will update the given link with a new values.

Then, following custom link will allow you to add new user with the same form element.

<EditUser valueLink={ Link.value( {}, x => userArrayLink.push( x ) ) } />

Read more about links to objects updates in the next section.

Note for TypeScript users

Link actually is parametric type Link< T >, where T is the type of the enclosed value. And both Link.value< T > and Link.state< T > are parametric functions. For Link.state type is always inferred as Object, so you can refine it manually:

const nameLink = Link.state< string >( this, 'name' );

Link updates

Simple value updates

link.set( x ) : void

link.requestChange( x ) : void

Set link to the given value.

<button onClick={ () => boolLink.set( !boolLink.value ) } />

link.update( prevValue => any ) : void

Update link value using the given value transform function.

<button onClick={ () => boolLink.update( x => !x ) } />

link.action( ( prevValue, event ) => any ) : ( event => void )

Create UI event handler which will transform the link.

link.action takes transform function, and produce a new function which takes single event argument. When it's called, event and link value are passes as transform parameters, and link will be updated with returned value.

This is particularly useful in (but not restricted to) UI event handlers.

// simple click event handler...
<button onClick={ boolLink.action( x => !x ) } />

// manual binding to input control:
const setValue = ( x, e ) => e.target.value;
...
<input  value={ link.value }
        onChange={ link.action( setValue ) } />

Link to objects and arrays updates

Plain objects and arrays are shallow copied by link.update() and within link.action() handlers, thus it's safe just to update the value in place.

linkToObject.update( clonedObject => Object ) : void

Update enclosed object or array.

linkToObject.action( ( clonedObject, event ) => Object ) : ( event => void )

Creates action to update enclosed object or array.

<button onClick={ () => objLink.update( obj => {
                                obj.a = 1;
                                return obj;
                            }) } />

linkToObject.remove( key ) : void

linkToObject.at( key ).remove() : void

Remove element with a given key from the enclosed object ar array.

Link to arrays updates

Link to arrays proxies some important Array methods.

linkToArray.splice( ... ) : void

linkToArray.push( ... ) : void

linkToArray.unshift( ... ) : void

Works in the same way and accepts the same parameters as corresponding Array method, but returns undefined and leads to the proper purely functional update of the parent object chain.

Links validation

It's highly recommended to read tutorial on validation with value links.

link.check( value => boolean, error = 'Invalid value' ) : Link

Evaluate given condition for the current link value, and assign given error object to the link.error when it fails. There are no restriction on the error object shape and type.

Checks can be chained. In this case, the first check which fails will leave its error in the link.

link.error : any | void

This link field may be analyzed by custom <Input /> control to indicate an error (see tags.jsx controls and supplied examples).

This mechanics can be used to add ad-hoc validation in render.

// Simple check
const numLink = List.state( this, 'num' )
                .check( x => x >= 0 && x <=5 );

console.log( numLink.error );

// Check with error message
const numLink = List.state( this, 'num' )
                .check( x => x >= 0 && x <=5, 'Number must be between 0 and 5' );

console.log( numLink.error );

// Chained checks
const numLink = List.state( this, 'num' )
                .check( x => x >= 0, 'Negative numbers are not allowed' )
                .check( x => x <= 5, 'Number should be not greater than 5' );

console.log( numLink.error );

Data binding examples

Here are the set of working examples for typical data binding use cases.

Also, there's working example of an application managing the users list.

Custom elements boilerplate which is used by both examples is another good example.

Text and number form fields

, <TextArea />

tags.jsx contains wrappers for standard <input> and <textarea> tags, which can be directly bound to the string state elements.

These wrappers will add invalid class to enclosed HTML element, if an error is present in the bound link.

<Input type="text" valueLink={ link } />
<TextArea valueLink={ link } />

There's also cross-browser implementation of numeric input tag. It has following differences compared to <Input>:

• Keyboard input which obviously leads to invalid values (e.g. letters) are rejected.
• Value is being always converted to valid number.
• There are integer and positive boolean props controlling input rejection. They can be combined.

<NumberInput> validates its value, and adds invalid class to enclosed input element if it's not a number.

<NumberInput valueLink={ link } />
<NumberInput valueLink={ link } integer={ true }/>
<NumberInput valueLink={ link } positive={ true }/>

Checkboxes

Wrapper for the standard <input>. Directly binds boolean value with checkedLink property.

<Input type="text" checkedLink={ booleanLink } />
<Input type="text" checkedLink={ arrayLink.contains( 'option' ) } />

Internally, it's <div> element which toggles selected class on click. Thus, it can be easily styled.

By default, it has checkbox CSS class, which can be overridden by passing className prop.

It passes through anything else, including children.

<Checkbox checkedLink={ booleanLink } />
<Checkbox checkedLink={ arrayLink.contains( 'option' ) } />

Radio Groups and Select list

Wrapper for standard . Regular tags must be used. All props are passed through.

<Select valueLink={ linkToSelectedValue }>
    <option value="a">A</option>
    <option value="b">B</option>
</Select>

Wrapper for the standard <input>. Directly binds boolean value with checkedLink property.

Can be directly bound to the state member using valueLink property.

<label>
    A:
    <Input type="radio" valueLink={ flagLink } value="a" />
</label>
<label>
    B:
    <Input type="radio" valueLink={ flagLink } value="b" />
</label>

Internally, it's <div> element which always sets selected class on click. Thus, it can be easily styled.

By default, it has radio CSS class, which can be overridden by passing className prop. It passes through anything else, including children.

It must be used in conjunction with link.equals( 'value' ) method.

<label>
    A:
    <Radio checkedLink={ flagLink.equals( 'a' ) } />
</label>
<label>
    B:
    <Radio checkedLink={ flagLink.equals( 'b' ) } />
</label>