ReactJS Events Tutorial with Examples

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ReactJS Events
Event of Child Component
A complex example

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In this lesson, I am going to guide you "How to use Events in ReactJS". There are also not a lot of differences when you use events in the ReactJS compared to using the events in the Javascript.

In the Javascript, you will handle events in a function while in the React you will handle the events in a method of Component.

1- ReactJS Events

React is an library based on Javascript, basically, not much different in handling events between ReactJS and Javascript. For the Javascript, when an event occurs, a function will be called to execute. But for the React, when an event occurs, a method of Component is called.

OK, first of all, please see a simple example:

onClick-example.html


class CurrentTime extends React.Component {
  constructor(props) {
    super(props);

    var now = new Date();
    this.state = {
      currentTime: now.toString()
    };
  }

  // A method of CurrentTime component
  refreshCurrentTime() {
    var now = new Date();
    this.setState({ currentTime: now.toString() });
  }
  render() {
    return (
      <div>
        <h4>Current Time:</h4>
        <p>{this.state.currentTime}</p>
        <button onClick={() => this.refreshCurrentTime()}>
          Refresh Current Time
        </button>
      </div>
    );
  }
}

// Render
ReactDOM.render(<CurrentTime />, document.getElementById("currenttime1"));

onClick-example.html


<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
   <head>
      <meta charset="UTF-8">
      <title>ReactJS Event</title>
      <script src="https://unpkg.com/react@16.4.2/umd/react.production.min.js"></script>
      <script src="https://unpkg.com/react-dom@16.4.2/umd/react-dom.production.min.js"></script>
      <script src="https://unpkg.com/babel-standalone@6.26.0/babel.min.js"></script>
      <style>
         #currenttime1 {
         border:1px solid blue;
         padding: 5px;
         margin-top: 20px;
         }
      </style>
   </head>
   <body>
      <h3>ReactJS Event: onClick</h3>

      <div id="currenttime1"></div>

      <script src="onClick-example.jsx" type="text/babel"></script>

   </body>
</html>

Arrow Function

With the Javascript ES6 syntax, you can create an arrow function, which is very short and easy-to-understand:

** arrow function **


// Normal function with parameters
var myfunc = function(param1, param2)  {
   // Statements
};

// Arrow function with parameters.
var arrfunc = (param1, param2) => {
   // Statements
};


// Normal function without paramters.
var myfunc2 = function( )  {
   // Statements
};

// Arrow function without parameters.
var arrfunc2 = ( ) => {
   // Statements
};

// If function have only one statement.
var arrfunc2 = ( ) => singleStatement;

onClick, onChange,..

onClick has to call to a Javascript function. It can not call directly to a method of Component. Therefore, onClick should call to an anonymous function and inside this anonymous function, you can call the method of Component:

Arrow function with the event parameter:


// A method of Component with event parameter.
refreshCurrentTime(event) {
  var now = new Date();
  this.setState({ currentTime: now.toString() });
}

render() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h4>Current Time:</h4>
      <p>{this.state.currentTime}</p>
      <button onClick={(event) => this.refreshCurrentTime(event)}>
          Refresh Current Time
      </button>
    </div>
  );
}

For Javascript ES6, you can also call to the method of Component by this way:

.jsx


// A method of this Component.
refreshCurrentTime(event) {
  var now = new Date();
  this.setState({ currentTime: now.toString() });
}

render() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h4>Current Time:</h4>
      <p>{this.state.currentTime}</p>
      <button onClick={this.refreshCurrentTime.bind(this,event)}>
         Refresh Current Time
      </button>
    </div>
  );
}

Or:

onClick-example3.jsx


class CurrentTime extends React.Component {
  constructor(props) {
    super(props);

    var now = new Date();
    this.state = {
      currentTime: now.toString()
    };

    // (***)
    this.refreshCurrentTime = this.refreshCurrentTime.bind(this);
  }

  // A method of this Component
  refreshCurrentTime( ) {
    var now = new Date();
    this.setState({ currentTime: now.toString() });
  }
  render() {
    return (
      <div>
        <h4>Current Time:</h4>
        <p>{this.state.currentTime}</p>
        <button onClick={this.refreshCurrentTime}>
          Refresh Current Time
        </button>
      </div>
    );
  }
}

// Render
ReactDOM.render(<CurrentTime />, document.getElementById("currenttime1"));

2- Event of Child Component

An event occurs at the child Component but you want to call to a method at parent Componen. Below is a such example.

childEvent-example.jsx


// <Child> with 1 attribute: myClickHandler
// <Child myClickHandler=.. />
class Child extends React.Component {
  render() {
    return (
      <div className="child">
        <h4>Child</h4>
        <button onClick={this.props.myClickHandler}>Click me!</button>
      </div>
    );
  }
}

class Parent extends React.Component {
  constructor(props) {
    super(props);

    this.state = {
      count: 0
    };
  }

  myMethodOfParent() {
    this.setState((prevState, props) => {
      return {
        count: prevState.count + 1
      };
    });
  }

  render() {
    return (
      <div className="parent">
        <h3>(Parent) Clicked: {this.state.count} </h3>
        <Child myClickHandler={() => this.myMethodOfParent()} />
      </div>
    );
  }
}

// Render
ReactDOM.render(<Parent />, document.getElementById("placeholder1"));

childEvent-example.html


<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
   <head>
      <meta charset="UTF-8">
      <title>ReactJS Event</title>
      <script src="https://unpkg.com/react@16.4.2/umd/react.production.min.js"></script>
      <script src="https://unpkg.com/react-dom@16.4.2/umd/react-dom.production.min.js"></script>
      <script src="https://unpkg.com/babel-standalone@6.26.0/babel.min.js"></script>
      <style>
         .parent {
         border:1px solid #d9ebe8;
         padding: 5px;
         margin-top: 20px;
         }
         .child {
         width:150px;
         border:1px solid #8cb0aa;
         margin: 5px;
         padding: 5px;
         }
      </style>
   </head>
   <body>
      <h3>The child's event calls to parent's method</h3>

      <div id="placeholder1"></div>

      <script src="childEvent-example.jsx" type="text/babel"></script>
      
   </body>
</html>

3- A complex example

OK, and now it is a more complex example. It asks you to master a lot of knowledge in ReactJS, such as Lists, Props, State, Event.

The knowledge in ReactJS that you need to know:

ReactJS props and state

ReactJS Lists and Keys

complex-example.jsx


// <OrderDetail> with 4 attributes:
// productName, price, quantity, addHandler
class OrderDetail extends React.Component {
  render() {
    return (
      <div className="order-detail">
        <h4>{this.props.productName}</h4>
        <p>Price: {this.props.price} USD</p>
        <p>Quantity: {this.props.quantity}</p>
        <p>
          <button onClick={this.props.addHandler}>+</button>
        </p>
      </div>
    );
  }
}

class Order extends React.Component {
  constructor(props) {
    super(props);

    this.state = {
      amount: 0,
      details: [
        { id: 1, productName: "IPhone X", price: 900, quantity: 0 },
        { id: 2, productName: "Samsung S9", price: 800, quantity: 0 },
        { id: 3, productName: "Nokia 8", price: 650, quantity: 0 }
      ]
    };
  }

  updateOrder(index) {
    this.setState((prevState, props) => {
      console.log(this.state.details);

      var newQty = prevState.details[index].quantity + 1;
      this.state.details[index].quantity = newQty;
      this.state.amount = prevState.amount + 1 * prevState.details[index].price;
      return {
        amount: this.state.amount,
        details: this.state.details
      };
    });
  }

  render() {
    // Array of <OrderDetail ../>
    var detailTags = this.state.details.map((e, index) => (
      <OrderDetail
        key={e.id}
        addHandler={() => this.updateOrder(index)}
        productName={e.productName}
        price={e.price}
        quantity={e.quantity}
      />
    ));
    return (
      <div className="order">
        {detailTags}
        <div className="clear" />
        <p className="total">Total: <b>{this.state.amount} USD</b></p>
      </div>
    );
  }
}

// Render
ReactDOM.render(<Order />, document.getElementById("order1"));

complex-example.html


<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
   <head>
      <meta charset="UTF-8">
      <title>ReactJS Event</title>
      <script src="https://unpkg.com/react@16.4.2/umd/react.production.min.js"></script>
      <script src="https://unpkg.com/react-dom@16.4.2/umd/react-dom.production.min.js"></script>
      <script src="https://unpkg.com/babel-standalone@6.26.0/babel.min.js"></script>
      <style>
         .order {
           border:1px solid #d9ebe8;
           padding: 5px;
           margin-top: 20px;
         }
         .order-detail {
            float : left;
            width:150px;
            border:1px solid #8cb0aa;
            margin: 5px;
            padding: 5px;
         }
         .clear {
           clear: both;
         }
         .total {
            margin: 5px;
         }
      </style>
   </head>
   <body>
      <h3>Complex Example (Event, List, Props, State)</h3>

      <div id="order1"></div>

      <script src="complex-example.jsx" type="text/babel"></script>

   </body>
</html>

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