forms-with-uniforms

Uniforms Forms in React Next.js

wiktor-plagaWiktor Plaga
March 25, 20237 min reading time

Uniforms Forms in React Next.js

In this tutorial, we will explore how to create uniform forms in React Next.js. Forms are an essential part of any web application, and they allow users to interact with the application by submitting data. However, creating forms can be a tedious and time-consuming task, especially when dealing with complex forms with multiple fields and validation rules.

Uniform forms provide a way to simplify the form creation process by using a schema-based approach. With uniform forms, we can define the form structure and validation rules in a schema, and the form will be automatically generated based on the schema. This approach not only saves time but also ensures consistency across forms, making it easier to maintain and update them. In this tutorial, we will use the Uniforms library to create uniform forms in React Next.js. We will start by installing and configuring the Uniforms library, then we will create a simple form using the schema-based approach. Finally, we will explore some advanced features of Uniforms, such as custom input components and conditional fields.

What is Uniforms?

Uniforms Forms is a library for creating forms in React applications using a schema-based approach. It simplifies the process of creating forms by allowing developers to define the form structure and validation rules in a schema, which is then used to automatically generate the form. This approach not only saves time but also ensures consistency across forms, making it easier to maintain and update them.

Uniforms Forms supports a wide range of input types, including text, number, date, and select fields, among others. It also provides built-in validation rules for common scenarios, such as required fields, minimum and maximum values, and regular expressions. Additionally, Uniforms Forms allows developers to create custom input components and validation rules, making it a flexible and extensible solution for creating forms in React applications.

Why use Uniforms for Forms in React Next.js application?

Uniforms Forms is a powerful library that simplifies the process of creating forms in React applications. There are several reasons why one should consider using Uniforms Forms for their form creation needs. Firstly, Uniforms Forms provides a schema-based approach to form creation, which makes it easy to define the form structure and validation rules. This approach saves time and ensures consistency across forms, making it easier to maintain and update them.

Secondly, Uniforms Forms supports a wide range of input types, including text, number, date, and select fields, among others. It also provides built-in validation rules for common scenarios, such as required fields, minimum and maximum values, and regular expressions. This makes it easy to create forms that are both user-friendly and robust.

Finally, Uniforms Forms is a flexible and extensible solution for creating forms in React applications. It allows developers to create custom input components and validation rules, making it easy to tailor the forms to specific needs. This flexibility makes Uniforms Forms a great choice for projects of all sizes and complexity levels.

Benefits of using Uniforms Forms:

  • Simplifies form creation with a schema-based approach
  • Supports a wide range of input types and built-in validation rules
  • Flexible and extensible with custom input components and validation rules.

Prerequisites

To complete the "Uniforms Forms in React Next.js" tutorial, you will need to have the following prerequisites:

  • Basic knowledge of React and Next.js
  • Node.js and npm installed on your computer
  • A code editor, such as Visual Studio Code or Atom
  • Familiarity with HTML and CSS
  • Basic understanding of form validation and input types
  • A working internet connection to install dependencies and access documentation.

React Next.js Uniforms step by step setup and configuration

To integrate Uniforms into a React Next.js project, we need to follow a few simple steps. Firstly, we need to install the Uniforms library and its dependencies using npm. We can do this by running the following command in the terminal:

npm install uniforms react-schema-form

Once the installation is complete, we can import the necessary components from the Uniforms library in our React Next.js project. We can do this by adding the following lines of code to our component file:

import { AutoForm, AutoField, ErrorsField } from 'uniforms-semantic';
import SimpleSchema from 'simpl-schema';

Next, we need to define the schema for our form. The schema defines the structure of the form and the validation rules for each field. We can define the schema using the SimpleSchema library, which is a lightweight schema validation library for JavaScript. Here's an example of how to define a schema for a simple form with two fields:

const schema = new SimpleSchema({
  firstName: {
    type: String,
    label: 'First Name',
    max: 50,
  },
  lastName: {
    type: String,
    label: 'Last Name',
    max: 50,
  },
});

Finally, we can render the form using the AutoForm component from the Uniforms library. The AutoForm component takes two props: the schema and the onSubmit function. The onSubmit function is called when the form is submitted and receives the form data as an argument. Here's an example of how to render the form:

const MyForm = () => {
  const handleSubmit = (data) => {
    console.log(data);
  };

  return (
    <AutoForm schema={schema} onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
      <AutoField name="firstName" />
      <AutoField name="lastName" />
      <ErrorsField />
      <button type="submit">Submit</button>
    </AutoForm>
  );
};

In this example, we're rendering the AutoField component for each field in the schema, as well as the ErrorsField component to display any validation errors. We're also rendering a submit button that triggers the onSubmit function when clicked.

Uniforms configuration options in React Next.js

Here are the Uniforms configuration options for React Next.js integration:

  • bridge: The bridge is responsible for connecting the schema to the form components. Uniforms provides several built-in bridges, including SimpleSchemaBridge and JSONSchemaBridge.
  • modelTransform: The model transform function is used to transform the data before it is passed to the form components. This can be useful for formatting or normalizing the data.
  • onChange: The onChange function is called whenever the form data changes. It receives the updated data as an argument and can be used to perform additional actions, such as updating the UI or making API calls.
  • onSubmit: The onSubmit function is called when the form is submitted. It receives the form data as an argument and can be used to perform actions such as submitting the data to a server or updating the UI.
  • schema: The schema defines the structure of the form and the validation rules for each field. It can be defined using the SimpleSchema or JSONSchema libraries.
  • showInlineError: The showInlineError option determines whether to display validation errors inline with the form fields or in a separate error message.
  • submitField: The submitField option allows us to customize the submit button by passing a React component as a prop.
  • validate: The validate function is used to perform custom validation on the form data. It receives the form data as an argument and should return an object with validation errors, if any.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Uniforms Forms is a powerful library that simplifies the process of creating forms in React Next.js applications. With its schema-based approach, Uniforms Forms allows developers to define the form structure and validation rules in a simple and consistent way, saving time and ensuring robustness across forms. Additionally, Uniforms Forms provides a wide range of input types and built-in validation rules, making it easy to create user-friendly and robust forms.

In this tutorial, we have explored how to integrate Uniforms Forms into a React Next.js project and create a simple form using the schema-based approach. We have seen how to define the schema using the SimpleSchema library, render the form using the AutoForm component, and handle form submission using the onSubmit function. We have also discussed some of the configuration options available in Uniforms Forms, such as the bridge, modelTransform, and validate functions.

Overall, Uniforms Forms is a great choice for creating forms in React Next.js applications, providing a flexible and extensible solution that can be tailored to specific needs. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, developers can quickly and easily create uniform forms that are both user-friendly and robust.

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