How to update nested state properties in React

Question

I\'m trying to organize my state by using nested property like this:

this.state = {
   someProperty: {
      flag:true
   }
}

But updating

Answer 1

I found this to work for me, having a project form in my case where for example you have an id, and a name and I'd rather maintain state for a nested project.

return (
  <div>
      <h2>Project Details</h2>
      <form>
        <Input label="ID" group type="number" value={this.state.project.id} onChange={(event) => this.setState({ project: {...this.state.project, id: event.target.value}})} />
        <Input label="Name" group type="text" value={this.state.project.name} onChange={(event) => this.setState({ project: {...this.state.project, name: event.target.value}})} />
      </form> 
  </div>
)

Let me know!

Answer 2

Something like this might suffice,

const isObject = (thing) => {
    if(thing && 
        typeof thing === 'object' &&
        typeof thing !== null
        && !(Array.isArray(thing))
    ){
        return true;
    }
    return false;
}

/*
  Call with an array containing the path to the property you want to access
  And the current component/redux state.

  For example if we want to update `hello` within the following obj
  const obj = {
     somePrimitive:false,
     someNestedObj:{
        hello:1
     }
  }

  we would do :
  //clone the object
  const cloned = clone(['someNestedObj','hello'],obj)
  //Set the new value
  cloned.someNestedObj.hello = 5;

*/
const clone = (arr, state) => {
    let clonedObj = {...state}
    const originalObj = clonedObj;
    arr.forEach(property => {
        if(!(property in clonedObj)){
            throw new Error('State missing property')
        }

        if(isObject(clonedObj[property])){
            clonedObj[property] = {...originalObj[property]};
            clonedObj = clonedObj[property];
        }
    })
    return originalObj;
}

const nestedObj = {
    someProperty:true,
    someNestedObj:{
        someOtherProperty:true
    }
}

const clonedObj = clone(['someProperty'], nestedObj);
console.log(clonedObj === nestedObj) //returns false
console.log(clonedObj.someProperty === nestedObj.someProperty) //returns true
console.log(clonedObj.someNestedObj === nestedObj.someNestedObj) //returns true

console.log()
const clonedObj2 = clone(['someProperty','someNestedObj','someOtherProperty'], nestedObj);
console.log(clonedObj2 === nestedObj) // returns false
console.log(clonedObj2.someNestedObj === nestedObj.someNestedObj) //returns false
//returns true (doesn't attempt to clone because its primitive type)
console.log(clonedObj2.someNestedObj.someOtherProperty === nestedObj.someNestedObj.someOtherProperty) 

Answer 3

Here's a variation on the first answer given in this thread which doesn't require any extra packages, libraries or special functions.

state = {
  someProperty: {
    flag: 'string'
  }
}

handleChange = (value) => {
  const newState = {...this.state.someProperty, flag: value}
  this.setState({ someProperty: newState })
}

In order to set the state of a specific nested field, you have set the whole object. I did this by creating a variable, newState and spreading the contents of the current state into it first using the ES2015 spread operator. Then, I replaced the value of this.state.flag with the new value (since I set flag: value after I spread the current state into the object, the flag field in the current state is overridden). Then, I simply set the state of someProperty to my newState object.

Answer 4

I used this solution.

If you have a nested state like this:

   this.state = {
          formInputs:{
            friendName:{
              value:'',
              isValid:false,
              errorMsg:''
            },
            friendEmail:{
              value:'',
              isValid:false,
              errorMsg:''
            }
}

you can declare the handleChange function that copy current status and re-assigns it with changed values

handleChange(el) {
    let inputName = el.target.name;
    let inputValue = el.target.value;

    let statusCopy = Object.assign({}, this.state);
    statusCopy.formInputs[inputName].value = inputValue;

    this.setState(statusCopy);
  }

here the html with the event listener

<input type="text" onChange={this.handleChange} " name="friendName" />

Answer 5

i saw following in a book:

this.setState(state => state.someProperty.falg = false);

but i'm not sure if it's right..

Answer 6

I do nested updates with a reduce search:

Example:

The nested variables in state:

state = {
    coords: {
        x: 0,
        y: 0,
        z: 0
    }
}

The function:

handleChange = nestedAttr => event => {
  const { target: { value } } = event;
  const attrs = nestedAttr.split('.');

  let stateVar = this.state[attrs[0]];
  if(attrs.length>1)
    attrs.reduce((a,b,index,arr)=>{
      if(index==arr.length-1)
        a[b] = value;
      else if(a[b]!=null)
        return a[b]
      else
        return a;
    },stateVar);
  else
    stateVar = value;

  this.setState({[attrs[0]]: stateVar})
}

Use:

<input
value={this.state.coords.x}
onChange={this.handleTextChange('coords.x')}
/>