This library allows your React application to automatically generate forms using ReactHookForm. The form and validations are generated following a schema inspired by SimpleSchema.

Now works with React Hook Form 7 🎉

All the members of the family, like rhfa-react-native are updated too. You can update the corresponding one and it should work. If not, please open an issue.

The exception is if you made a skin for your project, then you should follow this guide.

• Installation
• Usage
  • 1. Write schema
  • 2. Render a form
  • 3. Make it prettier
  • 4. Translate labels
• Available skins
• Roadmap
• Documentation
  • Types
    • Select and radios
  • Validators
    • validate validator
  • Other schema fields
    • Schema onChange
  • Schema
  • Autoform component
  • Config
  • Field props override
  • Coercers
  • Forcing errors
  • Imperative handling
  • Translation
    • tr()
    • stringExists()
    • Variable substitution
    • Adding strings
    • Multilanguage
    • Translation utils
    • Use your own
  • Extending
    • Extending tutorial
    • With styles
    • Overriding skin
      • coerce
      • props
        • object
        • function
        • onChange, onBlur
          • Directly
          • setValue
      • Other skin attributes
      • skin[type].props
      • skin[type].component
  • Importing base

• Emergency styles
• Bootstrap 4
• Material-UI
• Blueprint

• Play with the bootstrap4 demo. Project.
• Play with emergency styles demo. Project.
• Play with Material-UI demo. Project
• React Native

$ npm install react-hook-form react-hook-form-auto --save

• 1.3.0 works with react-hook-form 7.
  • If you didn't override the skin, it should work out of the box after update.
  • If you overrided the skin, then follow this guide.
• 1.2.0 works with react-hook-form 6: npm install react-hook-form@6 [email protected] --save
• 1.1.0 works with react-hook-form 4 and 5. Older versions of this library (1.0.x) will only work with version 3 of react-hook-form.

Write a schema for each model you have:

    import { createSchema } from 'react-hook-form-auto'

    export const client = createSchema('client', {
      name: {
        type: 'string',
        required: true,
        max: 32
      },
      age: {
        type: 'number'
      }
    })

In this example we are stating that a client is required to have a name and providing its allowed length. Also client has age and it's a number.

<Autoform /> React component will generate inputs including translatable label, proper input types and error messages.

    import { Autoform } from 'react-hook-form-auto'
    import { client } from './models/client'

    const MyForm = ({ onSubmit }) =>
      <Autoform
        schema={client}
        onSubmit={onSubmit}
      />

Form will be validated following the rules set by the schema.

It also allows you to build arrays from other schemas. Simply specify the other schema within brackets [<other>]. Autoform default skin will allow you to add and remove elements.

    import { createSchema } from 'react-hook-form-auto'
    import { client } from './client'

    export const company = createSchema('company', {
      clients: {
        type: [client],
        minChildren: 10,
        arrayMode: 'panel'  // You can override config
      }
    })

You can override form array config for a particular field using arrayMode

Install the emergency styles if you don't want to bundle a whole css library.

$ npm install rhfa-emergency-styles --save

Then set the styles prop of <Autoform />:

    import styles from 'rhfa-emergency-styles'
 
    // With sass...
    import 'rhfa-emergency-styles/prefixed.sass'
    // ...or without
    import 'rhfa-emergency-styles/dist/styles.css'
 
    <Autoform styles={styles} />

If you use sass you have to make sure you are not excluding node_modules in your build process.

If you use css-modules you have better options.

We can take advantage of the styling strategy and pass bootstrap classes as styles props. You can grab them from here [raw]. Then use them:

    import styles from './bsStyles'  // copy-pasted styles description

    <Autoform styles={styles} />

As you have to pass the styles on every Autoform render, I recommend creating a module or a HoC.

Read the documentation to find out what else you can do.

You probably see labels like models.client.name instead of the proper ones. That's because the project uses a built-in translation system. You can setup those strings both at once or incrementally.

Simple call addTranslations directly in your module or modules. Example:

    import { addTranslations } from 'react-hook-form-auto'

    addTranslations({
      models: {
        client: {
          name: 'Name',
          age: 'Age'
        }
      }
    })

A simple way to fill this is by replicating the unstranslated string in the object. The dot is a subobject. In the former example you would see a label called models.client.name.

Some of them need other imports. See instructions from each.

One of the purposes of the library is to avoid repeating code by not having to write a set of input components for every entity. Also when time is of the essence, writing forms can be exasperating.

These are some of the advantages of using an automatic form system.

• More DRY
• More SSoT
• ...so less bugs

Also react-hook-form-auto has some of its own

• Includes a translation system
• It's easily expandable
• It's simple
• When possible tries to use convention over configuration

Actually there aren't clearly defined goals. The library already suits my personal needs. Do you need anything that is not there? Feel free to write an issue! Those are the tasks I think may be interesting and will randomly work on them:

• Automatic form generation
• Able to stylize components
• Datatype coertion
• Provide more and better styling examples
• Styles to make it look like bootstrap4
• Native components for famous ui libraries like bootstrap4
  • Need other? Open issue!
• Actually limit children
• React Native support
• Translated messages from server/async
• Make it compatible with react-hook-form 7.

Each schema can be regarded as a Rails model or a database table. You can store them anywhere, for example in a module:

    import { createSchema } from 'react-hook-form-auto'

    export const computer = createSchema('computers', { /* ...schema... */ })

Each first level entry in the schema object represents the fields in the form or the columns in the database analogy. To configure the field you use another object. Example:

    {
      name: { type: 'string' }
    }

These are the types a field can be:

You can specify the type as a constructor. There's not an easily measurable advantage. Example:

    { type: String }

They both allow options as an array that can be one of strings with the options keys that will be feed to translator using trModel() or can be objects in the form { value, label }. If an object is provided, label will be used for the HTML content (display) and value for the option's value.

Options can also be a function. In that case it will be evaluated with the component props as the first argument. The results used as explained above, that is, array of strings or objects.

Options as object

Example with keys:

    {
      type: 'select',
      options: ['red', 'blue']
    }

Example with objects:

    {
      type: 'select',
      options: [
        { value: 'r', key: 'red' },
        { value: 'b', key: 'blue' }
      ]
    }

You can specify label too. In that case it will be a direct already translated string. If you setup key then label will be infered and translated.

Example with direct labels:

    {
      type: 'select',
      options: [
        { value: 'r', label: 'Some red' },
        { value: 'b', label: 'Some blue' }
      ]
    }

Example with function. This example assumes Autoform component has a color collection in the props:

    {
      type: 'select',
      options: props => props.colors.map(color => ({
        value: color.id,
        key: color.name
      }))
    }

The string returned will be translated. The translation will receive the field's schema as variables.

The function used to validate the field, as any other validator, can return:

• true to fail (and automatically generate message) or false to pass
• An string that will be the error message

There are some other attributes you can pass while defining the field schema:

The helperText attribute in the schema allows you to set a fixed helper text for the field. The helper text can be changed in other ways and this is the precedence order:

1. Text set using setHelperText from schema (or FieldPropsOverride) onChange.
2. Explicit text set by schema { name: 'name', type: 'string', helperText: tr('example') }
3. Automatic translation string in the form models.<schemaTypeName>.<field>._helper

The schema establishes the validation and inputs. The instance can be stored anywhere, like your own model object or a module. At the moment it doesn't change over time.

Creates a Schema from the specification.

Kind: global function

The <Autoform /> component accepts the following props

Any other prop will be passed to the skin props().

The config prop is an object that has the following attributes

You can override field props individually. You can do this with a component called FieldPropsOverride. This is useful when you want to create an special field with some functionality that forces you to provide an event handler. Let's see an example:

    import { Autoform, FieldPropsOverride } from 'react-hook-form-auto'

    const Component = ({ onKeyDown }) =>
      <Autoform schema={client}>
        <FieldPropsOverride
          name="name"
          onKeyDown={onKeyDown}
        />
      </Autoform>

The name can specified without taking into account array ordinals. For example, if a pet serves as an schema array for an owner and you want to override every pet name from pets field (array), you should use pets.name as the name prop:

    <FieldPropsOverride
      name="pets.name"
      ...overrides...
    />

It can also be an specific path like pets[0].name.

In FieldPropsOverride, onChange prop is automatically chained with both ReactHookForm and schema onChange. The callback receives exactly the same arguments as schema onChange. The order of calling is:

1. ReactHookForm onChange
2. Schema's onChange
3. FieldPropsOverride's onChange

Example:

const handleChange = (value, { setValue }) => {
  if (value == 'tall')
    setValue('name', 'André the Giant')
}

return (
  <Autoform>
    <FieldPropsOverride
      name="height"
      onChange={handleChange}
    />
  </Autoform>
)

While react-hook-form works with inputs, this library is focused in models. This means:

• Values from inputs are coerced to the datatype you define in the schema.
• Default values are left untouched if there they are not defined or registered.
• You can manually use setValue from your skin or skinOverride.

You can also disable coercers with the Autoform's disableCoercing prop.

Select will include an empty option for uninitialized elements. Please, write an issue if you want this to be configurable.

You can force an error message for any field, including a nested one. For it you elaborate an object with the field keys in ReactHookForm notation, for example pets.0.name. Complete example:

const LoginContainer = () => {
  const [ serverErrors, setServerErrors ] = useState(null)

  const handleLogin = () => {
    setServerErrors({
      username: { message: 'Already taken' },
      password: { message: 'Also, wrong password' }
    })
  }

  return (
    <Autoform
      ...
      forceErrors={serverErrors}
      onSubmit={handleLogin}
    />
  )
}

Also take a look at this demo. After you pass client validation (just fill both names), you can click Send to simulate server validation errors.

Autoform component sets some functions to be used in referenced component:

    let formRef

    // Example: imperative submit
    const doSubmit = () => {
      formRef.submit()
    }

    const MyForm = ({ onSubmit }) =>
      <Autoform
        onSubmit={onSubmit}
        ref={e => formRef = e}
      />

Functions returned:

react-hook-form-auto uses internally a simple better-than-nothing built-in translation system. This system and its translation tables can be replaced and even completely overridden.

The translation strings are hierarchized following some pseudo-semantic rules:

    `models.${model}.${field}.${misc}`

The meaning of the last misc part usually depends on the type of field.

The dots navigates through children in the string table. Example:

    {
      models: {
        computer: {
          cpu: { 
            arm: 'ARM',
            // ...
          },
          // ...
        }
      }
    }

To translate string for your use call tr() and pass the string path separated by dots:

    import { tr } from 'react-hook-form-auto

    const message = tr('models.computers.cpu.arm')

    /* message value is 'ARM' */

This is the usage of the tr() function:

Translates a string given its id.

Kind: global function
Returns: Translated string

Returns if the string does exist

Kind: global function
Returns: boolean - true if it exists

You can also put variables in the translation strings:

    {
      name: {
        create: '__name__ created'
      }
    }

This allows you to translate and inserting a value in the correct place of the string. Example:

    import { tr } from 'react-hook-form-auto'

    const name = 'Alice'
    const message = tr('name.create', { name })

    /* message value is 'Alice created' */

    import { addTranslations } from 'react-hook-form-auto'

Then you call addTranslations with the object tree:

Appends translations to current translation table

Kind: global function

It's ok to overwrite a language with another. The non translated strings from the new language will remain from the former in the table. At the moment it's up to you to take care about language completeness (or, better, use an external translator).

If your application has more than one language and it can be changed on the fly, I better recommend to use translation utils over the core translations. Those functions store the languages separately:

    import { setLanguageByName } from 'react-hook-form-auto'

    setLanguageByName('en')

You can add the translation strings directly to a language:

Allows to add a bunch of strings to a language

Kind: global function

There are some functions that deal with semantic organization of the translation strings this library uses. You can take advantage of them if you are building a skin:

Multipurpose semantic-ish translation.

Kind: global function

Translate field name

Kind: global function

Translates error message.

Kind: global function

You can disable the translation system to use your own.

Sets the translation engine that responds to tr().

Kind: global function

Example:

    import { setTranslator } from 'react-hook-form-auto'
    import { myTranslationTranslator } from './serious_translator'

    setTranslator((tr, data) => {
      /* do something with tr or data */

      return myTranslationTranslator(something, somethingElse)
    })

Or you can drop it directly to setTranslator() if it's compatible.

If you just need another appearance, you can do it changing styles. If you are adapting an existing UI library (like Blueprint) then it's better to extend skin.

The default skin from react-hook-form-auto uses css classes. You can override them providing your set. Example with css-modules:

    import styles from './my_styles.css'

    <Autoform styles={styles} />

The whole rhfa-emergency-styles does this and can serve as an example.

When you need to adapt behaviour, styles might not be enough. To solve this you can override full components.

The inputs and auxiliary elements are created using a set of components. The mapping can be set all together by overriding the skin, like this:

    import { Autoform as RHFAutoform } from 'react-hook-form-auto'

    import overrides from './skinOverride'

    export const Autoform = (props) =>
      <RHFAutoform
        {...props}
        skinOverride={overrides}
      />

You can take a look at defaultSkin.js and components/index.js from any skin to have a glimpse.

Also find here a full skin override.

I made a tutorial adapting Material-UI to react-hook-form-auto. You can find it here.

There's an entry in the skin object for every field type. The value of the entry is an object with two attributes like in this example:

    number: {
      coerce: value => parseFloat(value),
      props: {
        component: 'input',
        type: 'number'
      }
    },

Function that converts result to its correct datatype.

Prop transformation for the rendered component.

The attribute component is the React component used to render the input inside the wrappers.

    select: {
      props: {
        component: Select
      }
    },

It can be also a first level attribute, useful if you don't need to change props

    select: {
      component: Select
    },

Props merged to component's default:

    range: {
      coerce: value => parseFloat(value),
      props: {
        component: 'input',
        type: 'range'
      }
    },

If component is a string, like in this example, it will only receive <input />-like props, like name and onChange.

Function that takes the component's intended props and returns component's final props:

    string: {
      props: props => ({
        ...props,
        component: props.fieldSchema.textarea ? 'textarea' : 'input'
      }),
    },

The component in the props property is also in charge of the field update: For that matter you have two options

  const Input = ({ name, onChange, onBlur }) =>
    <MyAwesomeWrapping>
      <input name={name} onChange={onChange} onBlur={onBlur} />
    </MyAwesomeWrapping>

  const mySkinOverride = {
    string: {
      component: Input
    }
  }

Another way is to use setValue(name, newValue) on every change. The component is still uncontrolled but model's value will be updated.

  props: ({ name, register, setValue }) => {
    const setValueFromEvent = event => {
      setValue(name, event.target.value)
    }

    return {
      component: <MyComponent {...} onChange={setValueFromEvent} />
    }
  }

    range: {
      coerce: value => parseFloat(value),
      controlled: true,
      skipRegister: true,
      nameForErrors: name => `${name}__counter`,
      props: {
        component: 'input',
        type: 'range'
      }
    },

You can override (or add) specific types by using <Autoform />'s skinOverride prop.

Only override array and schema types if you know react-hook-form-auto internals. For example both need skipRegister.

The rest of the properties a skin block can override:

The value of this field is used to render the input component. If it's a component, the will receive these props, appart from the rest of the skin[type].props block.

If component is specified both from props and directly (skin[type].component), the one coming from props will have priority.

It's a common component used to create all the input structure, including wrappers. You can use it to avoid boilerplate.

The props for the input component are different depending if the inputComponent is a string, like 'input' or a React component.

For a 'lowercase' component like <input />, props passed are

• id
• name
• type
• option (if provided, for the value)
• defaultValue
• onChange
• onBlur
• ref
• className calculated
• ...any fields added to schema's addInputProps

Class components receive all the provided or derived props.

To render the input or inputs, two functions are used:

Renders the inputs to make the schema work.

Kind: global function
Returns: array - React elements with the form and inputs.

Renders a single field.

Kind: global function

You can use the base bundle to import AutoformBase component. AutoformBase is like Autoform but doesn't use react-dom dependency.

  import { Autoform, ... } from 'react-hook-form-auto/dist/base.js'

You can also do it in a more permanent way if you use webpack:

  resolve: {
    alias: {
      'react-hook-form-auto': 'react-hook-form-auto/dist/base.js'
    }
  },

react-hook-form-auto needs your help. Skins must be written!

Also, it would make my day to see the library working in your project, provided it's public. Please, tell me!

Make a fork and do your magic followed by a pull request. If it's an implementation, test case and documentation update would be highly appreciated.

Everything is work in progress until there's a bunch of skins or we are in complete control of the world, whichever comes first.

The most important files:

• src/ui/components/componentRender.jsx processes the schema to build the inputs and allows skin overrides
• src/ui/Autoform.jsx The component and the coercing logic
• src/ui/AutofieldContainer.jsx Registers or calls useController()
• src/ui/Autofield.jsx Wraps component within wrapper
• jsdoc2md/README.hbs Documentation source

See also the contributing doc.