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JavaScript

react video creating animations in react

I am confused by this code, shown below:

  // Libs
import React, { Component } from 'react';
import { render } from 'react-dom';

// CSS
import './css/style.css';

// Component
class GuestList extends Component {
  constructor() {
    super(...arguments);
    this.state = {
      names: [
        { name: 'Joel' },
        { name: 'Alena' },
        { name: 'Andrew' },
        { name: 'Thera' }
      ]
    }
  }

  handleChange(event) {
    console.log(this.state.newName);
    if(event.key == 'Enter') {
      //once enter is pressed
      let newName = { name: event.target.value }
      let newNames = this.state.names.concat(newName);
      // newName is added to array names
      event.target.value = '';
      this.setState({ names: newNames });
    }
  }

  handleRemove(i) {
    var newNames = this.state.names;
    newNames.splice(i, 1);
    this.setState({ names: newNames });
  }

  render() {
    let guests = this.state.names.map((name, i) => (
      <li key={name.name}>
        {name.name}
        <button onClick={this.handleRemove.bind(this, i)}>Remove</button>
      </li>
    ));

    return (
      <div className="guest-list">
        <h1>Guest List</h1>
        <input type="text" placeholder="Invite Someone" value={this.state.newName} onKeyDown={this.handleChange.bind(this)} />
        <ul>

          {guests}

        </ul>
      </div>
    );
  }
}

render(
  <GuestList />,
  document.getElementById('root')
);

In particular this line which renders and input type of text here it says value = {this.state.newName}

I logged this out to the console and as I thought it is undefined

<input type="text" placeholder="Invite Someone" value={this.state.newName} onKeyDown={this.handleChange.bind(this)} />

I log it out in the handleChange function which at this point with no key being pressed has not even been set as a variable.

So why does not the text input box display undefined

As you type in the text box it remains undefined as I expect. In fact this.state.newName will never exist. this.sate will point to the names array.

2 Answers

Colton Ehrman
Colton Ehrman
255 Points

I believe that is just how React works, if a variable is undefined it just doesn't render anything.

Ok I was not aware thanks