React Forms Post Data To Firebase Firestore Collections

React forms are fundamental to any web application, providing an interactive user interface to input data. Firebase Firestore, on the other hand, offers a flexible, scalable database for mobile, web, and server development. When combined, they allow seamless data interaction between users and the database which is why we include them in our services. This blog post will explore how to link these technologies, designing React forms to post data to Firebase Firestore collections.

Getting Started

Firstly, you need to set up a Firebase project. Register on Firebase, create a project, and get your unique credentials. At the same, download node.js on your local machine and confirm whether it’s installed through your terminal window using $ node -v.

Setting Up React.js

Next, create your React application using the command-line interface (CLI) prompt, $ npx create-react-app. Start your application by running the command $ npm start.

Installing Firebase in Your Application

To use Firebase in your project, install it by running $ npm install firebase. Then, initialize Firebase by importing it in your index.js file and using the Firebase credentials from your Firebase project.

Creating a Simple Form Component in React

After that, create your form component. In this example, we will create a simple form with two fields: name and email.

Assuming you have basic knowledge of React, your form could look like this:

class MyForm extends React.Component {
  state = {
    name: '',
    email: ''
  };

This state object contains properties for the form details, which are needed when submitting the form to the Firestore database.

Posting Data to Firestore

For posting data to Firebase Firestore, make sure to import firebase at the top of your file:

import firebase from './firebase';

Next, set up the Firestore database by adding your collection’s name:

const db = firebase.firestore();
db.settings({
  timestampsInSnapshots: true
});

To submit form data to Firebase Firestore, we will use the default form onSubmit attribute:

handleSubmit = e => {
  e.preventDefault();
  const userRef = db.collection("users").add({
    name: this.state.name,
    email: this.state.email
  });  
  this.setState({
    name: '',
    email: ''
  });
};

Here, the handleSubmit function prevents the default form submission, letting React control state. The Firebase Firestore database expects an object with field names corresponding to state data to add to your chosen collection. Once this state changes, the form should clear the inputs.

Finally, set this function in your form as follows:

<form onSubmit={this.handleSubmit}>
  <input type='text' name='name' onChange={this.handleChange} value={this.state.name} placeholder='Name'/>
  <input type='text' name='email' onChange={this.handleChange} value={this.state.email} placeholder='Email'/>
  <button type='submit'>Submit</button>
</form>

Conclusion

React forms are a handy means of saving user data. By linking it with Firebase Firestore, you can store data in a NoSQL database easily and effectively. Keep in mind that this tutorial barely scratches the surface of what’s possible with React forms to post data in Firebase. If you need more assistance, here is a another helpful article. With these tools, you can create complex, interactive, and user-friendly applications.

Learn, explore, and happy coding!