Resolving react-hook-form Submission Issues in Your React Project

Learn how to effectively address the issues with `react-hook-form` not submitting on the first attempt in your React app, including solutions for validation errors.
---

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: react-hook-form not working when onsubmit

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
Addressing react-hook-form Submission Issues in Your React Application

When developing forms in a React application, you may encounter issues where the form does not submit as expected on the first attempt. This can be particularly frustrating, especially when the validation errors seem clear on subsequent tries. In this guide, we'll explore a common scenario in using react-hook-form, specifically focused on a LoginForm component that fails to submit correctly. By the end of this post, you'll have a solid grasp of how to resolve these issues effectively.

Understanding the Problem

The problem arises when the LoginForm component, which utilizes react-hook-form, does not submit after the first click of the submit button. The onInvalid function returns minimal information (an empty object {}) upon the first attempt. However, on the second attempt, it provides detailed validation errors for fields like username and confirmPassword, while the form still fails to submit.

Example of the Issue

Here's a summary of the problem:

Initial Click: The form does not submit, and onInvalid gives {}.

Second Click: Detailed validation errors are displayed, yet the form remains unsubmitted.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Analyzing the Code

To diagnose this issue, let’s break down the LoginForm, the InputComponent, and the LoginService. The primary components involved in form submission are:

LoginForm: Where the form structure resides.

InputComponent: Manages inputs and their respective validation messages.

LoginService: Houses the form’s validation schema and handles submission logic.

Login Form Structure

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Input Component

The InputComponent is responsible for receiving input data and displaying any validation errors.

Login Service Logic

The LoginService uses react-hook-form to handle form validation and submission with an asynchronous request to log in the user.

The Solution

To resolve the submission issues, the solution is to create a distinct validation schema specifically for the login form. This involves using Zod to define separate schemas for login and registration.

Step 1: Create a Login Schema

Define a LoginFormSchema excluding unnecessary fields that are not required for login validation.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 2: Implement the Login Logic

In your LoginService, ensure that you register only the necessary fields: email and password.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 3: Update the Submission Handler

Use the newly defined schema to validate and submit the form data correctly, ensuring a smoother user experience.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

With these changes, your form should now function correctly without getting stuck on submissions, and provide responsive validation feedback to users.

Conclusion

Form validation and submission can often be tricky when working with libraries like react-hook-form. By ensuring you have distinct schemas for form operations and managing your input fields correctly, you can prevent submission issues and improve user experience in your applications.

With our approach, we aimed to eliminate barriers that prevent forms from submitting and to streamline your development process.

If you have further questions or need assistance on this topic, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below!