The React-ContentEditable component provides developers with a powerful way to create editable content areas within React applications. It enables you to render a div that users can edit, much like an input field, but with the flexibility of custom HTML.

Installation

Before diving into the usage, let’s get the component up and running in your project. Simply open your terminal and run:

npm install react-contenteditable

Usage

Now that you have it installed, let’s see how to use the ContentEditable component. Imagine you’re crafting a magical book where words can be added or changed easily. Below is an example to illustrate:

import React from 'react';
import ContentEditable from 'react-contenteditable';

class MyComponent extends React.Component {
  constructor() {
    super();
    this.contentEditable = React.createRef();
    this.state = { html: 'Hello World' };
  }

  handleChange = evt => {
    this.setState({ html: evt.target.value });
  };

  render = () => {
    return (
      
    );
  };
}

Explanation through Analogy

Think of the ContentEditable component as a magical whiteboard:

• innerRef: It’s like the assistant who keeps an eye on the whiteboard, making sure everything is noted accurately.
• html: This is the current state of writings on the whiteboard—what you see is what you get.
• disabled: Imagine you want to lock the whiteboard. When this is true, no one can scribble anything!
• onChange: Every time someone writes (or deletes) something, you get notified. So you stay updated on what’s happening.
• tagName: Would you like a different style for your whiteboard? Choose any tag you wish—like an <article> or a simple <div>.

Available Props

The props you can use with this component include:

• innerRef: [ref attribute] (Object)
• html: **required:** innerHTML of the editable element (String)
• disabled: use true to disable editing (Boolean)
• onChange: called whenever innerHTML changes (Function)
• onBlur: called whenever the html element is blurred (Function)
• onFocus: event fires when an element has received focus (Function)
• onKeyUp: called whenever a key is released (Function)
• onKeyDown: called whenever a key is pressed (Function)
• className: the element’s CSS class (String)
• style: a collection of CSS properties to apply to the element (Object)

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues when using hooks, specifically with hooks like useState (which doesn’t work well with this component), consider using the useRef as shown:

const text = useRef();
const handleChange = evt => {
  text.current = evt.target.value;
};
const handleBlur = () => {
  console.log(text.current);
};

return (
  
);

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Additional Resources

You can try out the react-contenteditable component directly from your browser:

• Simple example: An editable div with a default value.
• Advanced example: Features custom tags, input sanitization, and rich text editing.

Final Thoughts

At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI, as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.