Using React-Query to Fetch Data Upon Button Click

Using React-Query to Fetch Data Upon Button Click

17 December 2024 Stephan Petzl Leave a comment Tech-Help

React-Query is a powerful library for managing server state in React applications. It simplifies data fetching, caching, and synchronization with the server. However, one common question among React-Query users is how to trigger data fetching only when a button is clicked. This article will walk you through the process of setting up manual data fetching with React-Query, providing a clear and practical solution.

Problem Overview

By default, React-Query fetches data automatically when a component mounts. While this is convenient, there are scenarios where you might want to control when the data fetching occurs, such as when a user clicks a button. The challenge lies in disabling the automatic fetching and enabling it manually through a user action.

Solution: Manual Data Fetching

To achieve manual data fetching in React-Query, you can use the enabled option. By setting enabled to false, you prevent the query from running automatically. You can then use the refetch method to trigger the data fetching manually. Here’s how you can implement this:

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Define Your Fetch Function: Create an asynchronous function to fetch data from your backend.
    const fetchData = async () => { /* Your data fetching logic */ };
  2. Set Up useQuery: Use the useQuery hook and set the enabled option to false.
    const { data, refetch } = useQuery('my_key', fetchData, {
      enabled: false, // Disable automatic fetching
      refetchOnWindowFocus: false // Optional: Prevent refetching on window focus
    });
  3. Handle Button Click: Create a button and attach an event handler that calls the refetch method.
    const handleClick = () => {
      refetch(); // Manually trigger data fetching
    };
    
    return (
      <button onClick={handleClick}>Fetch Data</button>
    );

Advanced Considerations

In more complex scenarios, you might need conditional queries or serial queries. React-Query allows you to create dependent queries by passing a function to the enabled option that returns a boolean. This way, a query will only execute when certain conditions are met.

Enhancing Your Workflow with Repeato

While managing server state is a crucial part of developing robust applications, ensuring that your app functions correctly is equally important. Repeato, a no-code test automation tool, can help streamline your testing process. Designed for iOS and Android, Repeato leverages computer vision and AI to create, run, and maintain automated tests efficiently. This makes it particularly effective for testing scenarios like button-triggered data fetching, ensuring your app’s UI behaves as expected in real-world conditions.

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