Simplifying Complex Forms: A Guide to Using Formik and React Query
The Ubiquity of Forms
Forms are an essential element of the web, and their importance cannot be overstated. In finance applications, the success of a form can make all the difference between a profitable outcome and a disappointing one. According to the Baymard Research Institute, a staggering 22% of users abandon their purchases during checkout due to overly long or complex processes. To maximize the impact of a form, simplicity is key.
The Power of Multi-Step Wizards
One effective way to simplify complex forms is by employing multi-step wizards. These wizards break down challenging tasks into manageable steps, sometimes using conditional logic to guide the user’s path. By doing so, they significantly reduce cognitive overload and increase user understanding of what is required.
Introducing Formik: A Small but Mighty Library
Formik is a lightweight library that makes form management a breeze. Created by Jared Palmer, Formik standardizes the flow of data through forms while minimizing the impact on input components. Its benefits include:
- Declarative form management that abstracts away mundane tasks
- Familiar and intuitive forms that leverage React and HTML form practices
- Compatibility with various state management solutions
Why Formik is Ideal for Multi-Step Wizards
Formik is an excellent fit for building multi-step wizards due to its ability to keep form state localized and managed. Its benefits include:
- Well-documented and easily referenced
- Easy maintenance of singular context in app development
- Leverages practices already employed in building HTML forms
Managing Server State with React Query
React Query is a powerful library that simplifies fetching, caching, synchronizing, and updating server state in React applications. Its benefits include:
- Reduced code lines for trivial requests
- Improved application performance by saving bandwidth and memory
- Decoupling layer for remote calls, supporting both REST and GraphQL requests
Building a Concept Crypto Portfolio Management Wizard
To illustrate the benefits of Formik and React Query, let’s build a small proof-of-concept application. We’ll create a React app that allows users to add cryptocurrencies and specify third-party marketplaces, providing API tokens for each selected marketplace.
Creating the Wizard Screens
We’ll start by setting up the React project, installing dependencies, and creating the necessary components. Our wizard screens will include:
- AddName screen: allows users to input their name
- SelectCrypto screen: enables users to select cryptocurrencies and associated marketplaces
- AddKey screen: allows users to update keys for selected marketplaces
Using Formik and React Query
We’ll utilize Formik to manage our form state and React Query to fetch data from our mock JSON server. We’ll create a custom router component to handle our wizard screens and implement a step indicator to provide visual progress updates.
Conclusion
Formik and React Query are powerful tools that can help React engineers create consistent solutions to recurring problems. By leveraging these libraries, we can simplify complex forms and improve the overall user experience. Explore the full source code on GitHub and start building your own wizard applications today!