How to Use React Query with Router Query Parameters and Query Builders

React Router is a popular library used for client-side routing in React applications. It provides a simple way to navigate between pages in a single-page application (SPA) without reloading the entire page.

React Query, on the other hand, is a powerful library that simplifies data fetching and caching in React applications. In this article, we'll explore how to use React Router Query Parameters and React Query Builder to fetch and cache data based on dynamic URL parameters.

What are React Router Query Parameters?

React Router Query Parameters are dynamic URL parameters that can be used to pass data between pages in a React application. They are commonly used in e-commerce websites to display product information dynamically based on the ID passed through the URL. For example, if we have a product page that displays information about a particular product, we can use React Router Query Parameters to pass the product ID to the page.

How to Use React Router Query Parameters with React Query

To use React Router Query Parameters with React Query, we can leverage the useQuery hook from React Query. This hook allows us to fetch data and cache it based on a key, which can be generated from the React Router Query Parameters.

To generate a key based on React Router Query Parameters, we can use a query builder function. A query builder function takes the React Router Query Parameters as input and returns a string that can be used as the cache key for the useQuery hook.

Here's an example of how we can use React Router Query Parameters with React Query and a query builder function:

import { useQuery } from 'react-query';

import { useLocation } from 'react-router-dom';

function getProduct(id) {

// Fetch product data based on the ID

}

function useProduct() {

const location = useLocation();

const { search } = location;

const key = ['product', search];

return useQuery(key, () => getProduct(search));

}

function ProductPage() {

const { isLoading, data } = useProduct();

if (isLoading) {

return <div>Loading...</div>;

}

return (

<div>

<h1>{data.name}</h1>

<p>{data.description}</p>

</div>

);

}

In the example above, we define a getProduct function that fetches product data based on the ID passed as an argument. We then define a useProduct hook that uses the useLocation hook from React Router to get the ID from the React Router Query Parameters. We then generate a cache key for the useQuery hook using the 'product' string and the React Router Query Parameters.

Finally, we use the useProduct hook in the ProductPage component to fetch and display the product data. If the data is still loading, we display a loading indicator. Once the data is loaded, we display the product name and description.

What is a React Query Builder?

A React Query Builder is a function that takes dynamic parameters and returns a cache key that can be used with the useQuery hook from React Query. It is commonly used in conjunction with React Router Query Parameters to generate a cache key based on the URL parameters.

How to Use a React Query Builder with React Router Query Parameters

To use a React Query Builder with React Router Query Parameters, we can define a function that takes the parameters from the URL and returns a cache key. This cache key can then be used with the useQuery hook to fetch and cache data based on the dynamic URL parameters.

Here's an example of how we can use a React Query Builder with React Router Query Parameters:

import { useQuery } from 'react-query';

import { useLocation } from 'react-router-dom';

function getProducts(category, filter) {

// Fetch products based on the category and filter

}

function useProducts() {

const location = useLocation();

const { search } = location;

const key = React.useMemo(() => ['products', search], [search]);

const queryBuilder = React.useCallback((category, filter) => {

return ['products', search, category, filter];

}, [search]);

const { category, filter } = React.useMemo(() => {

const params = new URLSearchParams(search);

return {

category: params.get('category') || 'all',

filter: params.get('filter') || 'all',

};

}, [search]);

return useQuery(key, () => getProducts(category, filter), {

queryFnParamsFilter: (params) => {

return queryBuilder(params.category, params.filter);

},

});

}

function ProductsPage() {

const { isLoading, data } = useProducts();

if (isLoading) {

return <div>Loading...</div>;

}

return (

<div>

<h1>Products</h1>

<ul>

{data.map((product) => (

<li key={product.id}>

<h2>{product.name}</h2>

<p>{product.description}</p>

</li>

))}

</ul>

</div>

);

}

In the example above, we define a getProducts function that fetches products based on the category and filter passed as arguments. We then define a useProducts hook that uses the useLocation hook from React Router to get the category and filter from the React Router Query Parameters. We then generate a cache key for the useQuery hook using the 'products' string and the React Router Query Parameters.

Next, we define a queryBuilder function that takes the category and filter as arguments and returns a cache key based on the React Router Query Parameters. We then use the useQuery hook to fetch and cache the data based on the cache key generated by the queryBuilder function.

Finally, we use the useProducts hook in the ProductsPage component to fetch and display the product data. If the data is still loading, we display a loading indicator. Once the data is loaded, we display a list of products with their name and description.

Conclusion

In this article, we explored how to use React Router Query Parameters and React Query Builder to fetch and cache data based on dynamic URL parameters. We saw how to use the useQuery hook from React Query to fetch and cache data based on a cache key generated from the React Router Query Parameters. We also saw how to use a React Query Builder to generate a cache key based on dynamic URL parameters and use it with the useQuery hook.

By using React Router Query Parameters and React Query Builder, we can simplify the process of fetching and caching data in React applications. This can lead to faster page loads and a better user experience for our users.

For more information checkout this React Query blog.