How to Use React Hooks Inside a React Class Component?

Discover a simple solution to use `React hooks` in your traditional React class components, ensuring your application's authentication flows smoothly.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/63525070/ asked by the user 'Subodh Joshi' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/476828/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/63525470/ provided by the user 'Keith' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/6870228/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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: How to use React hook in a react class?

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
How to Use React Hooks Inside a React Class Component?

If you're diving into the world of React, you might have stumbled upon the concept of hooks. They provide a powerful way to use state and other React features without writing a class. However, you might ask yourself: "Can I use hooks inside a class component?" The straightforward answer is no. But don't worry; there is a solution for this scenario.

The Challenge: Using Hooks in Class Components

In this instance, you aim to use a hook — specifically, the useKeycloak hook for handling user authentication — directly in a class-based component. The challenge arises because React does not allow hooks in class components. So how can we work around it?

Example Scenario

You need to verify whether a user is logged in before proceeding with actions like submitting a form or handling trade calls in your Posts class component. The traditional approach of using hooks won't apply here, but let's break down a feasible solution.

The Solution: Create a Functional Component

The best approach is to create a wrapper functional component that utilizes the hook and then use that within your class component. Here’s how you can do it step-by-step:

Step 1: Create the Functional Wrapper Component

First, create a component that will wrap around your logic for using the hook. This component will take a callback function as a prop and utilize the useAuthenticatedCallback that checks for user authentication.

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

Step 2: Use the Wrapper Component in Your Class

Within your class component, you can integrate the AuthenticatedCallback component. Here's how you can do that:

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

Breaking It Down

Functional Component: AuthenticatedCallback is created to allow for the hooks to be used within it.

Props: You pass your own logic as callbackFn into AuthenticatedCallback for logic that requires user authentication.

Children as Function: This uses the functional pattern with props.children, allowing you to access the authenticatedCallback directly in your class component.

Conclusion

Though hooks can't be used directly in class components, this approach allows you to achieve similar functionality by wrapping your logic within a functional component. The wrapper component effectively manages authentication while giving you access to the necessary callback within your class structure.

With this solution, you can now ensure your class components leverage the power of hooks without sacrificing the benefits of React's class-based paradigm. Happy coding!