How to Prevent Losing Context Data on Page Refresh in React Applications

Discover how to maintain context data on page refresh in your React app using params or query strings, enhancing user experience and ensuring data persistence.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/73495816/ asked by the user '09eric09' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/11224101/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/73495872/ provided by the user 'Hao.Le' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/17662137/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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How to Prevent Losing Context Data on Page Refresh in React Applications

In modern web applications, it's common to face issues with data persistence, especially when navigating between pages or refreshing the browser. One problem that many developers encounter is losing context data on a page refresh in React applications. In this article, we'll explore this issue in detail, focusing on a specific scenario involving recipe data and how to effectively tackle the problem.

Understanding the Problem

Imagine you have a component displaying recipe data retrieved from an API. When a user clicks a button to view more details about a recipe, the application sends the recipe’s ID to React Context. However, upon refreshing the page, the context data is lost, resulting in a blank page devoid of the expected recipe details.

Here’s the Scenario:

A user selects a recipe using a button.

You utilize a function to send the recipe ID to your RecipeContext.

The user is then navigated to a new page displaying the recipe information.

This works perfectly until the user refreshes the page, leading to lost context data and an empty screen.

The Code Breakdown

Let's look closely at the relevant code snippets.

The Recipe Grid Component

Here's a simplified version of the code used to send the recipe ID and navigate to the info page:

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

Saving Context Data

You set the recipe ID in the context provider as follows:

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

The Recipe Info Page

When you retrieve the data on the RecipeInfoPage, you expect to find the recipe ID in the context:

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

The Solution: Using Params or Query Strings

Instead of relying on context to pass the recipe ID, we can utilize params or query strings to manage the data efficiently.

Step-by-Step Solution

Modify the Navigation Code:
Instead of setting the recipe ID in the context, we directly pass it in the URL:

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

Handle the Route:
Ensure your routing is set up to handle this parameter:

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

Fetch Data with Params:
In your component (e.g., RecipeInfoPage), use the useParams hook to retrieve the recipeId:

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

Advantages of This Approach

Persistent Data: By using URL parameters, your data remains accessible even after a page refresh.

Improved UX: Users can bookmark or share URLs that directly link to specific recipes.

Easier data fetching: No need to manage context state; your component directly accesses the required data.

Conclusion

By adopting URL parameters for passing data instead of relying on React Context, you can effectively solve the context data loss issue that occurs on page refresh. This method not only enhances user experience but also simplifies data management in your application.

Implement these changes in your React application to handle context data more effectively and provide your users with a seamless browsing experience.