Lesson 5 - Create BookList.jsx Component

Creating BookList.jsx Component

Next, write a React child component code named "BookList.jsx" to display book contents with fetched data and query.

// BookList.jsx
// Import necessary libraries
import React from 'react';
import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
import 'bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css';

const BookList = ({ books, query }) => {
  return (
    <div className="mt-4">
      {/* Heading to show the current search query */}
      <h3 className="text-center">Book Search Results for "{query}"</h3>

      {/* Check if books are available */}
      {books.length > 0 ? (
        <div className="row">
          {books.map((book) => (
            <div key={book.id} className="col-md-4 mb-4">
              <div className="card h-100">
                <div className="card-body">
                  {/* Display book title */}
                  <h5 className="card-title">{book.volumeInfo.title || 'No Title Available'}</h5>

                  {/* Display book authors */}
                  <p className="card-text">
                    <strong>Authors:</strong>{' '}
                    {book.volumeInfo.authors ? book.volumeInfo.authors.join(', ') : 'Unknown'}
                  </p>

                  {/* Display book description */}
                  <p className="card-text">
                    <strong>Description:</strong>{' '}
                    {book.volumeInfo.description
                      ? book.volumeInfo.description.substring(0, 100) + '...'
                      : 'No Description Available'}
                  </p>

                  {/* Display book publisher */}
                  <p className="card-text">
                    <strong>Publisher:</strong>{' '}
                    {book.volumeInfo.publisher || 'Unknown'}
                  </p>
                </div>
              </div>
            </div>
          ))}
        </div>
      ) : (
        <p className="text-center">No books found for "{query}"</p>
      )}
    </div>
  );
};

// Define PropTypes for the component
BookList.propTypes = {
  books: PropTypes.arrayOf(
    PropTypes.shape({
      id: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
      volumeInfo: PropTypes.shape({
        title: PropTypes.string,
        authors: PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.string),
        description: PropTypes.string,
        publisher: PropTypes.string,
      }).isRequired,
    })
  ).isRequired,
  query: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
};

export default BookList;

Explanation of BookList.jsx Code Structure

The BookList component is designed to display a list of books fetched from the API along with the query used. Here's the step-by-step explanation:

---

1. Importing Libraries

import React from 'react';
import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
import 'bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css';

• React: Core library for creating React components.

• PropTypes: Ensures the props passed to the component are valid and well-defined.

• Bootstrap: Provides styling for the layout and components.

---

2. Component Declaration

const BookList = ({ books, query }) => {

• Props:

  • books: An array of book objects fetched from the API.

  • query: The current search term entered by the user.

---

3. Display Book Query Search Results

<h3 className="text-center">Results for "{query}"</h3>

• Purpose:

  • Displays the current search query to inform the user of the context.

---

4. Conditional Rendering

{books.length > 0 ? (
  // Render book cards if books are available
) : (
  <p className="text-center">No books found for "{query}"</p>
)}

• If books exist:

  • Render a list of book cards dynamically using map.

• If no books are found:

  • Show a user-friendly message.

---

5. Rendering Book Information

<div className="row">
  {books.map((book) => (
    <div key={book.id} className="col-md-4 mb-4">
      <div className="card h-100">
        <div className="card-body">
          <h5 className="card-title">{book.volumeInfo.title || 'No Title Available'}</h5>
          <p className="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> {book.volumeInfo.authors ? book.volumeInfo.authors.join(', ') : 'Unknown'}</p>
          <p className="card-text"><strong>Description:</strong> {book.volumeInfo.description ? book.volumeInfo.description.substring(0, 100) + '...' : 'No Description Available'}</p>
          <p className="card-text"><strong>Publisher:</strong> {book.volumeInfo.publisher || 'Unknown'}</p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  ))}
</div>

• map Function:

  • Iterates over the books array to dynamically generate a Bootstrap card for each book.

• Book Details:

  • Title: Displays the book's title or a fallback message.

  • Authors: Joins the list of authors or displays "Unknown".

  • Description: Shows the first 100 characters of the description with a fallback.

  • Publisher: Displays the publisher or "Unknown".

  • Search Result Style: modify

    col-md-6

---

6. Prop Validation

BookList.propTypes = {
  books: PropTypes.arrayOf(
    PropTypes.shape({
      id: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
      volumeInfo: PropTypes.shape({
        title: PropTypes.string,
        authors: PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.string),
        description: PropTypes.string,
        publisher: PropTypes.string,
      }).isRequired,
    })
  ).isRequired,
  query: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
};

• Purpose:

  • Validates the structure and types of books and query props to prevent runtime errors.

• Details:

  • books is an array of objects with a defined structure.

  • query is a string and must be provided.

---

7. Exporting the Component

export default BookList;

• Purpose:

  • Makes the BookList component reusable in other parts of the app.

---

Key Takeaways for Students:

1. Dynamic Rendering:

   • Use the map function to generate a list of items dynamically.

   • Handle missing or undefined data gracefully with fallback values.

2. Conditional Logic:

   • Use conditional rendering to display appropriate content when data is unavailable.

3. Prop Validation:

   • Use PropTypes to ensure data passed to components meets the expected format.

4. Styling with Bootstrap:

   • Quickly style components using Bootstrap classes for layout and spacing.

This component is ready to integrate into the parent AppBookShelf.jsx. Let me know if you need further explanation or want to proceed with the next child component!

Challenge :

• Add "Read More" button to get the full description about the book when clicked by creating a new component "ReadMore.jsx"

• Implement a react child component named "ReadMore.jsx" to show the full description of the book selected when clicked "Read More" button and when clicked "Close" button, go back to the previous state.

// Code Snippet in BookList.jsx
{/* Display book description */}
                  <p className="card-text">
                    <strong>Description:</strong>{' '}
                    {book.volumeInfo.description ? (
                      <ReadMore text={book.volumeInfo.description} />
                    ) : (
                      'No Description Available'
                    )}
                  </p>