Lesson 6 - Create BookCard.jsx Component

Explanation and Step-by-Step Procedure for BookCard and BookList Integration

Step 1: Create BookCard.jsx

The BookCard component displays individual book details in a card layout.

Key Features of BookCard.jsx:

1. Props:

   • The book prop contains all the book details.

2. Two-Column Layout:

   • Left Column: Displays the book's thumbnail image.

   • Right Column: Shows the book title, authors, description, and published year.

3. Reusable Component:

   • Uses the ReadMore component for expandable descriptions.

4. Prop Validation:

   • Ensures that book prop matches the expected structure.

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Step 2: Modify BookList.jsx

Integrate the BookCard component into BookList for displaying each book's details.

Key Changes in BookList.jsx:

1. Import BookCard:

   import BookCard from './BookCard';

   • This allows BookList to use the BookCard component.

2. Replace Card Rendering Logic:

   {books.map((book) => (
     <BookCard key={book.id} book={book} />
   ))}

   • For each book, render a BookCard component and pass the book object as a prop.

3. Flexible Layout:

   • Books are displayed using a d-flex flex-wrap justify-content-center class for responsive alignment.

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How It Works Together

• BookList:

  • Iterates over the list of books and renders a BookCard for each.

• BookCard:

  • Takes a single book object and displays its content in a card layout.

• Advantages:

  • Reusability: The BookCard component can be reused in other contexts.

  • Separation of Concerns: Cleanly separates rendering logic for individual books.

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Benefits for Students

1. Component Hierarchy:

   • Understand how to compose larger components from smaller, reusable components.

2. Bootstrap Layout:

   • Learn to use d-flex and flex-wrap for responsive layouts.

3. Reusable Patterns:

   • Create modular components (BookCard) that simplify main component logic.

Step-by-Step Explanation of BookCard.jsx Implementation

The BookCard component displays detailed information about a book in a card-style layout.

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Step 1. Import Necessary Libraries

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

• React: Provides the base framework for building the component.

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

• Bootstrap: Provides ready-to-use styles for the layout.

• ReadMore: A component to manage expandable descriptions.

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Step 2. Destructure Props

const { title, authors, description, publishedDate, imageLinks } = book.volumeInfo;

• Extracts specific fields from the book.volumeInfo object for easy access.

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Step 3. BookCard Layout

<div className="card mb-3" style={{ maxWidth: '540px' }}>
  <div className="row g-0">
    {/* Left Column: Thumbnail */}
    <div className="col-md-4">
      <img
        src={imageLinks?.thumbnail || 'https://via.placeholder.com/128x200'}
        alt={title || 'No Thumbnail'}
        className="img-fluid rounded-start"
      />
    </div>

    {/* Right Column: Book Details */}
    <div className="col-md-8">
      <div className="card-body">
        <h5 className="card-title">{title || 'No Title Available'}</h5>
        <p className="card-text">
          <strong>Authors:</strong> {authors ? authors.join(', ') : 'Unknown'}
        </p>
        <p className="card-text">
          <strong>Description:</strong> {description ? <ReadMore text={description} /> : 'No Description Available'}
        </p>
        <p className="card-text">
          <small className="text-muted">
            <strong>Published Year:</strong> {publishedDate || 'Unknown'}
          </small>
        </p>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

• Left Column:

  • Displays the book's thumbnail image.

  • If the image is unavailable, a placeholder is used.

• Right Column:

  • Contains details such as title, authors, description, and published year.

  • Uses ReadMore for expandable descriptions.

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Step 4. Prop Validation

BookCard.propTypes = {
  book: PropTypes.shape({
    volumeInfo: PropTypes.shape({
      title: PropTypes.string,
      authors: PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.string),
      description: PropTypes.string,
      publishedDate: PropTypes.string,
      imageLinks: PropTypes.shape({
        thumbnail: PropTypes.string,
      }),
    }).isRequired,
  }).isRequired,
};

• Ensures the book prop contains all necessary fields with correct types.

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5. Export the Component

export default BookCard;

• Makes BookCard reusable across the application.

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Integration with BookList

• The BookList component uses BookCard to render individual book details.

• For each book in the list, a BookCard is created with the book object as a prop.

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Benefits for Students

1. Reusability:

   • The modular BookCard can be reused wherever book details need to be displayed.

2. Responsive Design:

   • The Bootstrap-based layout adapts to different screen sizes.

3. Clean Code:

   • Prop validation ensures better maintainability and error checking.

This implementation completes the integration of BookCard with the app.