useServerAction

The useServerAction hook simplifies server action management in Next.js client components. It uses SWR for efficient data fetching, offers conditional execution, and provides easy access to loading states, errors, and data. This TypeScript-friendly hook streamlines the process of integrating server actions into React components with minimal boilerplate.

Usage

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"use client";

import { useEffect, useState } from "react";

import useServerAction from "@/hooks/use-server-action";

export default function Example({ name }: { name: string }) {
  const [shouldFetch, setShouldFetch] = useState(false);
  const { data, error, isLoading, mutate } = useServerAction(
    async () => {
      return `Hello ${name}!`;
    },
    [name],
    { shouldFetch }
  );

  // Refresh the data every second
  useEffect(() => {
    const interval = setInterval(() => {
      mutate();
    }, 1000);

    return () => clearInterval(interval);
  }, [mutate]);

  // Conditionally control whether to start fetching the data
  useEffect(() => {
    const timer = setTimeout(() => {
      setShouldFetch(true);
    }, 5000);

    return () => clearTimeout(timer);
  }, []);

  if (isLoading) {
    return <div>Loading...</div>;
  }

  if (error) {
    return <div>Error: {error.message}</div>;
  }

  return <div>{data}</div>;
}

Installation

With Persistence

By default, useServerAction operates purely in memory, and the cache is cleared when the tab is closed. To enable persistence across sessions, set the persist option to true.

When persistence is enabled, it modifies the behavior of SWR's isLoading state:

1. Initially, isLoading is set to true.
2. If cached data is available, isLoading is immediately set to false.
3. During the actual fetch, isLoading remains false. You should look at isValidating instead anyway.

This differs from SWR's default behavior, where isLoading only becomes false after the fetch is completed, regardless of cached data availability.

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const { data, isLoading } = useServerAction(
  async () => {
    return `Hello ${name}!`;
  },
  [name],
  { persist: true }
);