@gadgetinc/client-hooks

Client Hooks

This package contains shared implementations of core hooks used in React/Preact libraries for Gadget applications. @gadgetinc/client-hooks provides framework-agnostic hook implementations that are consumed by framework-specific packages like @gadgetinc/react and @gadgetinc/preact.

Note that developers shouldn't need to use this package directly and should instead use their generated client plus framework-specific binding packages like @gadgetinc/react.

Overview

@gadgetinc/client-hooks is designed with a runtime adapter pattern that allows the same hook logic to work across different UI frameworks (React, Preact, etc.). The package exports:

• Core hook implementations for querying and mutating Gadget APIs
• A RuntimeAdapter interface that framework-specific packages implement
• A registration system via registerClientHooks to bind hooks to a specific framework

Architecture

The library uses an adapter pattern to remain framework-agnostic:

interface RuntimeAdapter {
  GadgetApiContext: Context<GadgetApiContext>;
  framework: FrameworkBindings; // useState, useEffect, useMemo, etc.
  urql: UrqlBindings; // useQuery, useMutation
}

Framework-specific packages (like @gadgetinc/react) provide an adapter implementation that maps to their framework's primitives, then call registerClientHooks to initialize the hooks with that adapter.

Available Hooks

Query Hooks

• useFindOne - Fetch a single record by ID
• useMaybeFindOne - Fetch a single record by ID, returning null if not found
• useFindMany - Fetch a page of records with filtering, sorting, and pagination
• useFindFirst - Fetch the first record matching criteria
• useMaybeFindFirst - Fetch the first record matching criteria, returning null if not found
• useFindBy - Fetch a record by a unique field value
• useGet - Fetch a singleton record (e.g., current session)
• useView - Fetch records from a backend view

Mutation Hooks

• useAction - Run an action on a model record (create, update, delete, etc.)
• useBulkAction - Run an action on multiple records at once
• useGlobalAction - Run a global action

Utility Hooks

• useFetch - Make HTTP requests to backend routes
• useEnqueue - Enqueue background actions
• useQuery - Low-level GraphQL query hook
• useMutation - Low-level GraphQL mutation hook
• useApi - Access the Gadget API client instance
• useConnection - Access the Gadget connection instance
• useCoreImplementation - Access the core implementation details

How Framework Packages Use This

Framework-specific packages like @gadgetinc/react follow this pattern:

• Import hooks and utilities from @gadgetinc/client-hooks
• Create a RuntimeAdapter implementation for their framework
• Create a Provider component that calls registerClientHooks
• Re-export the hooks for end users

Example:

import { registerClientHooks, useAction, useFindMany } from "@gadgetinc/client-hooks";
import { useContext, useMemo /* ... */ } from "react";
import { useQuery, useMutation } from "urql";

// Create adapter for React
const adapter: RuntimeAdapter = {
  framework: { useContext, useMemo /* ... */ },
  urql: { useQuery, useMutation, Provider },
  GadgetApiContext: createContext(/* ... */),
};

// Provider component initializes the hooks
export const Provider = ({ api, children }) => {
  const { gadgetClient, urqlClient } = registerClientHooks(api, adapter);
  // ... render provider with context
};

// Re-export hooks for users
export { useAction, useFindMany /* ... */ };

For Gadget Developers

This package is designed to reduce code duplication between React and Preact (and potentially other frameworks). When adding new functionality:

• Implement the hook logic once in @gadgetinc/client-hooks
• Use the RuntimeAdapter for any framework-specific calls
• Export the hook from the package
• Re-export from framework packages like @gadgetinc/react

The hook registration system uses a stub pattern where hooks throw helpful errors if called outside a proper Provider context, then get replaced with real implementations once registerClientHooks is called.