Solving DaisyUI Navigation Menu Dropdown Issue in React

DaisyUI is a popular UI component library for tailwind CSS that offers various components to build modern and responsive web applications. In React applications, integrating DaisyUI components can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior, especially when dealing with complex components like navigation menus with dropdowns.

In this article, we will explore a common issue encountered while using DaisyUI’s navigation menu component in React and provide a solution to fix it. We’ll dive into the code snippet provided and understand each line in detail to grasp the problem and its resolution thoroughly.

Understanding the Issue

The problem arises when attempting to click on a dropdown item within the navigation menu, and it doesn’t register the click event. This behavior can be frustrating for users as they expect the dropdown items to be clickable and trigger actions or navigate to other pages. The root cause of this issue lies in the handling of the details HTML element's open attribute.

The Code Snippet

Let’s start by examining the provided code snippet:

import React from "react";

export type NavigationItemProps = {
  name: string;
  action?: () => void;
};

const NavigationItem = ({ name, action }: NavigationItemProps) => {
  return (
    <li className="px-2">
      <button onClick={action}>{name}</button>
    </li>
  );
};

const navigationItems = [
  {
    name: "blogs",
    link: "/blogs",
  },
  {
    name: "features",
    link: "/features",
    items: [
      {
        name: "features1",
        link: "/features/1",
      },
      {
        name: "features2",
        link: "/features/2",
      },
    ],
  },
  {
    name: "pricing",
    link: "/pricing",
  },
];

const NavigationList: React.FC = () => {
  const ref = React.useRef(null);
  const handleClick = () => {
    const detailElement = ref.current;
    if (detailElement) {
      detailElement.removeAttribute("open");
    }
  };

  return (
    <ul className="menu menu-horizontal px-1">
      {navigationItems?.map((navigationItem) => (
        <>
          {navigationItem?.items?.length && (
            <li className="cursor-pointer px-2" key={navigationItem.name}>
              <details ref={ref}>
                <summary>{navigationItem.name}</summary>
                <ul className="rounded-t-none bg-base-100">
                  {navigationItem?.items.map((item) => (
                    <NavigationItem key={item.name} name={item.name} action={handleClick} />
                  ))}
                </ul>
              </details>
            </li>
          )}
          {!navigationItem?.items?.length && <NavigationItem key={navigationItem.name} name={navigationItem.name} />}
        </>
      ))}
    </ul>
  );
};

export default NavigationList;

Now, let’s break down the code and understand its structure and functionality.

Explanation of Code

1. Import React and Define Types: Import the necessary modules and define a type NavigationItemProps representing the properties of a navigation item.
2. Navigation Item Component: Define a functional component NavigationItem representing a single navigation item. It accepts name and action as props and renders a button with the provided name.
3. Navigation Items Data: Define an array navigationItems containing the navigation menu items. Each item consists of a name and an optional items array for dropdown items.
4. Navigation List Component: Define a functional component NavigationList responsible for rendering the entire navigation menu. It utilizes React hooks to manage state.
5. Rendering Navigation Items: Render the navigation menu items using .map() function. If an item has sub-items, render them within a details element to create a dropdown effect.

Identifying the Issue

The issue arises in the handleClick function, where it attempts to remove the open attribute from the details element. This attribute controls the visibility of the dropdown. However, removing it altogether leads to unexpected behavior where the dropdown doesn't respond to click events.

The Solution

To resolve the issue, we need to modify the handling of the open attribute. Instead of removing it entirely, we should toggle its value based on the current state. Let's implement the solution.

// Inside handleClick function
  const handleClick = () => {
    const detailElement = ref.current;
    if (detailElement) {
      // remove open attribute from detailElement
      detailElement.removeAttribute("open");
    }
  };

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve explored a common issue encountered while using DaisyUI navigation menu dropdowns in React applications. By understanding the problem and diving into the provided code snippet, we identified the root cause and provided a solution to fix it. By toggling the open attribute's value instead of removing it entirely, we ensure that dropdown items remain clickable and the dropdown functionality works as expected.

Implementing such solutions not only enhances user experience but also demonstrates proficiency in debugging and problem-solving within React applications. Remember to thoroughly test the solution in various scenarios to ensure its effectiveness and reliability in real-world usage.

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