React-native formik form refs are always null

Question

I have a component with an TextInput & Text :

const InputWithMessage = ({ label, formikProps, formikKey,ref, ...rest }) => {
  if (formikProps.touched[formikKey] && formikProps.errors[formikKey]) {
    styles.inputStyles.borderColor = 'red';
  }
  return (
    <View style={styles.inputStyles}>
      <TextField
        lineWidth={0}
        activeLineWidth={0}
        style={styles.textFieldStyles}
        label={label}
        ref={ref}
        tintColor={
          formikProps.touched[formikKey] && formikProps.errors[formikKey]
            ? colors.red
            : colors.primary
        }
        onChangeText={e => formikProps.setFieldValue(formikKey, e)}
        onBlur={formikProps.handleBlur(formikKey)}
        {...rest}
      /> .....  

This component is used in a formik form with refs to go from one input to another :

<View style={{width: '50%',marginRight: 1}}>
                    <InputWithMessage
                      formikProps={formikProps}
                      formikKey="firstName"
                      value={formikProps.values.firstName}
                      placeholder="Prénom*"
                      returnKeyType="next"
                      ref={this.firstName}
                      onSubmitEditing={() => {
                         this.birthName.current.focus()
                       }}
                      blurOnSubmit={false}
                      keyboardType='default'
                      autoFocus
                    /> ....  

I shove my refs like this in the constructor: this.birthName = React.createRef();

Except that my dreams are all the time null and so the focus can not be done...

any ideas?

Answer 1

I think your focus call is incorrect, you need to chain to root off of current.

so inside of your onSubmitEditing you need

this.birthName.current._root.focus();

Answer 2

You should set the same name.

this.birthName = React.createRef();
...
<TextField
ref={this.birthName}
...
/>
...
<InputWithMessage
...
onSubmitEditing={() => {
  this.birthName.current.focus()
}}
...
/>

Example Usage Example Link

import * as React from 'react';
import { Text, View, StyleSheet,TextInput,Button } from 'react-native';

export default class App extends React.Component {
  constructor(props) {
    super(props);
    this.textInput = React.createRef();
    this.textInput2 = React.createRef();
    this.focusTextInput = this.focusTextInput.bind(this);
  }

  focusTextInput() {

    this.textInput.current.focus();
  }

  render() {
    return (
      <View style={{flex:1,justifyContent:"center",alignItems:"center"}}>
          <TextInput ref={this.textInput} style={{width:"80%", height:30,backgroundColor:"blue",color:"#ffffff"}}/>
          <TextInput ref={this.textInput2} style={{width:"80%", height:30,backgroundColor:"red",color:"#ffffff"}}/>
          <Button title="focus button" onPress={this.focusTextInput}/>
      </View>
    );
  }
}

Use a regular callback ref when using React 16.3 or earlier.

constructor(props) {
    super(props);

    this.textInput = null;
    this.focusTextInput = () => {

      if (this.textInput) this.textInput.focus();
    };
}
   ....
<Text ref={ element => { this.textInput = element}} > </Text>
<Button title="Focus the text input"  onPress={this.focusTextInput} />

Answer 3

You should use innerRef instead of ref and aswell dont forget to use .current

Example

this.birthName.current._root.focus();