Can my empty TextInput value be sent to the DataProvider as empty string instead of converted to null?

Question

I'm using a <TextInput> in a <SimpleForm> and when I clear out the value at runtime, react-admin sets the property's value to null when it sends the values to the DataProvider. I would like to store empty strings instead of null. Is that possible? If so, how?

Jesse

How do you clear the values at runtime? – Rebba

@MiguelAraya with empty strings replacing null values – Jesse

I was expecting some code, inside a FormDataConsumer? – Rebba

@MiguelAraya The value is being cleared out by the user (e.g. by deleting the text in the textbox), not by calling code – Jesse

Answer 1

You can use react-final-form parse prop for that (see https://final-form.org/docs/react-final-form/types/FieldProps#parse):

<TextInput
    source="author.name"
    parse={value => value}
/>

The default will convert empty string to undefined (see https://final-form.org/docs/final-form/faq#why-does-final-form-set-my--field-value-to-undefined) and react-admin convert those undefined values to null.

Peevish

Answer 2

Current version of react-admin allows you to change this behavior with sanitizeEmptyValues prop:

export const PostEdit = (props) => (
    <Edit {...props}>
        <SimpleForm sanitizeEmptyValues={false}>
            <TextInput source="title" />
            <JsonInput source="body" />
        </SimpleForm>
    </Edit>
);

More details in official docs: https://marmelab.com/react-admin/CreateEdit.html#setting-empty-values-to-null

Cointon

Answer 3

You can try to add initialValue="" prop into it, like

<TextInput initialValue="" />

Which will override it into an empty string when it is null or undefined

Hutson

That accomplishes something different – Jesse