Data types

parse data types in a react component introduction in the heart of parse core feature is the data objects management parse allows you to store and query its data straightforwardly using its sdks or apis (rest or graphql) all the data object features are built using the parse object parse object class, which fields may contain key value pairs of several json compatible data types the primary data types that can be assigned to the object fields are the following number number integer (42) or floating point (42 5) numbers, as long as ‘ ’ is the decimal separator; boolean boolean true or false values; string string a string that can be as long as 2147483647 characters be aware that values this huge will slow down data operations; datetime datetime datetime datetime objects stored in utc format as default if you need to use another timezone, conversion should be done manually; array array an array containing data in any parse compatible data object a json object also containing any parse data when available in sdk, an include() include() call will bring details from the object property when you choose to use the array type, we recommend keeping array objects small as this can affect your data operations’ overall performance our recommendation is to use the array type if it does not exceed 20 elements and does not grow over time instead of the array type, you can use the pointer and relations types as an alternative in this guide, you will learn how to store data in each of the basic data types listed above you will build a product registration component on react, which will show you how to format, convert and save data to your parse server in react parse also offers the datatypes geopoint geopoint to use the power of geolocation resources, and the parse specific relational data using the types pointer pointer or relation relation you will see both covered in the next following guides prerequisites to complete this tutorial, you will need a react app created and connected to back4app if you want to test/use the screen layout provided by this guide, you should set up the ant design ant design library goal to understand the parse compatible basic data types, and to store each data type on parse from a react component 1 the product creation component let’s first create the component structure let’s make it simple and create a form screen with one text input to each data type, one checkbox, and a submit button to save the object these inputs will collect your product product field values name ( string string ), quantity ( number number ), price ( number number ), available ( boolean boolean ), expiration date ( datetime datetime ), and categories( array array ) also, you will save an additional object object type field in your saving method as well, but this one won’t need an input field create a separate component in a file called productcreation js/productcreation tsx productcreation js/productcreation tsx including the following code, or add it to your main application file ( app js/app tsx app js/app tsx ) you can use this layout with complete stylings using ant design ant design and adding the css code to your app css app css file or set up your own custom form productcreation js 1 import react, { usestate } from 'react'; 2 import parse from 'parse/dist/parse min js'; 3 import ' /app css'; 4 import { button, checkbox, input } from 'antd'; 5 import { plusoutlined } from '@ant design/icons'; 6 7 export const productcreation = () => { 8 // state variables 9 const \[productname, setproductname] = usestate(''); 10 const \[productquantity, setproductquantity] = usestate(''); 11 const \[productprice, setproductprice] = usestate(''); 12 const \[productavailable, setproductavailable] = usestate(false); 13 const \[productexpirationdate, setproductexpirationdate] = usestate(''); 14 const \[productcategories, setproductcategories] = usestate(''); 15 16 return ( 17 \<div> 18 \<div classname="header"> 19 \<img 20 classname="header logo" 21 alt="back4app logo" 22 src={ 23 'https //blog back4app com/wp content/uploads/2019/05/back4app white logo 500px png' 24 } 25 /> 26 \<p classname="header text bold">{'react on back4app'}\</p> 27 \<p classname="header text">{'product creation'}\</p> 28 \</div> 29 \<div classname="container"> 30 {/ product field inputs /} 31 \<div classname="flex between"> 32 \<h2 classname="list heading">available?\</h2> 33 \<checkbox 34 onchange={(e) => setproductavailable(e target checked)} 35 >\</checkbox> 36 \</div> 37 \<div classname="form wrapper"> 38 \<input 39 classname="form input" 40 value={productname} 41 onchange={(event) => setproductname(event target value)} 42 placeholder="name" 43 size="large" 44 /> 45 \<input 46 classname="form input" 47 value={productquantity} 48 onchange={(event) => setproductquantity(event target value)} 49 placeholder="quantity" 50 size="large" 51 /> 52 \<input 53 classname="form input" 54 value={productprice} 55 onchange={(event) => setproductprice(event target value)} 56 placeholder="price" 57 size="large" 58 /> 59 \<input 60 classname="form input" 61 value={productexpirationdate} 62 onchange={(event) => setproductexpirationdate(event target value)} 63 placeholder="expiration date (mm/dd/yyyy)" 64 size="large" 65 /> 66 \<input 67 classname="form input" 68 value={productcategories} 69 onchange={(event) => setproductcategories(event target value)} 70 placeholder="categories (separated by comma)" 71 size="large" 72 /> 73 {/ add product button /} 74 \<button 75 type="primary" 76 classname="form button" 77 color={'#208aec'} 78 size={'large'} 79 onclick={createproduct} 80 icon={\<plusoutlined />} 81 > 82 create product 83 \</button> 84 \</div> 85 \</div> 86 \</div> 87 ); 88 }; productcreation tsx 1 import react, { usestate, fc, reactelement } from 'react'; 2 import ' /app css'; 3 import { button, checkbox, input } from 'antd'; 4 import { plusoutlined } from '@ant design/icons'; 5 const parse = require('parse/dist/parse min js'); 6 7 export const productcreation fc<{}> = () reactelement => { 8 // state variables 9 const \[productname, setproductname] = usestate(''); 10 const \[productquantity, setproductquantity] = usestate(''); 11 const \[productprice, setproductprice] = usestate(''); 12 const \[productavailable, setproductavailable] = usestate(false); 13 const \[productexpirationdate, setproductexpirationdate] = usestate(''); 14 const \[productcategories, setproductcategories] = usestate(''); 15 16 const createproduct = async function () promise\<boolean> { 17 try { 18 // these values come from state variables 19 // convert data values to corresponding data types 20 const productnamevalue string = productname; 21 const productquantityvalue number = number(productquantity); 22 const productpricevalue number = number(productprice); 23 const productavailablevalue boolean = productavailable; 24 const productexpirationdatevalue date = new date(productexpirationdate); 25 const productcategoriesvalue string\[] = productcategories split(','); 26 27 // creates a new product parse object instance 28 let product parse object = new parse object('product'); 29 30 // set data to parse object 31 product set('name', productnamevalue); 32 product set('quantity', productquantityvalue); 33 product set('price', productpricevalue); 34 product set('available', productavailablevalue); 35 product set('expirationdate', productexpirationdatevalue); 36 product set('categories', productcategoriesvalue); 37 product set('completedata', { 38 name productnamevalue, 39 quantity productquantityvalue, 40 price productpricevalue, 41 available productavailablevalue, 42 expirationdate productexpirationdatevalue, 43 categories productcategoriesvalue, 44 }); 45 46 // after setting the values, save it on the server 47 try { 48 let savedproduct parse object = await product save(); 49 // success 50 alert(`success! ${json stringify(savedproduct)}`); 51 return true; 52 } catch (error) { 53 // error can be caused by lack of internet connection 54 alert(`error! ${error message}`); 55 return false; 56 } 57 } catch (error any) { 58 // error can be caused by wrong type of values in fields 59 alert(`error! ${error message}`); 60 return false; 61 } 62 }; 63 64 return ( 65 \<div> 66 \<div classname="header"> 67 \<img 68 classname="header logo" 69 alt="back4app logo" 70 src={ 71 'https //blog back4app com/wp content/uploads/2019/05/back4app white logo 500px png' 72 } 73 /> 74 \<p classname="header text bold">{'react on back4app'}\</p> 75 \<p classname="header text">{'product creation'}\</p> 76 \</div> 77 \<div classname="container"> 78 {/ product field inputs /} 79 \<div classname="flex between"> 80 \<h2 classname="list heading">available?\</h2> 81 \<checkbox 82 onchange={(e) => setproductavailable(e target checked)} 83 >\</checkbox> 84 \</div> 85 \<div classname="form wrapper"> 86 \<input 87 classname="form input" 88 value={productname} 89 onchange={(event) => setproductname(event target value)} 90 placeholder="name" 91 size="large" 92 /> 93 \<input 94 classname="form input" 95 value={productquantity} 96 onchange={(event) => setproductquantity(event target value)} 97 placeholder="quantity" 98 size="large" 99 /> 100 \<input 101 classname="form input" 102 value={productprice} 103 onchange={(event) => setproductprice(event target value)} 104 placeholder="price" 105 size="large" 106 /> 107 \<input 108 classname="form input" 109 value={productexpirationdate} 110 onchange={(event) => setproductexpirationdate(event target value)} 111 placeholder="expiration date (mm/dd/yyyy)" 112 size="large" 113 /> 114 \<input 115 classname="form input" 116 value={productcategories} 117 onchange={(event) => setproductcategories(event target value)} 118 placeholder="categories (separated by comma)" 119 size="large" 120 /> 121 {/ add product button /} 122 \<button 123 type="primary" 124 classname="form button" 125 color={'#208aec'} 126 size={'large'} 127 onclick={createproduct} 128 icon={\<plusoutlined />} 129 > 130 create product 131 \</button> 132 \</div> 133 \</div> 134 \</div> 135 ); 136 }; 1 html { 2 box sizing border box; 3 outline none; 4 overflow auto; 5 } 6 7 , 8 before, 9 after { 10 margin 0; 11 padding 0; 12 box sizing inherit; 13 } 14 15 h1, 16 h2, 17 h3, 18 h4, 19 h5, 20 h6 { 21 margin 0; 22 } 23 24 p { 25 margin 0; 26 } 27 28 body { 29 margin 0; 30 background color #fff; 31 } 32 33 container { 34 width 100%; 35 max width 600px; 36 margin auto; 37 padding 20px 0; 38 } 39 40 header { 41 align items center; 42 padding 25px 0; 43 background color #208aec; 44 } 45 46 header logo { 47 height 55px; 48 margin bottom 20px; 49 object fit contain; 50 } 51 52 header text bold { 53 margin bottom 3px; 54 color rgba(255, 255, 255, 0 9); 55 font size 16px; 56 font weight bold; 57 } 58 59 header text { 60 color rgba(255, 255, 255, 0 9); 61 font size 15px; 62 } 63 64 flex between { 65 display flex; 66 align items center; 67 justify content space between; 68 } 69 70 list heading { 71 font weight bold; 72 } 73 74 form wrapper { 75 margin top 20px; 76 margin bottom 10px; 77 } 78 79 form input { 80 margin bottom 20px; 81 } 82 83 form button { 84 width 100%; 85 } after setting up this screen, your application should look like this note that each product product attribute has its text input field, except for the boolean checkbox input, meaning that the data in them needs conversion to the corresponding data type before saving 2 converting input data before saving your data to the parse object parse object , you need to correctly format the number number , datetime datetime , and array array inputs let’s now create a saving function, which will retrieve data from your state variables and apply the suitable data conversion productcreation js 1 const createproduct = async function () { 2 try { 3 // these values come from state variables 4 // convert data values to corresponding data types 5 const productnamevalue = productname; 6 const productquantityvalue = number(productquantity); 7 const productpricevalue = number(productprice); 8 const productavailablevalue = productavailable; 9 const productexpirationdatevalue = new date(productexpirationdate); 10 const productcategoriesvalue = productcategories split(','); 11 } catch (error) { 12 // error can be caused by wrong type of values in fields 13 alert(`error! ${error message}`); 14 return false; 15 } 16 }; productcreation tsx 1 const createproduct = async function () promise\<boolean> { 2 try { 3 // these values come from state variables 4 // convert data values to corresponding data types 5 const productnamevalue string = productname; 6 const productquantityvalue number = number(productquantity); 7 const productpricevalue number = number(productprice); 8 const productavailablevalue boolean = productavailable; 9 const productexpirationdatevalue date = new date(productexpirationdate); 10 const productcategoriesvalue string\[] = productcategories split(','); 11 } catch (error any) { 12 // error can be caused by wrong type of values in fields 13 alert(`error! ${error message}`); 14 return false; 15 } 16 }; the number number data conversion is done casting the value as a number number javascript object datetime datetime is converted using the date date javascript object constructor; the array array one is created by using the string split string split method in javascript, creating an array containing each entry of the categories field separated by commas note that your data is now contained inside a single object, which can be set in a new p arse object arse object instance to be saved to the server using the parse object set() parse object set() method, which takes two arguments the field name and the value to be set let’s also set a new field called completedata completedata , which will be your object object type field, assigning the same data object to it go ahead and complete the createproduct createproduct function with the following productcreation js 1 const createproduct = async function () { 2 try { 3 // these values come from state variables 4 // convert data values to corresponding data types 5 const productnamevalue = productname; 6 const productquantityvalue = number(productquantity); 7 const productpricevalue = number(productprice); 8 const productavailablevalue = productavailable; 9 const productexpirationdatevalue = new date(productexpirationdate); 10 const productcategoriesvalue = productcategories split(','); 11 12 // creates a new product parse object instance 13 let product = new parse object('product'); 14 15 // set data to parse object 16 product set('name', productnamevalue); 17 product set('quantity', productquantityvalue); 18 product set('price', productpricevalue); 19 product set('available', productavailablevalue); 20 product set('expirationdate', productexpirationdatevalue); 21 product set('categories', productcategoriesvalue); 22 product set('completedata', { 23 name productnamevalue, 24 quantity productquantityvalue, 25 price productpricevalue, 26 available productavailablevalue, 27 expirationdate productexpirationdatevalue, 28 categories productcategoriesvalue, 29 }); 30 31 // after setting the values, save it on the server 32 try { 33 let savedproduct = await product save(); 34 // success 35 alert(`success! ${json stringify(savedproduct)}`); 36 return true; 37 } catch (error) { 38 // error can be caused by lack of internet connection 39 alert(`error! ${error message}`); 40 return false; 41 } 42 } catch (error) { 43 // error can be caused by wrong type of values in fields 44 alert(`error! ${error message}`); 45 return false; 46 } 47 }; productcreation tsx 1 const createproduct = async function () promise\<boolean> { 2 try { 3 // these values come from state variables 4 // convert data values to corresponding data types 5 const productnamevalue string = productname; 6 const productquantityvalue number = number(productquantity); 7 const productpricevalue number = number(productprice); 8 const productavailablevalue boolean = productavailable; 9 const productexpirationdatevalue date = new date(productexpirationdate); 10 const productcategoriesvalue string\[] = productcategories split(','); 11 12 // creates a new product parse object instance 13 let product parse object = new parse object('product'); 14 15 // set data to parse object 16 product set('name', productnamevalue); 17 product set('quantity', productquantityvalue); 18 product set('price', productpricevalue); 19 product set('available', productavailablevalue); 20 product set('expirationdate', productexpirationdatevalue); 21 product set('categories', productcategoriesvalue); 22 product set('completedata', { 23 name productnamevalue, 24 quantity productquantityvalue, 25 price productpricevalue, 26 available productavailablevalue, 27 expirationdate productexpirationdatevalue, 28 categories productcategoriesvalue, 29 }); 30 31 // after setting the values, save it on the server 32 try { 33 let savedproduct parse object = await product save(); 34 // success 35 alert(`success! ${json stringify(savedproduct)}`); 36 return true; 37 } catch (error any) { 38 // error can be caused by lack of internet connection 39 alert(`error! ${error message}`); 40 return false; 41 }; 42 } catch (error any) { 43 // error can be caused by wrong type of values in fields 44 alert(`error! ${error message}`); 45 return false; 46 } 47 }; you can now test the component, inserting the createproduct createproduct function in it, and calling it inside your form submit button onclick onclick property after creating a product, you should see an alert containing its data like this to certify that your data was saved on the server using the correct data types, you can look at your parse dashboard click on the product product data table and note that every column has its data type written at the header your class should look like this conclusion at the end of this guide, you learned how to save each of the basic data types available on parse using a react component in the next guide, you will learn about the relational data on parse