content/snippets/react/s/use-script.md
---
title: React useScript hook
type: snippet
language: react
tags: [hooks,effect,state,event]
cover: travel-mug-3
dateModified: 2021-10-08
---
Dynamically loads an external script.
- Use the `useState()` hook to create a state variable for the load status of the script.
- Use the `useEffect()` hook to handle all the logic for loading and unloading the script anytime the `src` changes.
- If no `src` value is present, set the `status` to `'idle'` and return.
- Use `Document.querySelector()` to check if a `<script>` element with the appropriate `src` value exists.
- If no relevant element exists, use `Document.createElement()` to create one and give it the appropriate attributes.
- Use the `data-status` attribute as a way to indicate the status of the script, setting it to `'loading'` initially.
- If a relevant element exists, skip initialization and update the `status` from its `data-status` attribute. This ensures that no duplicate element will be created.
- Use `EventTarget.addEventListener()` to listen for `'load'` and `'error'` events and handle them by updating the `data-status` attribute and the `status` state variable.
- Finally, when the component unmounts, use `Document.removeEventListener()` to remove any listeners bound to the element.
```jsx
const useScript = src => {
const [status, setStatus] = React.useState(src ? 'loading' : 'idle');
React.useEffect(() => {
if (!src) {
setStatus('idle');
return;
}
let script = document.querySelector(`script[src="${src}"]`);
if (!script) {
script = document.createElement('script');
script.src = src;
script.async = true;
script.setAttribute('data-status', 'loading');
document.body.appendChild(script);
const setDataStatus = event => {
script.setAttribute(
'data-status',
event.type === 'load' ? 'ready' : 'error'
);
};
script.addEventListener('load', setDataStatus);
script.addEventListener('error', setDataStatus);
} else {
setStatus(script.getAttribute('data-status'));
}
const setStateStatus = event => {
setStatus(event.type === 'load' ? 'ready' : 'error');
};
script.addEventListener('load', setStateStatus);
script.addEventListener('error', setStateStatus);
return () => {
if (script) {
script.removeEventListener('load', setStateStatus);
script.removeEventListener('error', setStateStatus);
}
};
}, [src]);
return status;
};
const script =
'data:text/plain;charset=utf-8;base64,KGZ1bmN0aW9uKCl7IGNvbnNvbGUubG9nKCdIZWxsbycpIH0pKCk7';
const Child = () => {
const status = useScript(script);
return <p>Child status: {status}</p>;
};
const MyApp = () => {
const status = useScript(script);
return (
<>
<p>Parent status: {status}</p>
<Child />
</>
);
};
ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root')).render(
<MyApp />
);
```