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useScript

Overview​

The useScript hook is a custom React hook for dynamically loading external scripts into your application. It appends a <script> element to the <head> of the document and removes it when the component unmounts or the url changes.

Importing​

To use the useScript hook, import it:

import useScript from './path/to/useScript';

Hook Signature​

useScript(url: string): void

Parameters​

  • url: A string representing the URL of the external script to be loaded.

Returns​

This hook does not return any values; it manages the <script> element in the document's <head>.

How It Works​

  1. Script Creation:
    • Creates a <script> element with the specified src attribute and async set to true.
  2. Append to Head:
    • Appends the <script> element to the <head> of the document.
  3. Cleanup:
    • Removes the <script> element from the <head> when the component unmounts or the url changes.

Example Usage​

Basic Example​

import React from 'react';
import useScript from './path/to/useScript';

const LoadExternalScript: React.FC = () => {
  useScript('https://example.com/some-external-script.js');

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>External Script Loaded</h1>
      <p>Check the network tab to confirm the script was loaded.</p>
    </div>
  );
};

export default LoadExternalScript;

Explanation​

  1. Dynamic Script Loading: The useScript hook dynamically appends the script to the <head>.
  2. Automatic Cleanup: The script is removed when the component unmounts.

Example with Conditional Script Loading​

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import useScript from './path/to/useScript';

const ConditionalScriptLoader: React.FC = () => {
  const [loadScript, setLoadScript] = useState(false);

  if (loadScript) {
    useScript('https://example.com/another-external-script.js');
  }

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Conditional Script Loader</h1>
      <button onClick={() => setLoadScript(true)}>Load Script</button>
    </div>
  );
};

export default ConditionalScriptLoader;

Explanation​

  1. Conditional Loading: The script is only appended when loadScript is set to true.
  2. Dynamic Updates: The url parameter can change dynamically to load different scripts.

Best Practices​

  • Avoid Duplicates: Ensure that the same script isn’t loaded multiple times.
  • Error Handling: Add custom logic to handle script loading errors (e.g., event listeners for onerror).
  • Performance Optimization: Only load scripts when necessary to reduce initial page load times.

Notes​

  • The script is added with async set to true, allowing it to load asynchronously without blocking other resources.
  • If multiple components use the same url, ensure they don’t remove the script prematurely.

Contributing​

If you encounter issues or have suggestions for improving the useScript hook, feel free to contribute or report an issue on the repository.