Using getter to calculate computed values

[filipesmedeiros]

Hey!

Is it ok to use the getter to return a computed value in a function? Since using it in a value doesn't work?

Example:

const [useAuth] = create((set, get) => ({
    user: {username: undefined, authLevel: 0},
    // isSignedIn: !!get().user.username // doesn't work because it's executed before the store is created, so get() returns undefined right?
    isSignedIn: () => !!get().user.username // should work, just call isSignedIn() instead of using as a value, in the components?
})}

Also, I feel like computed values are a cool features for state management libraries to have out of the box, are there planes to add it? Do you guys need help with it somehow?

[shahruz]

I usually would just do something like const isSignedIn = useAuth(state => !!state.user.username); in the consuming component for this.

[filipesmedeiros]

Right! That seems prettier. But that only works for component use right? If I want to separate some logic while calculating various layers of computed values in a store (in more complex cases) that doesn't work anymore. For example:

const [useStore] = create((set, get) => {
    value: 30,
    value1: get().value + 60,
    value2: get().value1 / 4,
    value3: get().value2 * 1000
})

Logically, it might be better if value3 depends on value2 directly than if you had to repeat the computations you did for the other ones, right?

[jordanmkoncz]

I was also curious about the recommended approach for selectors which derive/compute values from state (and possibly from other selectors themselves). Reading about Recoil and how it handles this using selectors (also see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ISAA_Jt9kI), I couldn't see anything analogous in Zustand which has the same optimisations.

[drcmda]

sure you can use getters like that.

as for recoil and atoms, it's a slightly different paradigm. we have something coming up that's concentrating on that approach.

in theory even this should work

const useAuth = create((set, get) => ({
    user: {username: undefined, authLevel: 0},
    get signedIn: () => !!get().user.username
})}

// in components
function Foo() {
  const signedIn = useAuth(state => state.signedIn)

// vanilla non-reactive
const signedIn = useAuth.getState().singedIn
// vanilla reactive
useAuth.subscribe(signedIn => console.log(signedIn), state => state.signedIn)

[dai-shi]

@drcmda I don't think getters work because of Object.assign(). Once you setState({ user }), signedIn becomes a boolean value. I didn't try it, so correct me if I'm wrong.

[drcmda]

oh thats right, bummer, would have been an interesting pattern

[dai-shi]

Summary:
So there are two topics in this issue.
a) Support object getters in store
b) Chaining computed values (aka atoms)

For b), we are planning a new project coming soon, and it's outside the scope of zustand.

For a), it's a possible enhancement, but the implementation might be a bit tricky. I'm not sold much, because we don't support b) anyway.

We should be able to do this without object getters.

const useAuth = create((set, get) => ({
    user: {username: undefined, authLevel: 0},
    signedIn: () => !!get().user.username
})}

// in components
function Foo() {
  const signedIn = useAuth(state => state.signedIn())

// vanilla non-reactive
const signedIn = useAuth.getState().singedIn()
// vanilla reactive
useAuth.subscribe(signedIn => console.log(signedIn), state => state.signedIn())

---

Now, reading the thread from the beginning again, I noticed I misunderstood the original issue. The OP never said object getters. So, the above example would be the answer.

That said, I think it's fairly OK to mark this issue as resolved.

[jordanmkoncz]

Thanks @dai-shi for your response.

b) Chaining computed values (aka atoms). For b), we are planning a new project coming soon, and it's outside the scope of zustand.

Just to confirm, you're saying that chaining computed values in a similar fashion to Recoil and how it handles selectors (where computed values are automatically re-computed when one of their 'dependencies' changes, and only re-computed when this happens) is not something you plan to add to Zustand itself, but instead you are planning on creating a new project that will address this and can be used with Zustand?

[dai-shi]

Hi @jordanmkoncz

chaining computed values is not something you plan to add to Zustand itself

Correct. I think that will be overkill for the Zustand core.
It would be possible for middleware, though.

instead you are planning on creating a new project that will address this and can be used with Zustand?

Yes for the first part and no for the second. The new project is something different from Zustand, but with the simplicity philosophy from Zustand.

[timkindberg]

Another option is pure functions:

const useAuth = create((set, get) => ({
    user: {username: undefined, authLevel: 0}
})}

const select = {
    signedIn: state => state.user.username
}

// in components
function Foo() {
  const signedIn = useAuth(select.signedIn)

[dai-shi]

It's almost the same as #132 (comment)
Having selectors outside render is better.
Yeah, this is probably the best approach with Zustand (+React).

[dai-shi]

The new project is something different from Zustand, but with the simplicity philosophy from Zustand.

So, the new project is jotai.

[woehrl01]

I'd like to share that it's definitely possible to have computed fields, it just needs to be constructed differently to don't fall into the Object.assign issue. But this requirement makes the code even more readable and explicit:

const [useAuth] = create((set, get) => ({
    user: {username: undefined, authLevel: 0},
    computed: { //yes, just use a nested object, which can be easily used in `Object.assign`
       get isSignedIn: () => !!get().user.usernamecomponents?
    }
})}

//usage
const isSignedIn = useState(s => s.computed.isSignedIn)

[platon-rov]

@woehrl01 it won't be cached, isn't it?

[woehrl01]

@platon-rov no, it won't be cached. For caching you likely need to use a subscription to explicitly track and update dependencies.

[harry-sm]

The correct syntax for a getter according to typescript is
get isSignedIn () { !!get().user.usernamecomponents? }
not
get isSignedIn: () => !!get().user.usernamecomponents?

How does it work? @woehrl01

[evanpurkhiser]

@harry-sm you need a return then as well

get isSignedIn() { return !!get().user.usernamecomponents? }

[SrBrahma]

While the computed solution is great and worked for one of my necessities, I suggest having here also a subscription example for cached values as it's a common thing to need

[laclance]

Can make a custom hook to update on changes

export default function useForceUpdate(updateOn: (state: BoundStore) => any) {
  const [update, toggleUpdate] = useState(false);

  useEffect(() => {
    const unsub = useBoundStore.subscribe(
      state => updateOn(state),
      () => toggleUpdate(!update)
    );

    return () => {
      unsub();
    };
  }, [update, updateOn]);
}

but its just the same work to compute the value on the fly
const isSignedIn = useBoundStore(state => !!state.user.usernamecomponents)

[nxl3477]

Like this

// store.ts
const useAuth = create((set, get) => ({
    user: {username: undefined, authLevel: 0}
})}


export const computed = {
  isSignedIn: () => useAuth(state => state.user.username)
}


// index.tsx

import { computed } from './store'

export default function page () {
  const isSignedIn = computed.isSignedIn()
  return (<div>{isSignedIn}</div>)
}

[itayperry]

HI there @dai-shi,
I looked at the code you wrote here and it really helped me! Thank you :)

const useAuth = create((set, get) => ({
    user: {username: undefined, authLevel: 0},
    signedIn: () => !!get().user.username
})}

// in components
function Foo() {
  const signedIn = useAuth(state => state.signedIn()); // ✨✨✨ This one :)

// vanilla non-reactive
const signedIn = useAuth.getState().singedIn()
// vanilla reactive
useAuth.subscribe(signedIn => console.log(signedIn), state => state.signedIn())

I really think this should be in the docs under a section called "computed", "derived-state", "getters" or something.. it's really helpful.
I know about the derived-zustand package (although it's outside the store and not in it), which is more flexible and complex, maybe it's worth mentioning too in the docs. It's just an idea of course and I don't wanna waste your time :)

[dai-shi]

const signedIn = useAuth(state => state.signedIn()); // ✨✨✨ This one :)

I would recommend this as a general practice.

  const signedIn = useAuth(state => !!state.user.username);

[ossomaster]

If you are using persist middleware to store the data in localStorage it is necessary to remove the computed values in the configuration with partialize, example:

{
	name: 'products',
	partialize: (state) => ({
		products: state.products,
                 // don't persist computed values
	}),
}

[rodrigocfd]

I'd like to share that it's definitely possible to have computed fields, it just needs to be constructed differently to don't fall into the Object.assign issue. But this requirement makes the code even more readable and explicit:

const [useAuth] = create((set, get) => ({
    user: {username: undefined, authLevel: 0},
    computed: { //yes, just use a nested object, which can be easily used in `Object.assign`
       get isSignedIn: () => !!get().user.usernamecomponents?
    }
})}

//usage
const isSignedIn = useState(s => s.computed.isSignedIn)

While this approach is very clean, it's important to understand that there is a performance penalty when compared to the custom hook approach.

Just like the custom hook, the getter function will run every time the value is requested – that is, every time the displaying component re-renders. That's fine, and that's what we expect.

However, in addition, this getter will also run every time the state changes. So, if your computation is too heavy, it's probably not a good approach. In such heavy-computation cases, you will want to memoize the computation result.

[levino]

How about using memoized selectors created with createSelector from reselect? The memoization cache can be shared between components somehow, I suppose. And in most cases a global memoization cache might suffice. One can also chain selectors and their memoization.

[dai-shi]

Using memoized selectors should be good. I also develop proxy-memoize.

[amoghkulkarnifr]

I'd like to share that it's definitely possible to have computed fields, it just needs to be constructed differently to don't fall into the Object.assign issue. But this requirement makes the code even more readable and explicit:

const [useAuth] = create((set, get) => ({
    user: {username: undefined, authLevel: 0},
    computed: { //yes, just use a nested object, which can be easily used in `Object.assign`
       get isSignedIn: () => !!get().user.usernamecomponents?
    }
})}

//usage
const isSignedIn = useState(s => s.computed.isSignedIn)

I'm using Zustand in TypeScript. Any idea what type computed state variable should be of? Can we avoid any?

[levino]

I really think this getter-hacking is an awful anti-pattern. This is exactly what selectors are for. For performance, use memoized selectors which can be made easily with reselect. TypeScript will also be happy.

[MarkShawn2020]

I'd like to share that it's definitely possible to have computed fields, it just needs to be constructed differently to don't fall into the Object.assign issue. But this requirement makes the code even more readable and explicit:

const [useAuth] = create((set, get) => ({
    user: {username: undefined, authLevel: 0},
    computed: { //yes, just use a nested object, which can be easily used in `Object.assign`
       get isSignedIn: () => !!get().user.usernamecomponents?
    }
})}

//usage
const isSignedIn = useState(s => s.computed.isSignedIn)

it would cause all the code refactored to be one level down....