In this React Checkbox tutorial, we are going to look at how to handle and store multiple checkboxes values in React application. A checkbox is an HTML element, and It allows the user to choose one or multiple options from a limited number of choices.

We deal with various form controls to build an enterprise-level web or mobile application. There is various kind of form controls used to create an interactive form such as checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdown menus, etc. A checkbox is one of the widely used HTML element in web layout, which allows us to select one or multiple values among other various options.

React Store Multiple Checkboxes Values Tutorial

Let us create a basic form in React and get started with five checkboxes, and it will allow users to select multiple values using checkboxes in React app. We will also go one step further and learn to know how to store the checkboxes value in the MongoDB NoSQL database in string form.

Set up React App

Enter the following command to set up React project with CRA (create-react-app).

npx create-react-app react-multiple-checkboxes

Get inside the React project’s folder:

cd react-multiple-checkboxes

Start the React app by running the following command:

npm start

After running the above command your React project will open on this URL: localhost:3000

Install Bootstrap 4

Install Bootstrap 4 for showing checkboxes demo in our React app.

npm install bootstrap --save

Include bootstrap.min.css file in src/App.js file:

import React, { Component } from 'react';
import '../node_modules/bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css';

class App extends Component {
  render() {
    return (
      <div className="App">
        <!-- Form Goes Here -->
      </div>
    );
  }
}

export default App;

Install Axios in React

Install Axios library in React to handle the GET, POST, UPDATE and Delete request to save the value manipulated with React checkboxes.

npm install axios --save

Setting up Checkboxes in React with Bootstrap 4

Let us create the simple form with five checkboxes elements. Keep all the below logic in src/App.js file:

In the first step we set the initial state of fruits options.

state = {
    isApple: false,
    isOrange: false,
    isBanana: false,
    isCherry: false,
    isAvocado: false
};

React Chckbox onChange

Define React onChange event in HTML checkbox element and set the checkbox value in it. When updated by user, this method will update the checkbox’s state.

onChangeApple = () => {
   this.setState(initialState => ({
     isApple: !initialState.isAvocado,
   }));
}

Go to src/App.js file and add the following code for checkboxes demo:

import React, { Component } from 'react';
import '../node_modules/bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css';

class App extends Component {

  // Checkbox Initial State
  state = {
    isApple: false,
    isOrange: false,
    isBanana: false,
    isCherry: false,
    isAvocado: false
  };

  // React Checkboxes onChange Methods
  onChangeApple = () => {
    this.setState(initialState => ({
      isApple: !initialState.isAvocado,
    }));
  }

  onChangeOrange = () => {
    this.setState(initialState => ({
      isOrange: !initialState.isOrange,
    }));
  }

  onChangeBanana = () => {
    this.setState(initialState => ({
      isBanana: !initialState.isBanana,
    }));
  }

  onChangeCherry = () => {
    this.setState(initialState => ({
      isCherry: !initialState.isCherry,
    }));
  }

  onChangeAvocado = () => {
    this.setState(initialState => ({
      isAvocado: !initialState.isAvocado,
    }));
  }

  // Submit
  onSubmit = (e) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    console.log(this.state);
  }

  render() {
    return (
      <div className="App">
        <h2>Store Multiple Checkboxes Values in React</h2>
        <form onSubmit={this.onSubmit}>
          <div className="form-check">
            <label className="form-check-label">
              <input type="checkbox"
                checked={this.state.isApple}
                onChange={this.onChangeApple}
                className="form-check-input"
              />
              Apple
            </label>
          </div>

          <div className="form-check">
            <label className="form-check-label">
              <input type="checkbox"
                checked={this.state.isAvocado}
                onChange={this.onChangeAvocado}
                className="form-check-input"
              />
              Avocado
            </label>
          </div>

          <div className="form-check">
            <label className="form-check-label">
              <input type="checkbox"
                checked={this.state.isBanana}
                onChange={this.onChangeBanana}
                className="form-check-input"
              />
              Banana
            </label>
          </div>

          <div className="form-check">
            <label className="form-check-label">
              <input type="checkbox"
                checked={this.state.isCherry}
                onChange={this.onChangeCherry}
                className="form-check-input"
              />
              Cherry
            </label>
          </div>

          <div className="form-check">
            <label className="form-check-label">
              <input type="checkbox"
                checked={this.state.isOrange}
                onChange={this.onChangeOrange}
                className="form-check-input"
              />
              Orange
            </label>
          </div>

          <div className="form-group">
            <button className="btn btn-success">
              Save
            </button>
          </div>
        </form>
      </div>
    );
  }
}

export default App;

Set up Backend Server with Node, Express and MongoDB

We will also learn to save multiple checkboxes value in MongoDB database using Node and Express server in a React application. First set up a node server using Node, Express and MongoDB.

Create a new directory in the root of the React app and name it backend.

Run below command to generate a seperate package.json file inside backend folder.

npm init

Install below dependencies .

npm install mongoose express cors body-parser

Automate server re-starting process by installing nodemon.

npm install nodemon --save-dev

Create MongoDB Database

Create backend/database/db.js file in backend folder and add the following code in the file.

module.exports = {
    db: 'mongodb://localhost:27017/reactcheckbox'
};

Define Mongoose Schema

Create the models folder and create Checkbox.js file inside of it.

Add the following code in backend/models/Checkbox.js file.

const mongoose = require('mongoose');
const Schema = mongoose.Schema;

let checkboxModel = new Schema({
    checkbox: {
        type: String
    },
}, {
        collection: 'checkboxes'
    });

module.exports = mongoose.model('CheckboxModel', checkboxModel);

Create Route to Post Checkbox Value

Now, we will create a separate folder for Express API, name it routes and create a file by the name of check-save.routes.js in it.

Add the following code in backend/routes/check-save.routes.js file.

let mongoose = require('mongoose'),
    express = require('express'),
    checkboxRouter = express.Router();

let check = require('../models/Checkbox');

checkboxRouter.route('/checkbox-save').post((req, res, next) => {
    check.create(req.body, (error, data) => {
        if (error) {
            return next(error)
        } else {
            console.log(data)
            res.json(data)
        }
    })
});

checkboxRouter.route('/').get((req, res) => {
    check.find((error, data) => {
        if (error) {
            return next(error)
        } else {
            res.json(data)
        }
    })
})

module.exports = checkboxRouter;

Set up Server.js

Set up Node and Express server settings, create server.js file in the backend root folder.

let express = require('express');
let mongoose = require('mongoose');
let cors = require('cors');
let bodyParser = require('body-parser');
let database = require('./database/db');


const checkboxRoute = require('../backend/routes/check-save.routes')


mongoose.Promise = global.Promise;
mongoose.connect(database.db, {
    useNewUrlParser: true
}).then(() => {
    console.log('Database connected sucessfully !')
},
    error => {
        console.log('Database could not be connected : ' + error)
    }
)

const app = express();
app.use(bodyParser.json());
app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({
    extended: true
}));
app.use(cors());
app.use('/api', checkboxRoute)


const port = process.env.PORT || 4000;
const server = app.listen(port, () => {
    console.log('Connected to port ' + port)
})


app.use((req, res, next) => {
    next(createError(404));
});

app.use(function (err, req, res, next) {
    console.error(err.message);
    if (!err.statusCode) err.statusCode = 500;
    res.status(err.statusCode).send(err.message);
});

Start Node/Express Server

Start the Node/Express server and MongoDB database by using the following commands.

Start the mongoDB, ENTER the follwong command in the terminal.

mongod

Open, other terminal and run the below command to start the nodemon service:

nodemon server

# [nodemon] 1.19.1
# [nodemon] to restart at any time, enter `rs`
# [nodemon] watching: *.*
# [nodemon] starting `node server`
# Connected to port 4000
# Database connected sucessfully !

Now, your Node server is up and running. You can check your server data on the following URL: http://localhost:4000/api

React Convert Checked Value of Checkbox into String

In this step, we will convert the checked value of a checkbox into the string and then save that value into the MongoDB database.

 onSubmit = (e) => {
    e.preventDefault();

    let checkArray = [];
    for (var key in this.state) {
      if (this.state[key] === true) {
        checkArray.push(key);
      }
    }

    let checkData = {
      checkbox: checkArray.toString()
    };

  }

Here, we set up an empty array; then we are iterating over the checkboxes state using the for a loop. With the help of the for loop, we are checking if the value is checked, then saving that checked value of checkbox in the checkArray’s array. Then we defined the checkData object and passed the `checkbox` as a key in respect to the value specified in the checkboxModel schema and converted the checked values from the array into the string.

Make Axios POST Request to Store Multiple Checkbox Values in MongoDB Database

To make the Axios POST request, first import the Axios library in App.js file.

Go to the src/App.js file and insert the following code inside the onSubmit method as mentioned below.

import React, { Component } from 'react';
import '../node_modules/bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css';
import axios from 'axios';

class App extends Component {

  // Checkbox Initial State
  state = {
    isApple: false,
    isOrange: false,
    isBanana: false,
    isCherry: false,
    isAvocado: false
  };

  // React Checkboxes onChange Methods
  onChangeApple = () => {
    this.setState(initialState => ({
      isApple: !initialState.isAvocado,
    }));
  }

  onChangeOrange = () => {
    this.setState(initialState => ({
      isOrange: !initialState.isOrange,
    }));
  }

  onChangeBanana = () => {
    this.setState(initialState => ({
      isBanana: !initialState.isBanana,
    }));
  }

  onChangeCherry = () => {
    this.setState(initialState => ({
      isCherry: !initialState.isCherry,
    }));
  }

  onChangeAvocado = () => {
    this.setState(initialState => ({
      isAvocado: !initialState.isAvocado,
    }));
  }

  // Submit
  onSubmit = (e) => {
    e.preventDefault();

    let checkArray = [];
    for (var key in this.state) {
      if (this.state[key] === true) {
        checkArray.push(key);
      }
    }

    let checkData = {
      checkbox: checkArray.toString()
    };

    axios.post('http://localhost:4000/api/checkbox-save', checkData)
      .then((res) => {
        console.log(res.data)
      }).catch((error) => {
        console.log(error)
      });
  }

  render() {
    return (
      <div className="App">
        <h2>Store Multiple Checkboxes Values in React</h2>
        <form onSubmit={this.onSubmit}>
          <div className="form-check">
            <label className="form-check-label">
              <input type="checkbox"
                checked={this.state.isApple}
                onChange={this.onChangeApple}
                className="form-check-input"
              />
              Apple
            </label>
          </div>

          <div className="form-check">
            <label className="form-check-label">
              <input type="checkbox"
                checked={this.state.isAvocado}
                onChange={this.onChangeAvocado}
                className="form-check-input"
              />
              Avocado
            </label>
          </div>

          <div className="form-check">
            <label className="form-check-label">
              <input type="checkbox"
                checked={this.state.isBanana}
                onChange={this.onChangeBanana}
                className="form-check-input"
              />
              Banana
            </label>
          </div>

          <div className="form-check">
            <label className="form-check-label">
              <input type="checkbox"
                checked={this.state.isCherry}
                onChange={this.onChangeCherry}
                className="form-check-input"
              />
              Cherry
            </label>
          </div>

          <div className="form-check">
            <label className="form-check-label">
              <input type="checkbox"
                checked={this.state.isOrange}
                onChange={this.onChangeOrange}
                className="form-check-input"
              />
              Orange
            </label>
          </div>

          <div className="form-group">
            <button className="btn btn-success">
              Save
            </button>
          </div>
        </form>
      </div>
    );
  }
}

export default App;

We used axios.post() method and passed the `api/checkbox-save` REST API URL as a first parameter. In the second parameter, we passed the checkData object, which contains the checkbox values in the string form. When clicking on the Save button, we are saving the checkbox values in the MongoDB database.