SyntaxError: Unexpected token export when running jest in react-native-picker Picker

Explanation of the problem

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Problem solution for SyntaxError: Unexpected token export when running jest in react-native-picker Picker

The problem being faced is related to the configuration of Jest, a popular JavaScript testing framework. Jest uses a transformer to preprocess files before running tests. By default, Jest will ignore all files located in the “node_modules” directory. However, in some cases, the react-native packages that are being used in the application are located in the “node_modules” directory and Jest will ignore them causing the test to fail.

The proposed solution is to update the “transformIgnorePatterns” configuration in the Jest setup file. The code snippet provided in the previous answer is an example of how this can be done:

"transformIgnorePatterns": [
  "node_modules/(?!(jest-)?react-native|@react-native-community|@react-native-picker)",
],

This tells Jest to ignore specific modules in the “node_modules” directory, allowing the tests to run without errors. The configuration is a regular expression that will match the modules that should be ignored by Jest. The “transformIgnorePatterns” configuration is a powerful tool that can be used to configure Jest to work with any package or library.

It’s important to note that this solution is specific to the problem and related to the version of the react-native, react and other related packages used, so it’s important to check the compatibility and test before applying it in other projects. Also, it’s important to keep in mind that Jest uses a cache and it could be necessary to clear it before running the tests again.

Other popular problems with Picker

<View style={styles.pickerContainer}>
  <Picker
    selectedValue={this.state.selectedValue}
    style={styles.picker}
    onValueChange={(itemValue, itemIndex) =>
      this.setState({selectedValue: itemValue})
    }>
    <Picker.Item label="Option 1" value="option1" />
    <Picker.Item label="Option 2" value="option2" />
    <Picker.Item label="Option 3" value="option3" />
  </Picker>
</View>

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  pickerContainer: {
    height: 50,
    width: '100%',
    backgroundColor: 'white',
    borderRadius: 5,
    overflow: 'hidden',
  },
  picker: {
    width: '100%',
    height: '100%',
  },
});

Problem: Picker is not updating the selected value when the user makes a selection

This issue can occur when the state of the selected value is not being updated correctly or if the onValueChange callback function is not properly set.

Solution:

To fix this issue, make sure that the state of the selected value is being updated correctly and that the onValueChange callback function is properly set. An example of how this can be done is shown in the following code snippet:

<Picker
    selectedValue={this.state.selectedValue}
    onValueChange={(itemValue, itemIndex) =>
      this.setState({selectedValue: itemValue})
    }>
    <Picker.Item label="Option 1" value="option1" />
    <Picker.Item label="Option 2" value="option2" />
    <Picker.Item label="Option 3" value="option3" />
</Picker>

Problem: Picker is not working on iOS

This issue can occur when the picker is not properly set up to work with iOS or if the package is not compatible with the version of React Native being used.

Solution:

To fix this issue, make sure that the picker is set up correctly to work with iOS and that the package is compatible with the version of React Native being used. This can be done by following the instructions provided in the package’s documentation and by checking the compatibility of the package with the version of React Native. Additionally, it’s important to make sure that the picker is wrapped inside a TouchableOpacity component, instead of a View component in order to work on iOS. An example of how this can be done is shown in the following code snippet:

<TouchableOpacity style={styles.pickerContainer}>
  <Picker
    selectedValue={this.state.selectedValue}
    style={styles.picker}
    onValueChange={(itemValue, itemIndex) =>
      this.setState({selectedValue: itemValue})
    }>
    <Picker.Item label="Option 1" value="option1" />
    <Picker.Item label="Option 2" value="option2" />
    <Picker.Item label="Option 3" value="option3" />
  </Picker>
</TouchableOpacity>

A brief introduction to Picker

React Native Picker is a popular component used to create a drop-down menu in React Native applications. It allows developers to present a list of options to users, and receive the selected value in return. The picker component is implemented as a controlled component, meaning that the selected value is controlled by the parent component’s state. This allows for easy integration with other components and the ability to handle user interactions in a consistent manner.

The picker component is built using the Picker component from the React Native core library, which provides a basic implementation of a picker. The Picker.Item component is used to define the options that are displayed in the picker. The onValueChange prop is used to handle the user’s selection, and the selectedValue prop is used to set the current selected value. It’s important to keep in mind that the Picker is not supported on web, and should be replaced by other solutions such as react-select or react-native-picker-select.

Most popular use cases for Picker

1. React Native Picker can be used to present a list of options to the user, from which they can make a selection. This is useful in cases where a user needs to select one option out of multiple choices, such as choosing a date, a color, or a currency. An example of how this can be implemented is shown in the following code snippet:

<Picker
    selectedValue={this.state.selectedValue}
    onValueChange={(itemValue, itemIndex) =>
      this.setState({selectedValue: itemValue})
    }>
    <Picker.Item label="Option 1" value="option1" />
    <Picker.Item label="Option 2" value="option2" />
    <Picker.Item label="Option 3" value="option3" />
</Picker>

2. React Native Picker can be used to implement dependent pickers, where the options of the second picker depend on the selection made in the first picker. This can be achieved by updating the options in the second picker based on the selected value of the first picker, and then updating the selected value of the second picker based on the options available.
3. React Native Picker can be used to implement dynamic forms, where the form fields are generated based on the user’s input. For example, if the user selects a certain option in the picker, additional form fields may appear to gather more information. An example of how this can be implemented is shown in the following code snippet:

<Picker
    selectedValue={this.state.selectedValue}
    onValueChange={(itemValue, itemIndex) => {
        this.setState({selectedValue: itemValue});
        if (itemValue === 'option1') {
            this.setState({showAdditionalFields: true});
        } else {
            this.setState({showAdditionalFields: false});
        }
    }>
    <Picker.Item label="Option 1" value="option1" />
    <Picker.Item label="Option 2" value="option2" />
    <Picker.Item label="Option 3" value="option3" />
</Picker>
{this.state.showAdditionalFields && <AdditionalFields />}