React.js: Is it possible to convert a react component to HTML DOM's?

Question

I'm working on a map-based app that uses Google Map API to create markers and its info window in React.js. The infowindow.setContent() only accepts either a String or HTML. It's impossible for me to pass in String as I have a button that links to a specific method in another react component (something like: _this.props.addList(place) ). Thus I must fill the argument as HTML DOM as the following lines of code:

var div = document.createElement('div');
var title = document.createElement('h4');
title.innerHTML = place.name;

var btn = document.createElement('button');
btn.className = 'btn btn-danger btn-block';
btn.appendChild(document.createTextNode('I want to go here !!'));

div.appendChild(title).appendChild(btn);

google.maps.event.addListener(marker, 'click', function() {

  infowindow.setContent( div );
  infowindow.open(map, this);
});

btn.addEventListener('click', function() {
  _this.props.addList(place);
});

The codes work for me but I don't wanna create elements one by one. I've also tried to pass the argument with a React component but it seems not working:

createMarker: function() {
  
  /** Some other lines of code */

  var _this = this;

  google.maps.event.addListener(marker, 'click', function() {

    infowindow.setContent( _this._renderInfoWindow(place) );
    infowindow.open(map, _this);

  });

},

// my infowindow rendering method
_renderInfoWindow: function(place) {
  return(
    <div>
      <h4>{place.name}</h4>
      <p>{place.cost}</p>
      <button className="btn btn-danger btn-block" onClick={this.props.addList.bind(this, place)}>I want to go here !! </button>
    </div>
  )
},

so is there another way to at least convert a react component to HTML so that I don't have to write document.createElement() one by one?

Thanks

Answer 1

You can render a ReactElement in a detached DOM Node via React.render. Thus, the following code should work for you.

createMarker: function() {

  /** Some other lines of code */

  _this = this;

  google.maps.event.addListener(marker, 'click', function() {

    var div = document.createElement('div');
    ReactDOM.render( _this._renderInfoWindow(place), div );
    infowindow.setContent( div );
    infowindow.open(map, this);

  });

},

Answer 2

You could also use React's renderToString() method

_renderInfoWindow: function(place) {
  return React.renderToString(
    <div>
      <h4>{place.name}</h4>
      <p>{place.cost}</p>
      <button className="btn btn-danger btn-block" onClick={this.props.addList.bind(this, place)}>I want to go here !! </button>
    </div>
  );
}

This should work for a simple component as shown. React.renderToString() will return only the html for the component.

Answer 3

For newer versions of React

import ReactDOMServer from "react-dom/server";

let html = ReactDOMServer.renderToString(<div>...</div>)

Answer 4

This should render the HTML.

import ReactDOMServer from "react-dom/server";

const html = ReactDOMServer.renderToString(<div>...</div>)