React Web Share API Hook

This challenge asks you to create a custom React hook, useWebShare, that leverages the Web Share API. This API allows users to share content (text, URLs, files) from your web application to other installed applications on their device, providing a native sharing experience.

Problem Description

You need to implement a React hook named useWebShare that encapsulates the functionality of the Web Share API. This hook should provide a straightforward way for React components to trigger the native share dialog.

Key Requirements:

1. Hook Signature: The hook should accept an optional configuration object. This object should allow specifying the title, text, and url to be shared.
2. share Function: The hook should return a function, let's call it share, which, when called, attempts to invoke the Web Share API with the provided configuration.
3. Feature Detection: The share function should gracefully handle cases where the Web Share API is not supported by the browser.
4. Error Handling: Implement basic error handling to inform the user if the sharing operation fails. The share function should return a Promise that resolves if successful and rejects on failure.
5. State Management (Optional but Recommended): Consider managing the supported status of the Web Share API within the hook itself and potentially exposing it as a boolean state.

Expected Behavior:

• When the share function is called and the Web Share API is supported, the browser's native share dialog should appear.
• If the Web Share API is not supported, calling share should not result in an error (unless it's explicitly handled in the rejection) and ideally should log a message or indicate that sharing is not available.
• The share function should accept optional arguments that can override the initial configuration provided to the hook, allowing for dynamic sharing content.

Edge Cases:

• API Not Supported: The hook must work correctly in browsers that do not implement the Web Share API.
• Permissions Denied/Cancelled: The user might cancel the share dialog or deny permissions. The hook should ideally reflect this in its Promise resolution/rejection.
• Invalid Input: While the Web Share API itself has constraints on what can be shared, your hook should aim to pass through valid inputs.

Examples

Example 1: Basic Usage

import React from 'react';
import { useWebShare } from './useWebShare'; // Assuming hook is in this file

function ShareButton() {
  const { share } = useWebShare({
    title: 'Check out this cool article!',
    text: 'Learn how to build a React hook for the Web Share API.',
    url: 'https://example.com/awesome-article',
  });

  const handleClick = async () => {
    try {
      await share();
      console.log('Content shared successfully!');
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Sharing failed:', error);
    }
  };

  return <button onClick={handleClick}>Share</button>;
}

Explanation:

When the "Share" button is clicked, the handleClick function is invoked. It calls the share function returned by useWebShare. Since the Web Share API is supported, the browser's native share dialog opens with the pre-filled title, text, and URL.

Example 2: Dynamic Sharing Content

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import { useWebShare } from './useWebShare';

function DynamicShareButton() {
  const { share } = useWebShare(); // No initial config

  const [contentToShare, setContentToShare] = useState({
    title: 'My Awesome App',
    text: 'Download my new app!',
    url: 'https://example.com/my-app',
  });

  const handleShareThis = async () => {
    try {
      await share(contentToShare); // Pass content dynamically
      console.log('Dynamic content shared!');
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Dynamic sharing failed:', error);
    }
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <button onClick={handleShareThis}>Share This App</button>
      {/* Other controls to modify contentToShare state */}
    </div>
  );
}

Explanation:

Here, useWebShare is initialized without specific content. The share function is then called with an object that can be updated dynamically. This allows the share dialog to be invoked with different content based on user interactions or application state.

Example 3: API Not Supported

// Assuming a browser that does not support Web Share API
import React from 'react';
import { useWebShare } from './useWebShare';

function ShareButtonUnsupported() {
  const { share, isSupported } = useWebShare({
    title: 'This will not be shared',
    text: 'This will not be shared',
    url: 'https://example.com',
  });

  const handleClick = async () => {
    if (!isSupported) {
      alert('Web Share API is not supported on this browser.');
      return;
    }
    try {
      await share();
      console.log('Content shared!');
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Sharing failed:', error);
    }
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <button onClick={handleClick} disabled={!isSupported}>
        {isSupported ? 'Share Content' : 'Sharing Not Available'}
      </button>
      {!isSupported && <p>Your browser does not support the Web Share API.</p>}
    </div>
  );
}

Explanation:

The isSupported state (if implemented) would be false. The button would be disabled, and the user would see a message indicating that sharing is not available. The handleClick function would preemptively show an alert before even attempting to call share.

Constraints

• The solution must be written in TypeScript.
• The hook should only rely on standard browser APIs (specifically, navigator.share).
• Avoid external libraries that abstract the Web Share API.
• The hook should be performant and not introduce unnecessary re-renders.

Notes

• The Web Share API is asynchronous. Use async/await or Promises for handling the share function.
• The navigator.share API returns a Promise.
• Consider the various properties that can be passed to navigator.share: title, text, url, and files. Your hook should ideally accommodate at least title, text, and url. Support for files is a bonus but not strictly required for this challenge.
• You can check for the availability of the Web Share API using if (navigator.share).
• The share function should ideally accept arguments that merge or override the initial configuration passed to the hook, offering flexibility.