ReactJS: Maximum update depth exceeded error

I am trying to toggle the state of a component in ReactJS but I get an error stating:

Maximum update depth exceeded. This can happen when a component repeatedly calls setState inside componentWillUpdate or componentDidUpdate. React limits the number of nested updates to prevent infinite loops.

I don't see the infinite loop in my code, can anyone help?

ReactJS component code:

import React, { Component } from 'react';
import styled from 'styled-components';

class Item extends React.Component {
    constructor(props) {
        super(props);     
        this.toggle= this.toggle.bind(this);
        this.state = {
            details: false
        } 
    }  
    toggle(){
        const currentState = this.state.details;
        this.setState({ details: !currentState }); 
    }

    render() {
        return (
            <tr className="Item"> 
                <td>{this.props.config.server}</td>      
                <td>{this.props.config.verbose}</td> 
                <td>{this.props.config.type}</td>
                <td className={this.state.details ? "visible" : "hidden"}>PLACEHOLDER MORE INFO</td>
                {<td><span onClick={this.toggle()}>Details</span></td>}
            </tr>
    )}
}

export default Item;

Solution 1:

that because you calling toggle inside the render method which will cause to re-render and toggle will call again and re-rendering again and so on

this line at your code

{<td><span onClick={this.toggle()}>Details</span></td>}

you need to make onClick refer to this.toggle not calling it

to fix the issue do this

{<td><span onClick={this.toggle}>Details</span></td>}

Solution 2:

You should pass the event object when calling the function :

{<td><span onClick={(e) => this.toggle(e)}>Details</span></td>}

If you don't need to handle onClick event you can also type :

{<td><span onClick={(e) => this.toggle()}>Details</span></td>}

Now you can also add your parameters within the function.

Solution 3:

Forget about the react first:
This is not related to react and let us understand the basic concepts of Java Script. For Example you have written following function in java script (name is A).

function a() {

};

Q.1) How to call the function that we have defined?
Ans: a();

Q.2) How to pass reference of function so that we can call it latter?
Ans: let fun = a;

Now coming to your question, you have used paranthesis with function name, mean that function will be called when following statement will be render.

<td><span onClick={this.toggle()}>Details</span></td>

Then How to correct it?
Simple!! Just remove parenthesis. By this way you have given the reference of that function to onClick event. It will call back your function only when your component is clicked.

 <td><span onClick={this.toggle}>Details</span></td>

One suggestion releated to react:
Avoid using inline function as suggested by someone in answers, it may cause performance issue. Avoid following code, It will create instance of same function again and again whenever function will be called (lamda statement creates new instance every time).
Note: and no need to pass event (e) explicitly to the function. you can access it with in the function without passing it.

{<td><span onClick={(e) => this.toggle(e)}>Details</span></td>}

https://cdb.reacttraining.com/react-inline-functions-and-performance-bdff784f5578

Solution 4:

I know this has plenty of answers but since most of them are old (well, older), none is mentioning approach I grow very fond of really quick. In short:

Use functional components and hooks.

In longer:

Try to use as much functional components instead class ones especially for rendering, AND try to keep them as pure as possible (yes, data is dirty by default I know).

Two bluntly obvious benefits of functional components (there are more):

Pureness or near pureness makes debugging so much easier
Functional components remove the need for constructor boiler code

Quick proof for 2nd point - Isn't this absolutely disgusting?

constructor(props) {
        super(props);     
        this.toggle= this.toggle.bind(this);
        this.state = {
            details: false
        } 
    }

If you are using functional components for more then rendering you are gonna need the second part of great duo - hooks. Why are they better then lifecycle methods, what else can they do and much more would take me a lot of space to cover so I recommend you to listen to the man himself: Dan preaching the hooks

In this case you need only two hooks:

A callback hook conveniently named useCallback. This way you are preventing the binding the function over and over when you re-render.

A state hook, called useState, for keeping the state despite entire component being function and executing in its entirety (yes, this is possible due to magic of hooks). Within that hook you will store the value of toggle.

If you read to this part you probably wanna see all I have talked about in action and applied to original problem. Here you go: Demo

For those of you that want only to glance the component and WTF is this about, here you are:

const Item = () => {

    // HOOKZ
  const [isVisible, setIsVisible] = React.useState('hidden');

  const toggle = React.useCallback(() => {
    setIsVisible(isVisible === 'visible' ? 'hidden': 'visible');
  }, [isVisible, setIsVisible]);

    // RENDER
  return (
  <React.Fragment>
    <div style={{visibility: isVisible}}>
        PLACEHOLDER MORE INFO
    </div>
    <button onClick={toggle}>Details</button>
  </React.Fragment>
  )
};

PS: I wrote this in case many people land here with similar problem. Hopefully, they will like what I have shown here, at least well enough to google it a bit more. This is NOT me saying other answers are wrong, this is me saying that since the time they have been written, there is another way (IMHO, a better one) of dealing with this.

Solution 5:

if you don't need to pass arguments to function, just remove () from function like below:

<td><span onClick={this.toggle}>Details</span></td>

but if you want to pass arguments, you should do like below:

<td><span onClick={(e) => this.toggle(e,arg1,arg2)}>Details</span></td>