# Add form fields

To add a field to your form, you can use the <Link href="/preact/api/Field/">`Field`</Link> component or the <Link href="/preact/api/useField/">`useField`</Link> hook. Both are headless and provide access to field state for building your form UI.

## Field component

The <Link href="/preact/api/Field/">`Field`</Link> component has two mandatory properties: `of` which accepts the form store, and `path` which specifies which field to connect. If you use TypeScript, you get full autocompletion for the path based on your schema.

### Children prop

As a child, you pass a function to the <Link href="/preact/api/Field/">`Field`</Link> component that returns JSX. The function receives the field store as its parameter, which includes the current value, error messages, and props to spread onto your input element.

```tsx
import { Field, Form, useForm } from '@formisch/preact';
import * as v from 'valibot';

const LoginSchema = v.object({
  email: v.pipe(v.string(), v.email()),
  password: v.pipe(v.string(), v.minLength(8)),
});

export default function App() {
  const loginForm = useForm({
    schema: LoginSchema,
  });

  return (
    <Form of={loginForm}>
      <Field of={loginForm} path={['email']}>
        {(field) => <input {...field.props} value={field.input} type="email" />}
      </Field>
      <Field of={loginForm} path={['password']}>
        {(field) => (
          <input {...field.props} value={field.input} type="password" />
        )}
      </Field>
      <button type="submit">Login</button>
    </Form>
  );
}
```

> **Important:** If you plan to set initial values with `initialInput` or programmatically control field values using methods like <Link href="/methods/api/setInput/">`setInput`</Link> or <Link href="/methods/api/reset/">`reset`</Link>, you must make your fields controlled by setting the appropriate attributes (like `value`, `checked`, or `selected`). See the <Link href="/preact/guides/controlled-fields/">controlled fields</Link> guide to learn more.

### Headless design

The <Link href="/preact/api/Field/">`Field`</Link> component does not render its own UI elements. It is headless and provides only the data layer of the field. This allows you to freely define your user interface. You can use HTML elements, custom components or an external UI library.

### Path array

The `path` property accepts an array of strings and numbers that represents the path to the field in your schema. For top-level fields, it's simply the field name wrapped in an array:

```tsx
<Field of={loginForm} path={['email']}>
  {(field) => <input {...field.props} value={field.input} type="email" />}
</Field>
```

For nested fields, the path reflects the structure of your schema:

```tsx
// For a schema like: v.object({ user: v.object({ email: v.string() }) })
<Field of={form} path={['user', 'email']}>
  {(field) => <input {...field.props} value={field.input} type="email" />}
</Field>
```

### Type safety

The API design of the <Link href="/preact/api/Field/">`Field`</Link> component results in a fully type-safe form. For example, if you change your schema, TypeScript will immediately alert you if the path is invalid. The field state is also fully typed based on your schema, giving you autocompletion for properties like `field.input`.

## useField hook

For very complex forms where you create individual components for each form field, Formisch provides the <Link href="/preact/api/useField/">`useField`</Link> hook. It allows you to access the field state directly within your component logic.

```tsx
import { useField } from '@formisch/preact';
import type { FormStore } from '@formisch/preact';
import * as v from 'valibot';

type EmailInputProps = {
  form: FormStore<v.GenericSchema<{ email: string }>>;
};

function EmailInput(props: EmailInputProps) {
  const field = useField(props.form, { path: ['email'] });

  return (
    <div>
      <input {...field.props} value={field.input} type="email" />
      {field.errors.value && <div>{field.errors.value[0]}</div>}
    </div>
  );
}
```

### When to use which

- **Use <Link href="/preact/api/Field/">`Field`</Link> component**: When defining multiple fields in the same component. It ensures you don't accidentally access the wrong field store.
- **Use <Link href="/preact/api/useField/">`useField`</Link> hook**: When creating field components for single fields. It allows you to access field state in your component logic.

The <Link href="/preact/api/Field/">`Field`</Link> component is essentially a thin wrapper around <Link href="/preact/api/useField/">`useField`</Link> that allows you to access the field state within JSX code.

## Field store

The field store provides access to the following properties (all properties except `props` are signals):

- `props`: JSX props to spread onto your input element (includes event handlers, ref callback, name attribute, and `autofocus` to automatically focus fields with errors).
- `input`: A signal containing the current input value of the field.
- `errors`: A signal containing an array of error messages if validation fails.
- `isTouched`: A signal indicating whether the field has been touched.
- `isDirty`: A signal indicating whether the current input differs from the initial input.
- `isValid`: A signal indicating whether the field passes all validation rules.
- `onInput`: Sets the field input value programmatically. Use this when the field cannot be connected to a native HTML element (e.g., complex custom inputs or component libraries that don't expose the underlying element).

## Next steps

Now that you know how to add fields to your form, continue to the <Link href="/preact/guides/input-components/">input components</Link> guide to learn about creating reusable input components for your forms.