React dynamic component not rendering

Question

I have this function that generates dynamic components based on an API

const renderWork = () =>{
  let DOM = []

  fetch('/api/work/')
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(res => {
    for (let i = 0; i < res.length; i++){
      DOM.push(
        <Item id={res[i]._id}>
          <Item.Image src={res[i].imageURL} />
          <Item.Content>
            <Item.Header as='a'>Watchmen</Item.Header>
            <Item.Meta>
              <span className='cinema'>{res[i].createdDate}</span>
            </Item.Meta>
              <Item.Description>{res[i].description}</Item.Description>
            <Item.Extra>
              <Label>Hi</Label>

              <Button primary floated='right'>
                Buy tickets
                <Icon name='right chevron' />
              </Button>
            </Item.Extra>
          </Item.Content>
        </Item>
      )
    }
  })

  return DOM
}

I am trying to render those items by calling the renderWork() function in the main component

The main Componenet:

function Work(){

  return (   
    <div>
      <Nav/> 
      <div style={css.body}>
      <Item.Group divided>
        {renderWork()}
      </Item.Group>

      </div>
    </div>
  )
}

I am not sure why doesn't it render on the page I tried:

• Making the DOM a state and change it.

• using the useEffect hook to manage the state and/or the DOM

still, the items won't render

I am using react.semantic-UI for my components

Answer 1

I would keep api and component rendering separate.

const renderWork = () => {
  return fetch('/api/work/')
    .then(res => res.json())
}

function WorkItem({item}) {
  return <Item id={item._id}>
          <Item.Image src={item.imageURL} />
          <Item.Content>
            <Item.Header as='a'>Watchmen</Item.Header>
            <Item.Meta>
              <span className='cinema'>{item.createdDate}</span>
            </Item.Meta>
              <Item.Description>{item.description}</Item.Description>
            <Item.Extra>
              <Label>Hi</Label>

              <Button primary floated='right'>
                Buy tickets
                <Icon name='right chevron' />
              </Button>
            </Item.Extra>
          </Item.Content>
        </Item>
}

function Work() {
  const [items, setItems] = useState([])

  useEffect(() => {
    renderWork()
      .then(data => {
        setItems(data)
      })
  }, [])

  return (   
    <div>
      <Nav/> 
      <div style={css.body}>
      <Item.Group divided>
        {items.map(item => <WorkItem item={item}/>}
      </Item.Group>

      </div>
    </div>
  )
}