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React Gantt - Zustand Tutorial

This tutorial will guide you through creating a React TypeScript application with Vite, integrating DHTMLX React Gantt component, and managing state with Zustand.

Prerequisites​

  • Basic knowledge of React, TypeScript, Vite, and Zustand
  • Recommended: read Basics to understand the data binding mode and the data.save callback this tutorial builds on.

Quick setup - create the project​

Before you start, install Node.js.

Create a Vite React + TypeScript project:

npm create vite@latest react-gantt-zustand-demo -- --template react-ts  
cd react-gantt-zustand-demo

Now let's install the required dependencies.

  • For npm:
npm install zustand @mui/material @mui/icons-material @emotion/react @emotion/styled
  • For yarn:
yarn add zustand @mui/material @mui/icons-material @emotion/react @emotion/styled

Then we need to install the React Gantt package.

Installing React Gantt​

Install React Gantt as described in .

In this tutorial we use the evaluation package:

npm install @dhtmlx/trial-react-gantt

or

yarn add @dhtmlx/trial-react-gantt

If you already use the Professional package, replace @dhtmlx/trial-react-gantt with @dhx/react-gantt in the commands and imports.

Now you can start the dev server:

npm run dev

You should now have your React project running on http://localhost:5173.

note

To make Gantt occupy the entire space of the body, you need to remove the default styles from the App.css file located in the src folder and add the following one:

#root { 
  margin: 0; 
  padding: 0; 
  height: 100%; 
  width: 100%; 
}

Setting Up Sample Data and Configuration​

Create sample data for our Gantt chart in src/seed/Seed.ts which will contain the initial data:

import type { SerializedTask, Link, GanttConfig } from '@dhtmlx/trial-react-gantt';

export type ZoomLevel = 'day' | 'month' | 'year';

export const defaultZoomLevels: NonNullable<GanttConfig['zoom']> = { 
  current: 'day', 
  levels: [ 
  { name: 'day', scale_height: 27, min_column_width: 80, scales: [{ unit: 'day', step: 1, format: '%d %M' }] }, 
  { name: 'month', scale_height: 50, min_column_width: 120, scales: [{ unit: 'month', format: '%F, %Y' }, { unit: 'week', format: 'Week #%W' }] }, 
  { name: 'year', scale_height: 50, min_column_width: 30, scales: [{ unit: 'year', step: 1, format: '%Y' }] }, 
  ], 
};

export const seedTasks: SerializedTask[] = [ 
  { id: 1, text: 'Office itinerancy', type: 'project', start_date: new Date(2025, 3, 2).toISOString(), duration: 17, progress: 0.4, parent: 0, open: true }, 
  { id: 2, text: 'Office facing', type: 'project', start_date: new Date(2025, 3, 2).toISOString(), duration: 8, progress: 0.6, parent: 1, open: true }, 
  { id: 3, text: 'Furniture installation', type: 'project', start_date: new Date(2025, 3, 11).toISOString(), duration: 8, progress: 0.6, parent: 1, open: true }, 
  { id: 4, text: 'The employee relocation', type: 'project', start_date: new Date(2025, 3, 13).toISOString(), duration: 5, progress: 0.5, parent: 1, priority: 3, open: true }, 
  { id: 5, text: 'Interior office', type: 'task', start_date: new Date(2025, 3, 3).toISOString(), duration: 7, progress: 0.6, parent: 2, priority: 1 }, 
  { id: 6, text: 'Air conditioners check', type: 'task', start_date: new Date(2025, 3, 3).toISOString(), duration: 7, progress: 0.6, parent: 2, priority: 2 }, 
  { id: 7, text: 'Workplaces preparation', type: 'task', start_date: new Date(2025, 3, 12).toISOString(), duration: 8, progress: 0.6, parent: 3 }, 
  { id: 8, text: 'Preparing workplaces', type: 'task', start_date: new Date(2025, 3, 14).toISOString(), duration: 5, progress: 0.5, parent: 4, priority: 1 }, 
  { id: 9, text: 'Workplaces importation', type: 'task', start_date: new Date(2025, 3, 21).toISOString(), duration: 4, progress: 0.5, parent: 4 }, 
  { id: 10, text: 'Workplaces exportation', type: 'task', start_date: new Date(2025, 3, 27).toISOString(), duration: 3, progress: 0.5, parent: 4, priority: 2 }
];

export const seedLinks: Link[] = [ 
  { id: 2, source: 2, target: 3, type: '0' },
  { id: 3, source: 3, target: 4, type: '0' },
  { id: 7, source: 8, target: 9, type: '0' }
];

Building the Control Toolbar Component​

Now, let's add a Toolbar component in src/components/Toolbar.tsx.

This component gives users quick access to common Gantt controls, like zooming between day, month, and year views, and performing undo/redo actions.

import Divider from '@mui/material/Divider';  
import ButtonGroup from '@mui/material/ButtonGroup';  
import UndoIcon from '@mui/icons-material/Undo';  
import RedoIcon from '@mui/icons-material/Redo';  
import Button from '@mui/material/Button';  
import type { ZoomLevel } from '../seed/Seed';

export interface ToolbarProps {  
  onUndo?: () => void;  
  onRedo?: () => void;  
  onZoom?: (level: ZoomLevel) => void;  
  currentZoom?: ZoomLevel;  
}

export default function Toolbar({ onUndo, onRedo, onZoom, currentZoom = 'month' }: ToolbarProps) {  
  return (  
    <div style={{ display: 'flex', justifyContent: 'start', padding: '10px 10px 20px', gap: '10px' }}>  
      <ButtonGroup>  
        <Button onClick={() => onUndo?.()}>  
          <UndoIcon />  
        </Button>  
        <Button onClick={() => onRedo?.()}>  
          <RedoIcon />  
        </Button>  
      </ButtonGroup>  
      <Divider orientation="vertical"></Divider>  
      <ButtonGroup>  
        <Button onClick={() => onZoom?.('day')} variant={currentZoom === 'day' ? 'contained' : 'outlined'}>  
          Day  
        </Button>  
        <Button onClick={() => onZoom?.('month')} variant={currentZoom === 'month' ? 'contained' : 'outlined'}>  
          Month  
        </Button>  
        <Button onClick={() => onZoom?.('year')} variant={currentZoom === 'year' ? 'contained' : 'outlined'}>  
          Year  
        </Button>  
      </ButtonGroup>  
    </div>  
  );  
}

We use Material UI components (Button, ButtonGroup, Divider, and icons) to create a simple, clean toolbar layout that provides intuitive controls for the Gantt chart.

The toolbar accepts the following optional props that enable seamless integration with our Zustand store:

  • onUndo and onRedo - callback functions for undo/redo actions.
  • onZoom - a callback that updates the zoom level in our Zustand store when users click zoom buttons
  • currentZoom - indicates which zoom level is currently active, allowing the toolbar to highlight the selected button
  • The buttons for "Day", "Month", and "Year" call onZoom('day'), onZoom('month'), or onZoom('year') respectively. The selected zoom level button uses variant="contained", while the others are outlined, providing a clear visual cue for the current state.

The toolbar connects directly to Zustand store actions:

  • Zoom Controls: When a user clicks "Day", we call setZoom('day') from our Zustand store, which automatically updates the Gantt chart's configuration and triggers a re-render
  • The Undo button will trigger the store's undo() method to revert to previous states
  • The Redo button will call redo() to reapply changes
  • All state changes (task edits, deletions, zoom adjustments, etc.) are tracked in our custom history system and can be reversed or reapplied seamlessly

Creating the Main Gantt Component​

Let's start by building our main component that will host the Gantt chart. Create src/components/GanttComponent.tsx.

First, we import useEffect, useMemo, and useRef from React, the main ReactGantt component and types from the Gantt package, our custom Toolbar component, and the useGanttStore hook from the Zustand store:

import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef } from 'react';  
import ReactGantt, { ReactGanttProps, Link, ReactGanttRef, SerializedTask } from '@dhtmlx/trial-react-gantt';  
import '@dhtmlx/trial-react-gantt/dist/react-gantt.css';

import Toolbar from './Toolbar';
import { useGanttStore } from '../store';

Now, let's set up the component and connect it to our Zustand store:

export default function DemoZustand() {  
  const ganttRef = useRef<ReactGanttRef>(null);

  const { tasks, links, config, setZoom, addTask, upsertTask, deleteTask, addLink, upsertLink, deleteLink, undo, redo } = useGanttStore();

  useEffect(() => {  
    document.title = 'DHTMLX React Gantt | Zustand';  
  }, []);
  • ganttRef provides direct access to the Gantt instance for imperative operations
  • We extract state and actions directly from our Zustand store in a single destructuring
  • useEffect sets the document title when the component mounts

Let's configure the Gantt chart's templates which define date formatting and parsing for consistent data handling:

const templates: ReactGanttProps['templates'] = useMemo(  
  () => ({  
    format_date: (d) => d.toISOString(),  
    parse_date: (s) => new Date(s),  
  }),  
  []  
);

The most critical part - connecting Gantt data changes to our Zustand store:

const data: ReactGanttProps['data'] = useMemo(  
  () => ({  
    save: (entity, action, item, id) => {  
      if (entity === 'task') {  
        const task = item as SerializedTask;  
        if (action === 'create') return addTask(task);  
        else if (action === 'update') upsertTask(task);  
        else if (action === 'delete') deleteTask(id);  
      } else if (entity === 'link') {  
        const link = item as Link;  
        if (action === 'create') return addLink(link);  
        else if (action === 'update') upsertLink(link);  
        else if (action === 'delete') deleteLink(id);  
      }  
    },  
  }),  
  [addTask, addLink, upsertTask, upsertLink, deleteTask, deleteLink]  
);
  • The data.save callback handles all data modifications from the Gantt chart
  • It routes different operations (create, update, delete) to appropriate store actions
  • The dependency array ensures the callback updates when store actions change

If you need a deeper explanation of this callback, see Handling changes with data.save in the Basics guide.

Finally, we render the complete component:

return (  
  <div style={{ height: '100%', display: 'flex', flexDirection: 'column' }}>  
    <Toolbar onUndo={undo} onRedo={redo} currentZoom={config.zoom.current} onZoom={setZoom} />  
    <ReactGantt ref={ganttRef} tasks={tasks} links={links} config={config} templates={templates} data={data} />  
  </div>  
);
  • The Toolbar receives handlers for undo/redo and zoom controls
  • The ReactGantt component receives all data, configuration, and callbacks

And then update your src/App.tsx to use our Gantt component:

import './App.css';  
import GanttComponent from './components/GanttComponent';

function App() {  
  return (  
    <div style={{ height: '100vh', width: '95vw' }}>  
      <GanttComponent />  
    </div>  
  );  
}

export default App;

Setting Up the Zustand Store​

Now let's create our state management solution using Zustand. Create src/store.ts:

import { create } from 'zustand';  
import type { Link, GanttConfig, SerializedTask } from '@dhtmlx/trial-react-gantt';  
import { seedTasks, seedLinks, defaultZoomLevels, type ZoomLevel } from './seed/Seed';

type Snapshot = { tasks: SerializedTask[]; links: Link[]; config: GanttConfig };  
type State = {  
  tasks: SerializedTask[];  
  links: Link[];  
  config: GanttConfig;  
  past: Snapshot[];  
  future: Snapshot[];  
  maxHistory: number;  
  recordHistory: () => void;  
  undo: () => void;  
  redo: () => void;

  setZoom: (level: ZoomLevel) => void;  
  addTask: (task: SerializedTask) => SerializedTask;  
  upsertTask: (task: SerializedTask) => void;  
  deleteTask: (id: string | number) => void;  
  addLink: (l: Link) => Link;  
  upsertLink: (l: Link) => void;  
  deleteLink: (id: string | number) => void;  
};

Here we declare:

  • tasks, links, and config - the main Gantt data managed by the store.
  • past and future - arrays for undo/redo history.
  • recordHistory() - a helper function to create snapshots before every change.
  • setZoom, addTask, upsertTask, deleteTask, etc. - state modification actions for tasks and links.

Now we need to implement the store actions that will handle state updates:

export const useGanttStore = create<State>((set, get) => ({  
  tasks: seedTasks,  
  links: seedLinks,  
  config: { zoom: defaultZoomLevels },

  past: [],  
  future: [],  
  maxHistory: 50,

  recordHistory: () => {  
    const { tasks, links, config, past, maxHistory } = get();  
    const snapshot = {  
      tasks: JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(tasks)),  
      links: JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(links)),  
      config: JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(config)),  
    };  
    set({  
      past: [...past.slice(-maxHistory + 1), snapshot],  
      future: [],  
    });  
  },

  undo: () => {  
    const { past, future, tasks, links, config } = get();  
    if (past.length === 0) return;  
    const previous = past[past.length - 1];  
    set({  
      tasks: previous.tasks,  
      links: previous.links,  
      past: past.slice(0, -1),  
      future: [{ tasks, links, config }, ...future],  
      config: previous.config,  
    });  
  },

  redo: () => {  
    const { past, future, tasks, links, config } = get();  
    if (future.length === 0) return;  
    const next = future[0];  
    set({  
      tasks: next.tasks,  
      links: next.links,  
      past: [...past, { tasks, links, config }],  
      config: next.config,  
      future: future.slice(1),  
    });  
  },

  setZoom: (level) => {  
    get().recordHistory();  
    set({  
      config: { ...get().config, zoom: { ...get().config.zoom, current: level } },  
    });  
  },

  addTask: (task) => {  
    get().recordHistory();  
    const newTask = { ...task, id: `DB_ID:${task.id}` };  
    set({ tasks: [...get().tasks, newTask] });  
    return newTask;  
  },

  upsertTask: (task) => {  
    get().recordHistory();  
    const tasks = get().tasks;  
    const index = tasks.findIndex((x) => String(x.id) === String(task.id));  
    if (index !== -1) {  
      set({  
        tasks: [...tasks.slice(0, index), { ...tasks[index], ...task }, ...tasks.slice(index + 1)],  
      });  
    }  
  },

  deleteTask: (id) => {  
    get().recordHistory();  
    set({ tasks: get().tasks.filter((t) => String(t.id) !== String(id)) });  
  },

  addLink: (l) => {  
    get().recordHistory();  
    const newLink = { ...l, id: `DB_ID:${l.id}` };  
    set({ links: [...get().links, newLink] });  
    return newLink;  
  },

  upsertLink: (l) => {  
    get().recordHistory();  
    const links = get().links;  
    const index = links.findIndex((x) => String(x.id) === String(l.id));  
    if (index !== -1) {  
      set({  
        links: [...links.slice(0, index), { ...links[index], ...l }, ...links.slice(index + 1)],  
      });  
    }  
  },

  deleteLink: (id) => {  
    get().recordHistory();  
    set({ links: get().links.filter((l) => String(l.id) !== String(id)) });  
  },  
}));
  • set function directly updates the state
  • get function allows accessing current state values
  • setZoom updates the zoom level of the Gantt config
  • addTask creates new tasks with simulated database IDs
  • upsertTask handles updates of an existing task by ID
  • deleteTask removes tasks by ID
  • Similar patterns are used for link operations

History Management (Undo/Redo)​

To enable undo and redo functionality, we define recordHistory, undo, and redo:

  • recordHistory() creates a deep copy ("snapshot") of the current Gantt state before any modification.
  • undo() rolls back to the most recent snapshot in past, while saving the current state to future.
  • redo() reapplies the next available snapshot from future back into the store.

These methods allow the user to move backward and forward through recent Gantt state changes

Each modifying action calls recordHistory() before performing changes to ensure every state transition is stored and reversible.

Run the application​

Finally, we can run the dev server and test our application:

npm run dev

or:

yarn dev

Summary​

In this tutorial you've:

  • created a Vite + React project
  • added React Gantt and connected it to a Zustand store
  • implemented snapshot-based undo/redo in the store using past/future history arrays
  • drove zoom configuration, tasks and links entirely from Zustand state
  • used the data.save callback so that every change in the Gantt chart is turned into a store action.

This keeps the Gantt component fully declarative, while all mutation logic and history handling are encapsulated inside the Zustand store.

GitHub demo repository​

A complete working project that follows this tutorial is provided on GitHub.

What's next​

To go further: