FormState

Formstate is a term used in user interface design and software development to describe the runtime data that represents the current status of a user input form. It encompasses both the input values and metadata about those values, such as validation results and user interactions.

A formstate typically includes: values, which hold the current field values; errors, which contain validation messages; touched or visited fields, indicating which fields the user has interacted with; dirty or pristine indicators showing whether any value has changed from its initial value; and status flags such as isValid, isSubmitting, isSubmitted, and submitCount. Some implementations also track submitting, submitError, and reset counters. This collection of information enables dynamic feedback and controlled form behavior.

In practice, formstate is managed by form libraries or by application state code. It enables real-time validation, conditional user interface feedback, and structured submission flows. Common patterns include schema-based validation, asynchronous validation, and centralized handlers for onChange and onSubmit. Developers must balance the immediacy of feedback with performance considerations, especially on large forms.

Many frontend ecosystems provide built-in or third-party solutions for form state management. Libraries in various frameworks expose a formState object that surfaces flags such as isValid and isSubmitting, along with errors and touched fields. The term is also used more generally to describe the state object that a form component maintains within an application.

See also: form validation, form management libraries, controlled components, user experience for forms.