npm install react-hook-form@7.70.0 zod@4.3.5 @hookform/resolvers@5.2.2

const schema = z.object({
  email: z.string().email(),
  password: z.string().min(8),
})

type FormData = z.infer<typeof schema>

const { register, handleSubmit, formState: { errors } } = useForm<FormData>({
  resolver: zodResolver(schema),
  defaultValues: { email: '', password: '' }, // REQUIRED to prevent uncontrolled warnings
})

<form onSubmit={handleSubmit(onSubmit)}>
  <input {...register('email')} />
  {errors.email && <span role="alert">{errors.email.message}</span>}
</form>

// SAME schema on server
const data = schema.parse(await req.json())

z.object({ password: z.string(), confirm: z.string() })
  .refine((data) => data.password === data.confirm, {
    message: "Passwords don't match",
    path: ['confirm'], // CRITICAL: Error appears on this field
  })

z.string().transform((val) => val.toLowerCase()) // Data manipulation
z.string().transform(parseInt).refine((v) => v > 0) // Chain with refine

// Exact optional (can omit field, but NOT undefined)
z.string().exactOptional()

// Exclusive union (exactly one must match)
z.xor([z.string(), z.number()])

// Import from JSON Schema
z.fromJSONSchema({ type: "object", properties: { name: { type: "string" } } })

<input {...register('email')} /> // Uncontrolled, best performance

<Controller
  name="category"
  control={control}
  render={({ field }) => <CustomSelect {...field} />} // MUST spread {...field}
/>

{errors.email && <span role="alert">{errors.email.message}</span>}
{errors.address?.street?.message} // Nested errors (use optional chaining)

const onSubmit = async (data) => {
  const res = await fetch('/api/submit', { method: 'POST', body: JSON.stringify(data) })
  if (!res.ok) {
    const { errors: serverErrors } = await res.json()
    Object.entries(serverErrors).forEach(([field, msg]) => setError(field, { message: msg }))
  }
}

const { fields, append, remove } = useFieldArray({ control, name: 'contacts' })

{fields.map((field, index) => (
  <div key={field.id}> {/* CRITICAL: Use field.id, NOT index */}
    <input {...register(`contacts.${index}.name` as const)} />
    {errors.contacts?.[index]?.name && <span>{errors.contacts[index].name.message}</span>}
    <button onClick={() => remove(index)}>Remove</button>
  </div>
))}
<button onClick={() => append({ name: '', email: '' })}>Add</button>

const debouncedValidation = useDebouncedCallback(() => trigger('username'), 500)

const step1 = z.object({ name: z.string(), email: z.string().email() })
const step2 = z.object({ address: z.string() })
const fullSchema = step1.merge(step2)

const nextStep = async () => {
  const isValid = await trigger(['name', 'email']) // Validate specific fields
  if (isValid) setStep(2)
}

z.discriminatedUnion('accountType', [
  z.object({ accountType: z.literal('personal'), name: z.string() }),
  z.object({ accountType: z.literal('business'), companyName: z.string() }),
])

const form = useForm({
  resolver: zodResolver(schema),
  shouldUnregister: false, // Keep values when fields unmount (default)
})

// Or use conditional schema validation:
z.object({
  showAddress: z.boolean(),
  address: z.string(),
}).refine((data) => {
  if (data.showAddress) {
    return data.address.length > 0;
  }
  return true;
}, {
  message: "Address is required",
  path: ["address"],
})

// ✅ Correct:
import { useForm } from "react-hook-form";
import { Form, FormField, FormItem } from "@/components/ui/form"; // shadcn

// ❌ Wrong (auto-import mistake):
import { useForm, Form } from "react-hook-form";

<FormField control={form.control} name="username" render={({ field }) => (
  <FormItem>
    <FormControl><Input {...field} /></FormControl>
    <FormMessage />
  </FormItem>
)} />

// ❌ Slow with 300+ fields:
const { isDirty, isValid } = form.formState;

// ✅ Fast:
const handleSubmit = () => {
  if (!form.formState.isValid) return; // Read inline only when needed
};

const form = useForm({
  resolver: zodResolver(largeSchema),
  mode: "onSubmit", // Validate only on submit, not onChange
});

// Instead of one 300-field form, use 5-6 forms with 50-60 fields each
const form1 = useForm({ resolver: zodResolver(schema1) }); // Fields 1-50
const form2 = useForm({ resolver: zodResolver(schema2) }); // Fields 51-100

// Only mount fields for active tab, reduces initial registration time
{activeTab === 'personal' && <PersonalInfoFields />}
{activeTab === 'address' && <AddressFields />}

// V7:
const { fields } = useFieldArray({ control, name: "items" });
fields.map(field => <div key={field.id}>...</div>)

// V8:
const { fields } = useFieldArray({ control, name: "items" });
fields.map(field => <div key={field.key}>...</div>)
// keyName prop removed

// V7:
<Watch names={["email", "password"]} />

// V8:
<Watch name={["email", "password"]} />

// V7:
watch((data, { name, type }) => {
  console.log(data, name, type);
});

// V8: Use useWatch or manual subscription
const data = useWatch({ control });
useEffect(() => {
  console.log(data);
}, [data]);

// V7:
setValue("items", newArray); // Updates field array

// V8: Must use replace() API
const { replace } = useFieldArray({ control, name: "items" });
replace(newArray);