---
id: basics-component-textinput
title: TextInput
layout: docs
category: The Basics
permalink: docs/basics-component-textinput.html
next: basics-component-scrollview
---

Direct text-based user input is a foundation for many apps. Writing a post or comment on a page is a canonical example of this. [`TextInput`](/react-native/docs/textinput.html#content) is a basic component that allows the user to enter text.

This example creates a simple `TextInput` box with the `string` `Type something here` as the placeholder when the `TextInput` is empty.

```ReactNativeWebPlayer
import React, { Component } from 'react';
import { AppRegistry, Text, TextInput, View } from 'react-native';

class TextInputBasics extends Component {
  render() {
    return (
      <View style={{paddingTop: 22}}>
        <TextInput
          style={{
            height: 40,
            margin: 5,
            paddingLeft: 10,
            borderColor: 'black',
            borderWidth: 1
          }}
          placeholder="Type something here"
        />
      </View>
    );
  }
}

// App registration and rendering
AppRegistry.registerComponent('AwesomeProject', () => TextInputBasics);
```