What are refs in React? When should they be used?
Answer
Refs provide a way to access DOM nodes or React elements created in the render method. Refs should be used sparringly, but there are some good use cases for refs, such as:
Managing focus, text selection, or media playback.
Triggering imperative animations.
Integrating with third-party DOM libraries.
Refs are created using React.createRef()
method and attached to React elements via the ref
attribute. In order to use refs throughout the component, assign the ref
to the instance property within the constructor:
Refs can also be used in functional components with the help of closures.
Good to hear
Refs are used to return a reference to an element.
Refs shouldn't be overused.
You can create a ref using
React.createRef()
and attach to elements via theref
attribute.
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