Learn useRef in 11 Minutes
Web Dev Simplified・2 minutes read
The video explains the benefits and proper use of the useRef hook in React, demonstrating its ability to persist values without causing re-renders. It warns against using useRef for state management or directly manipulating DOM elements, highlighting its usefulness in scenarios like storing previous state values.
Insights
- The useRef hook in React is highlighted as a valuable tool for persisting values between renders without causing re-renders, making it ideal for scenarios where state updates could lead to infinite loops.
- While useRef is beneficial for referencing HTML elements and storing previous state values, caution is advised against misusing it for state management or direct DOM manipulation to avoid potential code complexity and problems.
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Recent questions
What is the useRef hook in React?
A tool to persist values between renders.
How can useRef be used to reference HTML elements?
By setting a ref attribute to any ref.
What are the common pitfalls of misusing useRef?
Code complexity and potential issues.
How does useRef differ from state in React?
useRef persists values without re-renders.
What are some practical use cases for the useRef hook?
Storing previous state values and focusing on input elements.
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Summary
00:00
"Mastering useRef: React's Flexible Hook"
- The video covers the most misused but flexible React hook, the useRef hook, aiming to prevent common mistakes while showcasing its capabilities.
- To understand useRef, a basic React application with state for a name and an input that changes the name is used as an example.
- Initially, an attempt is made to track the number of times a component renders using state, but it leads to an infinite loop due to re-rendering caused by state updates.
- The solution lies in using useRef, which persists values between renders without triggering re-renders, unlike state.
- useRef is particularly useful for referencing HTML elements, with each element having a ref attribute that can be set to any ref.
- A common use case for useRef is focusing on an input element on button click, demonstrating how to achieve this functionality.
- It's cautioned against misusing useRef for managing state or manipulating DOM elements directly, as it can lead to code complexity and issues.
- Another valuable use case for useRef is storing the previous value of state, which is not possible with state alone, showcasing how to achieve this with useRef.
