useref in react class component code example

Example 1: useRef() in react

function TextInputWithFocusButton() {
  const inputEl = useRef(null);
  const onButtonClick = () => {
    // `current` points to the mounted text input element
    inputEl.current.focus();
  };
  return (
    <>
      <input ref={inputEl} type="text" />
      <button onClick={onButtonClick}>Focus the input</button>
    </>
  );
}

Example 2: what does useref do react

const refContainer = useRef(initialValue);
//useRef returns a mutable ref object whose .current property is initialized to the passed argument (initialValue). 
//The returned object will persist for the full lifetime of the component.

Example 3: when to use react ref

WHEN TO USE REACT'S REF ATTRIBUTE?
But it is not always a good idea to use the ref attribute. The general rule of thumb is to avoid it. The official React documentation mentions three occasions where you can use it because you have no other choice.

Managing focus, text selection, or media playback.
Integrating with third-party DOM libraries.
Triggering imperative animations.