useRef Hook

The useRef() hook in React is commonly used for accessing DOM elements or storing mutable values without causing re-renders.

In TypeScript, when using useRef, you should specify the type of the element you are referring to. This is done by using React.RefObject<ElementType> where ElementType is the type of the DOM element, like HTMLInputElement for an input element. If the ref stores a mutable value, its type should be defined as well.

For instance, consider a ref attached to an input element:

const inputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);

Here, useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null) initializes inputRef with null, but TypeScript knows it will refer to an HTMLInputElement. This provides autocomplete and type checking when you interact with inputRef.current.

If you're using the ref to store a mutable value (not a DOM element), you can define its type like this:

const valueRef = useRef<number>(0);

This initializes valueRef with a default value of 0, and TypeScript will ensure that valueRef.current is always treated as a number.

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