Persisting Values Without Re-render
Keep mutable values across renders without triggering re-render; compare useRef vs useState with simple counters and a timer id.
Why useRef?
Aim: Store values that survive re-renders without causing a new render. useRef gives you a stable .current box.
- Persists across renders
- No re-render on change
- Great for timers, previous values
Ref vs State
useState updates re-render the UI. useRef updates do not. Pick ref for mutable helpers (ids, counters for logic), not for UI data.
All lessons in this course
- Persisting Values Without Re-render
- Accessing DOM Nodes, Measuring & Focusing
- Mutable Refs for Timers & IDs