reactjs / reactjs/react.dev

Clarify why "imperative code using refs should be avoided in most cases."

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Description

The docs for useImperitiveHandle state

useImperativeHandle customizes the instance value that is exposed to parent components when using ref. As always, imperative code using refs should be avoided in most cases. useImperativeHandle should be used with forwardRef

I'm wondering why imperative code using refs should be avoided, perhaps this is something that could be added to the docs?

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Research direction

Start with the useImperativeHandle section in content/docs/hooks-reference.md, especially the statement about avoiding imperative code with refs. Determine what explanation is missing and how it fits the surrounding documentation. Done means the docs clearly explain the reason for the guidance without changing the API recommendation.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
javascript, react
Domain
documentation
Issue type
Documentation
Difficulty
2/5
Estimated time
1-3 hours
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
48/100

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