findDOMNode()

Use callback refs over findDOMNode()

Note: React also supports using a string (instead of a callback) as a ref prop on any component, although this approach is mostly legacy at this point.

• More about refs

• Why ref-string is legacy?

findDOMNode(this)

Before:

class MyComponent extends Component {
  componentDidMount() {
    findDOMNode(this).scrollIntoView();
  }

  render() {
    return <div />
  }
}

After

class MyComponent extends Component {
  componentDidMount() {
    this.node.scrollIntoView();
  }

  render() {
    return <div ref={node => this.node = node}/>
  }
}

findDOMNode(stringDOMRef)

Before

class MyComponent extends Component {
  componentDidMount() {
    findDOMNode(this.refs.something).scrollIntoView();
  }

  render() {
    return (
      <div>
        <div ref='something'/>
      </div>
    )
  }
}

After

class MyComponent extends Component {
  componentDidMount() {
    this.something.scrollIntoView();
  }

  render() {
    return (
      <div>
        <div ref={node => this.something = node}/>
      </div>
    )
  }
}

findDOMNode(childComponentStringRef)

Before:

class Field extends Component {
  render() {
    return <input type='text'/>
  }
}

class MyComponent extends Component {
  componentDidMount() {
    findDOMNode(this.refs.myInput).focus();
  }

  render() {
    return (
      <div>
        Hello,
        <Field ref='myInput'/>
      </div>
    )
  }
}

After

class Field extends Component {
  render() {
    return (
      <input type='text' ref={this.props.inputRef}/>
    )
  }
}

class MyComponent extends Component {
  componentDidMount() {
    this.inputNode.focus();
  }

  render() {
    return (
      <div>
        Hello,
        <Field inputRef={node => this.inputNode = node}/>
      </div>
    )
  }
}

Related links:

• Getting rid of findDOMNode in your React application

• ReactJS findDOMNode()

• ESLint Rule proposal: warn against using findDOMNode()

• Refs and the DOM