Refhooks

Refhooks is a lightweight library of hooks designed to simplify working with mutable references in component-based user interfaces. It provides durable references that persist across renders and can be shared safely between components without triggering re-renders.

The library offers a small suite of reference-oriented hooks. Core concepts include a durable reference that exposes a current value, a live reference that updates without re-creating the object, and utilities to merge multiple refs or to map keys to refs. These primitives are designed to interoperate with common component lifecycles and to be framework-agnostic within React-like models.

Design and usage: Refhooks emphasizes predictable lifecycles, minimal re-renders, and explicit cleanup. A ref object exposes a current property that can be read or updated as needed. Hooks can be used to obtain and manage DOM element references, cache mutable objects, or coordinate external libraries that require stable references. A useMergedRefs utility allows multiple components to point to the same underlying element or value.

Comparison and limitations: Refhooks is not a replacement for component state or a state management solution. It is intended to store mutable values and element handles efficiently. Misuse can cause memory leaks or stale references, particularly in asynchronous or SSR scenarios. The library is primarily designed for React-like frameworks and may require adapters for other ecosystems.

History and reception: Since its release, Refhooks has been adopted in several open-source projects to improve reference handling and interoperability between components. The project maintains straightforward documentation and a small API surface to encourage safe usage.