Monitoring DOM element without useRef

Monitoring DOM Element without useRef

When working with TypeScript and React, there are often situations where you need to monitor changes to a DOM element. One common approach to achieve this is by using the useRef hook. However, there might be cases where you want to avoid using useRef and find an alternative solution. In this blog post, we will explore different ways to monitor a DOM element without using useRef.

1. Using the `onLoad` event

One way to monitor a DOM element is by using the onLoad event. This event is triggered when an element has finished loading. By attaching an event listener to this event, we can perform actions whenever the element changes.


  {`
  import React, { useEffect } from 'react';
  
  function ExampleComponent() {
    useEffect(() => {
      const element = document.getElementById('myElement');
      const handleLoad = () => {
        // Perform actions when element changes
      };
      element.addEventListener('load', handleLoad);
      
      return () => {
        element.removeEventListener('load', handleLoad);
      };
    }, []);
    
    return (
      
        {/* Element content */}
      
    );
  }
  `}

2. Using the `MutationObserver` API

Another approach is to use the MutationObserver API, which allows you to observe changes to the DOM. By creating a new instance of MutationObserver and specifying a callback function, you can monitor mutations to a specific element.


  {`
  import React, { useEffect } from 'react';
  
  function ExampleComponent() {
    useEffect(() => {
      const element = document.getElementById('myElement');
      const observer = new MutationObserver((mutations) => {
        // Perform actions when element changes
      });
      observer.observe(element, { attributes: true, childList: true, subtree: true });
      
      return () => {
        observer.disconnect();
      };
    }, []);
    
    return (
      
        {/* Element content */}
      
    );
  }
  `}

Conclusion

While the useRef hook is commonly used to monitor DOM elements in React, there are alternative solutions available. By utilizing the onLoad event or the MutationObserver API, you can achieve the same result without relying on useRef. Choose the approach that best suits your needs and enjoy monitoring DOM elements in your TypeScript projects!

We hope you found this blog post helpful. If you have any further questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below.

Monitoring DOM element without useRef