docs/rules/no-string-refs.md
# Disallow using string references (`react/no-string-refs`)
💼 This rule is enabled in the ☑️ `recommended` [config](https://github.com/jsx-eslint/eslint-plugin-react/#shareable-configs).
<!-- end auto-generated rule header -->
Currently, two ways are supported by React to refer to components. The first way, providing a string identifier, is now considered legacy in the official documentation. The documentation now prefers a second method -- referring to components by setting a property on the `this` object in the reference callback.
## Rule Details
Examples of **incorrect** code for this rule:
```jsx
var Hello = createReactClass({
render: function() {
return <div ref="hello">Hello, world.</div>;
}
});
```
```jsx
var Hello = createReactClass({
componentDidMount: function() {
var component = this.refs.hello;
// ...do something with component
},
render: function() {
return <div ref="hello">Hello, world.</div>;
}
});
```
Examples of **correct** code for this rule:
```jsx
var Hello = createReactClass({
componentDidMount: function() {
var component = this.hello;
// ...do something with component
},
render() {
return <div ref={(c) => { this.hello = c; }}>Hello, world.</div>;
}
});
```
## Rule Options
```js
"react/no-string-refs": [<enabled>, {"noTemplateLiterals": <boolean>}]
```
### `noTemplateLiterals`
When set to `true`, it will give warning when using template literals for refs.
Examples of **incorrect** code for this rule:
```jsx
var Hello = createReactClass({
render: function() {
return <div ref={`hello`}>Hello, world.</div>;
}
});
```
```jsx
var Hello = createReactClass({
render: function() {
return <div ref={`hello${index}`}>Hello, world.</div>;
}
});
```