What does the useRef hook do, and when do we use it?

The useRef hook in React allows you to create a mutable object that persists across renders of your component. This object can hold a reference to a DOM element or any other value that you want to persist between renders.

What useRef does and when you might use it:

• Preserving Values Between Renders: useRef creates a reference object that persists across re-renders of your component. Unlike a state, changing the value of a useRef doesn’t trigger a re-render.
• Accessing DOM Elements: One common use case for useRef is to access and interact with DOM elements directly. You can use the ref attribute to attach an useRef object to a DOM element, allowing you to manipulate it programmatically.
• Storing Previous Values: You can also use useRef to store previous values between renders. For example, you might want to compare the current value of a state or prop with its previous value to trigger certain actions.
• Preserving Values in Event Handlers: useRef can help preserve values in event handlers. Since the current property of a useRef object persists between renders, you can safely reference it inside event handlers without causing side effects
• Optimizing Performance: In some cases, using useRef can help optimize performance by avoiding unnecessary re-renders when working with values that don’t need to be part of the component’s state.
• Accessing Instance Variables in Functional Components: In class components, you could use instance variables to store values that persisted between renders. useRef provides a similar functionality for functional components by allowing you to create mutable values that persist across renders.

useRef is used to create mutable references that persist between renders, making it useful for accessing DOM elements, storing previous values, and optimizing performance in certain scenarios.