react.dev/tips/16-references-to-components.md

---
id: references-to-components
title: References to Components
layout: tips
permalink: references-to-components.html
prev: expose-component-functions.html
next: children-undefined.html
---

If you're using React components in a larger non-React application or transitioning your code to React, you may need to keep references to components. `React.renderComponent` returns a reference to the mounted component:

```js
/** @jsx React.DOM */

var myComponent = React.renderComponent(<MyComponent />, myContainer);
```

Keep in mind, however, that the "constructor" of a component doesn't return a component instance! It's just a **descriptor**: a lightweight representation that tells React what the mounted component should look like.

```js
/** @jsx React.DOM */

var myComponent = <MyComponent />; // This is just a descriptor.

// Some code here...

myComponent = React.renderComponent(myComponent, myContainer);
```

> Note:
>
> This should only ever be used at the top level. Inside components, let your `props` and `state` handle communication with child components, and only reference components via [refs](http://facebook.github.io/react/docs/more-about-refs.html).
Add documentation about React.renderComponent Recently learned that components passed into `React.renderComponent` may not be the ones actually mounted. Also learned that it returns the mounted component. Added some documentation describing this. 11 years ago			`---`
			`id: references-to-components`
			`title: References to Components`
			`layout: tips`
			`permalink: references-to-components.html`
			`prev: expose-component-functions.html`
[Docs][Tips] Entry on this.props.children and tweak component ref entry Component ref entry wasn't registered in nav_tips. 11 years ago			`next: children-undefined.html`
Add documentation about React.renderComponent Recently learned that components passed into `React.renderComponent` may not be the ones actually mounted. Also learned that it returns the mounted component. Added some documentation describing this. 11 years ago			`---`

			If you're using React components in a larger non-React application or transitioning your code to React, you may need to keep references to components. `React.renderComponent` returns a reference to the mounted component:

			```js
			`/** @jsx React.DOM */`

			`var myComponent = React.renderComponent(<MyComponent />, myContainer);`
			```

[docs] Amend "References to components" tip to mention descriptors. 11 years ago			`Keep in mind, however, that the "constructor" of a component doesn't return a component instance! It's just a descriptor: a lightweight representation that tells React what the mounted component should look like.`

Add documentation about React.renderComponent Recently learned that components passed into `React.renderComponent` may not be the ones actually mounted. Also learned that it returns the mounted component. Added some documentation describing this. 11 years ago			```js
			`/** @jsx React.DOM */`

[docs] Amend "References to components" tip to mention descriptors. 11 years ago			`var myComponent = <MyComponent />; // This is just a descriptor.`
Add documentation about React.renderComponent Recently learned that components passed into `React.renderComponent` may not be the ones actually mounted. Also learned that it returns the mounted component. Added some documentation describing this. 11 years ago
Simplify comment. 11 years ago			`// Some code here...`
Add documentation about React.renderComponent Recently learned that components passed into `React.renderComponent` may not be the ones actually mounted. Also learned that it returns the mounted component. Added some documentation describing this. 11 years ago
			`myComponent = React.renderComponent(myComponent, myContainer);`
			```

			`> Note:`
			`>`
[docs] Amend "References to components" tip to mention descriptors. 11 years ago			> This should only ever be used at the top level. Inside components, let your `props` and `state` handle communication with child components, and only reference components via [refs](http://facebook.github.io/react/docs/more-about-refs.html).