#Refs

React generally favors unidirectional data flow, but sometimes parents need to command children. Learn how to expose specific methods using useImperativeHandle while maintaining encapsulation.

Passing a ref to a child component isn't as simple as passing a prop. We dive into why React throws warnings, how `forwardRef` acts as a tunnel for DOM access, and how `useImperativeHandle` allows you to expose a controlled API instead of the raw DOM node, enforcing better encapsulation.