enzymejs/enzyme

.ref on mounted component returns HTML-Element instead of ReactWrapper

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#1459 opened on Jan 2, 2018

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docshelp wantedv3 expected difference

Description

Current behavior

Imagine a component that renders a div with 3 anchor elements inside, each with their ref:

<div>
  <a ref="element1" onClick="..."></a>
  <a ref="element2" onClick="..."></a>
  <a ref="element3" onClick="..."></a>
</div>

And you want to simulate an onclick behavior in a jest test.

So I mount the component: var sut = mount(<Component>);

And then when I get the element wit hthe '.ref()' function, it does not return a ReactWrapper, but an HTMLAnchorElement, which does not have a .simulate or .prop?

However, the following does return a nice ReactWrapper and works as I wanted, but is not nice: sut.find('a').at(0).simulate('click');

My best guess is that I do something wrong, but please forgive me if it is something silly.

Expected behavior

As the documentation says, return a ReactWrapper so I can act on it?

Your environment

?

API

  • shallow
  • mount
  • render

Version

library version
Enzyme 3.3.0
React 16.2.0
Jest 16.2.0
enzyme-adapter-react-16 1.1.1

Adapter

  • enzyme-adapter-react-16
  • enzyme-adapter-react-15
  • enzyme-adapter-react-15.4
  • enzyme-adapter-react-14
  • enzyme-adapter-react-13
  • enzyme-adapter-react-helper
  • others ( )

Contributor guide

Tech stack
javascriptreactjest
Domain
testing
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
mostly clear
Prerequisites
Basic React knowledgeFamiliarity with Enzyme mount API
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
40
Research direction
Start by examining the Enzyme source code, specifically the implementation of the `.ref()` method in the ReactWrapper class (likely in `packages/enzyme/src/ReactWrapper.js`). Look for how refs are resolved and whether they are wrapped in a ReactWrapper or return the raw DOM element. Compare this with the official Enzyme documentation to confirm expected behavior. Also check linked PRs or comments for any prior discussion or attempted fixes.