reactjs/react-modal

overlayRef and contentRef are undefined on componentDidMount

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#740 opened on Feb 22, 2019

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Description

Summary:

overlayRef and contentRef are undefined on componentDidMount, but have the correct value on componentDidUpdate.

Steps to reproduce:

  1. Set the overlayRef and contentRef prop on ReactModal.

  2. console.log the value of overlayRef and contentRef inside componentDidMount.

  3. The values will be undefined.

Expected behavior:

overlayRef and contentRef should hold the correct values on componentDidMount.

Link to example of issue:

https://codesandbox.io/s/qq9kpwxxp9

Contributor guide

Tech stack
javascriptreact
Domain
frontend
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
2
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
under 1 hour
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.
clear
Prerequisites
Reactrefs in React
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
70
Research direction
The issue shows that overlayRef and contentRef are undefined in componentDidMount. Investigation should focus on where the refs are assigned in the component's lifecycle. The linked codesandbox demonstrates the problem. The solution likely involves assigning refs properly in the render method or using callback refs instead of relying on componentDidMount.