using-refs

React ref accesses UE component instances via nativePtr for widget interaction, while PuerTS $ref/$unref handles C++ out parameters required by UE APIs like GetDataTableRowNames and CaptureMouse. Use React ref for component references; use $ref/$unref to supply and extract values from API calls.

Attach a React ref callback to a CanvasPanel or other widget component, then access the underlying UE object through ref.nativePtr. Enforce constructor binding to maintain correct callback lifecycle and ensure the reference persists across re-renders.

Use $ref/$unref when calling UE APIs that require out parameters—containers that extract values from C++ function calls. React ref alone cannot handle these output parameters; $ref wraps the container, $unref retrieves the result after the API call completes.

No. React ref retrieves component instances; it cannot supply or extract values from C++ out parameters. You must use PuerTS $ref/$unref containers for out parameter handling in UE API calls like data retrieval and input capture.

Common patterns include attaching React ref to widgets for CaptureMouse calls, using $ref/$unref with GetDataTableRowNames to extract row data, and managing ref lifecycle through constructor binding to prevent stale references during widget interaction.