[compiler] Show a ref name hint when assigning to non-ref in a callback (facebook#34298)

josephsavona · web-flow · commit 8d7b5e490320 · 2025-08-27T17:05:44.000-07:00
In facebook#34125 I added a hint where if you assign to the .current property of a frozen object, we suggest naming the variable as `ref` or `-Ref`. However, the tracking for mutations that assign to .current specifically wasn't propagated past function expression boundaries, which meant that the hint only showed up if you mutated the ref in the main body of the component/hook. That's less likely to happen since most folks know not to access refs in render. What's more likely is that you'll (correctly) assign a ref in an effect or callback, but the compiler will throw an error. By showing a hint in this case we can help people understand the naming pattern. --- [//]: # (BEGIN SAPLING FOOTER) Stack created with [Sapling](https://sapling-scm.com). Best reviewed with [ReviewStack](https://reviewstack.dev/facebook/react/pull/34298). * facebook#34276 * __->__ facebook#34298
diff --git a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/HIR/PrintHIR.ts b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/HIR/PrintHIR.ts
@@ -984,7 +984,7 @@ export function printAliasingEffect(effect: AliasingEffect): string {
     case 'MutateConditionally':
     case 'MutateTransitive':
     case 'MutateTransitiveConditionally': {
-      return `${effect.kind} ${printPlaceForAliasEffect(effect.value)}`;
+      return `${effect.kind} ${printPlaceForAliasEffect(effect.value)}${effect.kind === 'Mutate' && effect.reason?.kind === 'AssignCurrentProperty' ? ' (assign `.current`)' : ''}`;
     }
     case 'MutateFrozen': {
       return `MutateFrozen ${printPlaceForAliasEffect(effect.place)} reason=${JSON.stringify(effect.error.reason)}`;
diff --git a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/Inference/InferMutationAliasingRanges.ts b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/Inference/InferMutationAliasingRanges.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import {
 } from '../HIR/visitors';
 import {assertExhaustive, getOrInsertWith} from '../Utils/utils';
 import {Err, Ok, Result} from '../Utils/Result';
-import {AliasingEffect} from './AliasingEffects';
+import {AliasingEffect, MutationReason} from './AliasingEffects';
 
 /**
  * This pass builds an abstract model of the heap and interprets the effects of the
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ export function inferMutationAliasingRanges(
     transitive: boolean;
     kind: MutationKind;
     place: Place;
+    reason: MutationReason | null;
   }> = [];
   const renders: Array<{index: number; place: Place}> = [];
 
@@ -176,6 +177,7 @@ export function inferMutationAliasingRanges(
               effect.kind === 'MutateTransitive'
                 ? MutationKind.Definite
                 : MutationKind.Conditional,
+            reason: null,
             place: effect.value,
           });
         } else if (
@@ -190,6 +192,7 @@ export function inferMutationAliasingRanges(
               effect.kind === 'Mutate'
                 ? MutationKind.Definite
                 : MutationKind.Conditional,
+            reason: effect.kind === 'Mutate' ? (effect.reason ?? null) : null,
             place: effect.value,
           });
         } else if (
@@ -241,6 +244,7 @@ export function inferMutationAliasingRanges(
       mutation.transitive,
       mutation.kind,
       mutation.place.loc,
+      mutation.reason,
       errors,
     );
   }
@@ -267,6 +271,7 @@ export function inferMutationAliasingRanges(
         functionEffects.push({
           kind: 'Mutate',
           value: {...place, loc: node.local.loc},
+          reason: node.mutationReason,
         });
       }
     }
@@ -507,6 +512,7 @@ export function inferMutationAliasingRanges(
       true,
       MutationKind.Conditional,
       into.loc,
+      null,
       ignoredErrors,
     );
     for (const from of tracked) {
@@ -580,6 +586,7 @@ type Node = {
   transitive: {kind: MutationKind; loc: SourceLocation} | null;
   local: {kind: MutationKind; loc: SourceLocation} | null;
   lastMutated: number;
+  mutationReason: MutationReason | null;
   value:
     | {kind: 'Object'}
     | {kind: 'Phi'}
@@ -599,6 +606,7 @@ class AliasingState {
       transitive: null,
       local: null,
       lastMutated: 0,
+      mutationReason: null,
       value,
     });
   }
@@ -697,6 +705,7 @@ class AliasingState {
     transitive: boolean,
     startKind: MutationKind,
     loc: SourceLocation,
+    reason: MutationReason | null,
     errors: CompilerError,
   ): void {
     const seen = new Map<Identifier, MutationKind>();
@@ -717,6 +726,7 @@ class AliasingState {
       if (node == null) {
         continue;
       }
+      node.mutationReason ??= reason;
       node.lastMutated = Math.max(node.lastMutated, index);
       if (end != null) {
         node.id.mutableRange.end = makeInstructionId(
diff --git a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/error.assign-ref-in-effect-hint.expect.md b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/error.assign-ref-in-effect-hint.expect.md
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+
+## Input
+
+```javascript
+// Fixture to test that we show a hint to name as `ref` or `-Ref` when attempting
+// to assign .current inside an effect
+function Component({foo}) {
+  useEffect(() => {
+    foo.current = true;
+  }, [foo]);
+}
+
+```
+
+
+## Error
+
+```
+Found 1 error:
+
+Error: This value cannot be modified
+
+Modifying component props or hook arguments is not allowed. Consider using a local variable instead.
+
+error.assign-ref-in-effect-hint.ts:5:4
+  3 | function Component({foo}) {
+  4 |   useEffect(() => {
+> 5 |     foo.current = true;
+    |     ^^^ `foo` cannot be modified
+  6 |   }, [foo]);
+  7 | }
+  8 |
+
+Hint: If this value is a Ref (value returned by `useRef()`), rename the variable to end in "Ref".
+```
+          
+      
diff --git a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/error.assign-ref-in-effect-hint.js b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/error.assign-ref-in-effect-hint.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+// Fixture to test that we show a hint to name as `ref` or `-Ref` when attempting
+// to assign .current inside an effect
+function Component({foo}) {
+  useEffect(() => {
+    foo.current = true;
+  }, [foo]);
+}
diff --git a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/error.invalid-mutate-context-in-callback.expect.md b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/error.invalid-mutate-context-in-callback.expect.md
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ error.invalid-mutate-context-in-callback.ts:12:4
   13 |   };
   14 |   return <div onClick={onClick} />;
   15 | }
+
+Hint: If this value is a Ref (value returned by `useRef()`), rename the variable to end in "Ref".
 ```
           
       

Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -984,7 +984,7 @@ export function printAliasingEffect(effect: AliasingEffect): string {`
`984`	`984`	`case 'MutateConditionally':`
`985`	`985`	`case 'MutateTransitive':`
`986`	`986`	`case 'MutateTransitiveConditionally': {`
`987`		- return `${effect.kind} ${printPlaceForAliasEffect(effect.value)}`;
	`987`	+ return `${effect.kind} ${printPlaceForAliasEffect(effect.value)}${effect.kind === 'Mutate' && effect.reason?.kind === 'AssignCurrentProperty' ? ' (assign `.current`)' : ''}`;
`988`	`988`	`}`
`989`	`989`	`case 'MutateFrozen': {`
`990`	`990`	return `MutateFrozen ${printPlaceForAliasEffect(effect.place)} reason=${JSON.stringify(effect.error.reason)}`;