Replace string ref with React.createRef for ScrollView #170
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Refactor ScrollView reference handling to use React.createRef() instead of a string reference.
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Refactor ScrollView reference handling to use React.createRef() instead of a string reference.
Problem
The ParallaxScrollView component was using the legacy string refs pattern (ref="ScrollView"), which has been deprecated since React 16.3 and completely removed in React 18+. This caused a runtime error:
"TypeError: Cannot create property 'current' on string 'ScrollView'"
Solution
Migrated all string refs to use React.createRef() for class component compatibility with modern React Native and Expo SDK.
Changes Made
✅ Replaced string ref SCROLLVIEW_REF = 'ScrollView' with this.scrollViewRef = React.createRef()
✅ Replaced footer callback ref with React.createRef() pattern
✅ Updated all ref access patterns (this.refs[SCROLLVIEW_REF] → this.scrollViewRef.current)
✅ Added optional chaining for safer ref access in public methods
Testing Checklist
Component renders without errors
Parallax scrolling effect works correctly
Sticky header behavior is intact
Background/foreground fade animations work
Public API methods (scrollTo, getScrollResponder, etc.) function properly
No console warnings related to refs
Tested on both iOS and Android (via Expo Go)
Breaking Changes
None - This is a drop-in replacement that maintains the exact same public API.
Dependencies
No new dependencies required. Compatible with:
React 18+
React Native 0.70+
Expo SDK 47+
Related Issues
Fixes #[issue-number] - TypeError on ParallaxScrollView initialization
Type: Bug Fix
Priority: High (blocking component usage)
Reviewer: @jaysoo @dmfrancisco @AndrewJack @alaycock