Hooks: useImperativeHandle is preventing the default behaviour of useRef hook

[Syuks]

Describe the bug

Since the transition from Class components to Hook based components, the access to the methods of a component has been handled with the useImperativeHandle hook. Example 1, Example 2, etc.

This hook, instead of adding methods to the ref of components, has been replacing the ref completly, blocking the default behaivour of the useRef hook, accesing the dom element. In V7 we would also get access to the component props which gives the developer a lot of flexibility and useful state data.

This issue needs two codesandboxes (SEE CONSOLE LOG):

V7: https://codesandbox.io/s/exciting-sound-6xncl2?file=/src/demo/AutoCompleteDemo.js

V8: https://codesandbox.io/s/nervous-shtern-fyhs9h?file=/src/demo/AutoCompleteDemo.js

Reproducer

https://codesandbox.io/s/nervous-shtern-fyhs9h?file=/src/demo/AutoCompleteDemo.js

PrimeReact version

8.1.0

React version

18.x

Language

ALL

Build / Runtime

Create React App (CRA)

Browser(s)

No response

Steps to reproduce the behavior

1. Create an Autocomplete component.
2. Create a const with useRef hook.
3. Assign the const to the ref value of the Autocomplete component.
4. Console log the ref.current with a useEffect hook.
5. See no DOM element nor props.

Expected behavior

When using a useRef hook and assigning the ref to a component, I expect to get access to the dom element (and its props, having used primereact V7).

[Maykin-99]

In V7 we would also get access to the component props which gives the developer a lot of flexibility and useful state data.

Not only data but we also got access to useful methods like processedData in DataTable that allowed to easily extend PrimeReact functionality without forking the whole project.

So it would be nice if you'd expose all these methods also with useImperativeHandle

[melloware]

I am wondering if imperativeHandle is needed at all. Everything I am reading is you only use that if you need to pass methods to another ref.

[melloware]

OK I just upgraded 7.2.1 to 8.2.0 and I ran into this same issue. I was using DataTable properties through the REF and now I can't access anything.