Can I pause a video inside an event handler or should I do it only in useEffect

Question

Can you tell me Will calling a set state function with the same value using hooks cause a rerender?

Answer 1

Yes, you can pause a video inside an event handler in React, and it’s often the most appropriate place for direct user-triggered actions. You don’t need to restrict it to useEffect. Here’s a precise explanation:

Why Event Handlers Work

Direct Control: Event handlers (e.g., onClick, onKeyPress) are tied to user interactions, making them ideal for immediate actions like pausing a video.

Access to Ref: Using a ref to control the <video> element, you can call pause() directly in the handler.

No Dependency Issues: Unlike useEffect, event handlers don’t rely on state/effect synchronization, so you avoid unnecessary delays or re-renders.

Example: Pausing in Event Handler

import { useRef } from 'react';

const VideoPlayer = () => {

  const videoRef = useRef(null);

  const handlePause = () => {

    if (videoRef.current) {

      videoRef.current.pause(); // Pauses video directly

    }

  };

  return (

    <div>

      <video ref={videoRef} src="video.mp4" controls />

      <button onClick={handlePause}>Pause</button>

    </div>

  );

};