React Documentation Translation – Referencing Values with Refs

Background

React is one of the most popular JavaScript libraries, and its community provides documentation in multiple languages to make it more accessible. The id.react.dev repository is a community-driven project to translate the official React documentation into Indonesian.

I contributed by translating the “Referencing Values with Refs” section (covering useRef and related concepts) into Indonesian. This helps Indonesian developers better understand how refs work in React.

The translated section is now available at Referencing Values with Refs – Indonesian version.

Contribution & Process

• Opened Issue #387 on the reactjs/id.react.dev repository to highlight that Referencing Values with Refs had not yet been translated.
• Submitted Pull Request #479 containing the full translation of the referencing-values-with-refs.md file, including sections such as adding a ref, stopwatch example, differences between refs and state, and best practices.
• Improved wording consistency (e.g., “menggunakan” vs “dengan”), refined grammar, and polished technical terms (mutable, render, snapshot) for clarity.
• After review and feedback from maintainers, the PR was merged into the main branch on May 2, 2023.

Challenges & Learnings

• Ensuring technical accuracy while keeping the translation natural and beginner-friendly in Indonesian.
• Maintaining Markdown formatting, links, code snippets, and examples so they remain valid and readable after translation.
• Collaborating with reviewers and making revisions according to feedback to meet the React docs quality standard.
• Practiced consistency in commit messages and pull request structure for smooth integration.

Results & Impact

• The Referencing Values with Refs section is now available in Indonesian, making React documentation more accessible to Indonesian developers.
• Enhanced the quality of the React Indonesia documentation project, encouraging more contributors to join the effort.
• Demonstrated both technical understanding of React and the ability to communicate complex concepts in another language.