“this” actually references the Javascript element depending on the context of it’s use.
console.log(this). In my side, I am getting entire object.
props: {history: {…}, location: {…}, match: {…}, staticContext: undefined,
data: {…}, …}
refs: {}
state: null
React automatically handles virtual dom manipulation. It implements something like Diffing Algorithm where it reconciles the dom elements. It only updates the changed attributes. That’s why Virtual dom manipulation is faster than actual dom manipulation. Please follow this link to get more deep insights. https://reactjs.org/docs/reconciliation.html
solved What is console.log in the render method of a react component showing?