reactjs - Call a React component method from outside

Question

I want to call a method exposed by a React component from the instance of a React Element.

For example, in this jsfiddle. I want to call the alertMessage method from the HelloElement reference.

Is there a way to achieve this without having to write additional wrappers?

Edit (copied code from JSFiddle)

<div id="container"></div>
<button onclick="onButtonClick()">Click me!</button>

var onButtonClick = function () {

    //call alertMessage method from the reference of a React Element! Something like HelloElement.alertMessage()
    console.log("clicked!");
}

var Hello = React.createClass({displayName: 'Hello',

    alertMessage: function() {
        alert(this.props.name);                             
    },

    render: function() {
        return React.createElement("div", null, "Hello ", this.props.name);
    }
});

var HelloElement = React.createElement(Hello, {name: "World"});

React.render(
    HelloElement,
    document.getElementById('container')
);

Answer 1

There are two ways to access an inner function. One, instance-level, like you want, another, static level.

Instance

You need to call the function on the return from React.render. See below.

Static

Take a look at ReactJS Statics. Note, however, that a static function cannot access instance-level data, so this would be undefined.

var onButtonClick = function () {
    //call alertMessage method from the reference of a React Element! 
    HelloRendered.alertMessage();
    //call static alertMessage method from the reference of a React Class! 
    Hello.alertMessage();
    console.log("clicked!");
}

var Hello = React.createClass({
    displayName: 'Hello',
    statics: {
        alertMessage: function () {
            alert('static message');
        }
    },
    alertMessage: function () {
        alert(this.props.name);
    },

    render: function () {
        return React.createElement("div", null, "Hello ", this.props.name);
    }
});

var HelloElement = React.createElement(Hello, {
    name: "World"
});

var HelloRendered = React.render(HelloElement, document.getElementById('container'));

Then do HelloRendered.alertMessage().