ref="userText" - Vue detects such refs and stores them internally. It basically memorizes that you want access to elements and in your js code you can have access to these elements.

$refs - is an object full of key value pairs where the keys are ref identifiers you set up in your template

ex: this.message = this.$refs.userText.value; console.log(this.$refs.userText) // the whole element will be seen

		<input type="text" ref="userInput>

		methods: {
		  someFunc(evt) {
		     this.text = this.$refs.userInput.value;
		  }
		}