Understanding $root, $el, and $refs
$root)
Analogy: The entire production set.
$root refers to the top-level element of an Alpine component. From any button, you can change the mood of the whole production (e.g., switch from day to night shooting), affecting all elements within the component's boundary.
$el)
Analogy: A single prop or actor in the current scene.
$el refers to the DOM element the Alpine directive is on. It's like an actor or prop that can draw attention to itself within a scene, without affecting anything else.
$refs)
Analogy: Named equipment like cameras and lights.
$refs gives you access to specific elements you've named with x-ref. It's the director's control panel, allowing you to operate any piece of named equipment on the set from one place.