Reference types

Definition

Reference types are data types in programming that store references or memory addresses rather than the actual values themselves. They include objects, arrays, and strings, and allow for dynamic memory allocation and manipulation.

Related terms

Value Types: Value types are data types that directly store their values instead of referencing memory addresses. They include primitive data types like integers, booleans, and characters.

Null: Null is a special value that represents the absence of an object or no value assigned to a reference type variable. It indicates that the variable does not currently refer to any valid object.

Garbage Collection: Garbage collection is an automatic process performed by programming languages' runtime environments to reclaim memory occupied by objects that are no longer needed or referenced. It helps manage memory efficiently and prevent memory leaks.