In computer science, reference counting is a technique of storing the number of references, pointers, or handles to a resource such as an object, block of memory, disk space or other resource. It may also refer, more specifically, to a garbage collection algorithm that uses these reference counts to deallocate objects which are no longer referenced.
Read more about Reference Counting: Use in Garbage Collection, Advantages and Disadvantages, Graph Interpretation, Dealing With Inefficiency of Updates, Dealing With Reference Cycles, Variants of Reference Counting
Famous quotes containing the words reference and/or counting:
“The common behavior of mankind is the system of reference by means of which we interpret an unknown language.”
—Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951)
“If you’re counting my eyebrows, I can help you. There are two.”
—Billy Wilder (b. 1906)