In computer programming, a weak reference is a reference that does not protect the referenced object from collection by a garbage collector; unlike a strong reference. An object referenced only by weak references is considered unreachable (or weakly reachable) and so may be collected at any time. Some garbage-collected languages feature or support various levels of weak references, such as Java, C#, Python, Perl, and Lisp.
Read more about Weak Reference: Garbage Collection, Variations, Examples
Famous quotes containing the words weak and/or reference:
“The weak and misbegotten shall perish: first principle of our brotherly love. And they shall be given every assistance.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“Ultimately Warhol’s private moral reference was to the supreme kitsch of the Catholic church.”
—Allen Ginsberg (b. 1926)