Csharp — C#
2 min readMar 5, 2023
01.Differences between Variable Instance and Reference.
In C#, a class is a blueprint for creating objects, and each object created from a class is called an instance. Variables are used to store values and reference types are a type of variable that stores the memory address of an object rather than the actual value. Here are the differences between variables, instances, and references in C#:
- Variables: Variables are used to store values of different data types such as integers, strings, and doubles. They are declared with a data type and a name, and can be assigned a value using the assignment operator (=). Variables can be stored in memory and accessed throughout the program, but they only hold the value they are assigned to.
- Instances: An instance is an object created from a class. When a class is instantiated, memory is allocated for an instance of that class, and the constructor is called to initialize the instance. Instances have their own set of values for each of the properties and fields defined in the class. Multiple instances of the same class can be created, each with its own set of values.
- References: A reference is a variable that stores the memory address of an object rather than the actual value of the object. When a reference is created, it points to a specific instance of a class. References can be used to manipulate the values of the object they point to, and can be passed to methods as parameters. In C#, all reference types are created on the heap, and references to these objects are stored on the stack.
In summary, variables are used to store values, instances are objects created from a class with their own set of values, and references are variables that store the memory address of an object.
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