reference count tracking
nounUK /ˈrɛf.rəns kaʊnt ˈtræk.ɪŋ/
US /ˈrɛf.rəns kaʊnt ˈtræk.ɪŋ/
A way for a computer to keep track of how many things are using something so it knows when to clean it up.
The program uses reference count tracking to know when to delete the picture from memory.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A method in programming where each object stores a number showing how many references point to it.
Reference count tracking adds a small counter to every object in the system.
3. The process of updating a counter whenever a reference is created or removed.
Reference count tracking must be thread-safe when several threads share objects.
4. A technique used to decide when to free memory automatically.
With reference count tracking, the memory is freed as soon as the last user lets go.