referencesemantics

noun
UK /ˈrɛfərəns sɪˈmæntɪks/
US /ˈrɛfərəns sɪˈmæntɪks/

Reference semantics is when two names point to the same thing, so changing it through one name changes it for both.

With reference semantics, assigning a list to a new variable means both variables share the same list.

SYNONYMS

shared semanticspointer semanticsaliasingshared-state semantics

RELATED WORDS

value semanticspointeraliasmemoryobject

OTHER MEANINGS

2. In programming languages, the rule that variables hold references to objects rather than copies of their values.

Java uses reference semantics for objects but value semantics for primitive types.

3. In linguistics, the study of how words and phrases connect to the real-world things they refer to.

Reference semantics helps explain why 'the morning star' and 'the evening star' can mean the same planet.

4. The meaning of an expression determined by what it points to in a given context.

The reference semantics of 'here' depends on where the speaker is standing.