[OT] Re: WeakReference

[Paul Speed]

A WeakReference is just a way of holding a reference to an object that 
will not keep it from being garbage collected (a very useful thing). 
There are also ways that you can track when it has been garbage 
collected.  Once it has been garbage collected, it's gone though.  All 
you have is any data you originally associated with your WeakReference 
(by subclassing or some other method).  You cannot access the referenced 
object anymore because it doesn't exist.

While the object still exists (ie: is strongly referenced some where), 
you can still access it through the WeakReference.  You just have to 
expect that at some point you may go to retrieve it from the 
WeakReference and get a null.

Maybe it would help to know what you are trying to do with it.  There 
are other Reference implementations that may be better suited.

-Paul
Dakota Jack wrote:
Working here on a "new" paradigm, sort of, I think.
Apparently you can track what has happened to a strong reference with
a weak reference but you cannot manipulate the object referred to by
the strong reference by manipulating the weak reference.  Is that
right?  Seems odd to me.
Jack


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