Fundamentals of Value Types and Reference Types

Explains the difference between, Passing Reference and Value Types into methods, byval and byref.

First thing first,
1) Value types sit on Stack.
2) Reference types sit on Managed heap. It is called Managed heap as it is managed by Garbage Collector.(Ref my earlier post for a better explanation on diff between value and ref type in terms of memory
GARBAGE COLLECTION ON VALUE AND REFERENCE TYPES).

Assignment Operators Behavior with Value and Reference Types
When one ValueType is assigned to another value type a new copy of the value type is created on the stack.
ex: Structure2 = Structure1;

When one reference type is assigned to another reference type, the reference of the new variable is redirected to point to the reference of the old reference type and no new copy is created. Basically both point to the same object on the heap.

Ex: Class 2= Class1;

Passing Reference and Value Types into Methods.

We all know we can pass parameters into methods in two ways, passByVal and passByRef, So this is how
ValueTypes and ReferenceTypes behavior differs, in both ways of passing the parameters.
                                                           Value Type                                          Reference Type

PassedByValue                                  A new copy is                                   No new copy is created
                                                         created on stack.                                and only the state (data) of the
                                                                                                                   object can be changed
                                                                                                                   in the called method and
                                                                                                                   not the pointer, meaning
                                                                                                                   we cannot change what the
                                                                                                                   variable points to.

PassByRef                                       No new copy is created                       Here u can change both the
                                                        on the stack, the same                         state of the object as well
                                                        copy is used.                                       the variables reference,
                                                                                                                   meaning we can make the
                                                                                                                   variable to point to a new
                                                                                                                   object on the Heap.


One thing i will leave you to ponder on is, what happens when say My structure which holds a variable to a class, is assigned to another structure..whether a new copy of the class is created or not, as new copy of the structure is for sure created ?




Hope I was clear in making things understood, any comments and input are welcome and ofcourse appreciated.