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about_Ref.md: Relationship between [ref] and [PSReference]
Added a new section, "Relationship between [ref] and System.Management.Automation.PSReference" to about_Ref.md.
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‎reference/5.1/Microsoft.PowerShell.Core/About/about_Ref.md‎

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schema: 2.0.0
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title: about_Ref
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---
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# about_Ref
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## Short description
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## Long description
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You can pass variables to functions *by reference* or *by value*.
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You can pass variables to functions _by reference_ or _by value_.
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When you pass a variable *by value*, you are passing a copy of the data.
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When you pass a variable _by value_, you are passing a copy of the data.
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In the following example, the function changes the value of the variable passed
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to it. In PowerShell, integers are value types so they are passed by value.
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In the following example, a variable containing a `Hashtable` is passed to a
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function. `Hashtable` is an object type so by default it is passed to the
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function *by reference*.
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function _by reference_.
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When passing a variable *by reference*, the function can change the data and
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When passing a variable _by reference_, the function can change the data and
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that change persists after the function executes.
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```powershell
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You can code your functions to take a parameter as a reference, regardless of
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the type of data passed. This requires that you specify the parameters type
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as `System.Management.Automation.PSReference`, or `[ref]`.
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as `[ref]`.
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When using references, you must use the `Value` property of the
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`System.Management.Automation.PSReference` type to access your data.
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When using references, you must use the `Value` property of the `[ref]` type to
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access your data.
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```powershell
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Function Test([ref]$data)
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To pass a variable to a parameter that expects a reference, you must type
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cast your variable as a reference.
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> [!NOTE]
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> [!IMPORTANT]
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> The brackets and parenthesis are BOTH required.
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```powershell
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Only the reference type's variable was changed.
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### Relationship between [ref] and System.Management.Automation.PSReference
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`Ref` is both a type accelerator for `System.Management.Automation.PSReference`
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(see [about_Type_Accelerators] for details) and a reserved keyword that
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PowerShell treats especially. Hence, `ref` and `PSReference` are not
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equivalents. The following script demonstrates their difference:
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```powershell
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$x = 1
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$a = [ref] $x
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$b = [System.Management.Automation.PSReference] $x
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$c = [ref] $x
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$x +=4
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$a.Value +=3
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$b.Value +=2
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$c.Value +=1
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$x, $a.Value, $b.Value, $c.Value | ForEach-Object {
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Write-Output $PSItem
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}
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```
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The output of this script is:
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```powershell
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9
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9
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3
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9
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```
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The above script:
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- Creates an integer `$x` variable and assigns `1` to it.
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- Creates pointers `$a` and `$c` of `[ref]` types and points them at `$x`.
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- Creates pointer `$b` of `[PSReference]` type and points it, not at `$x`, but
189+
a copy thereof, because PowerShell treats `[ref]` and `[PSReference]`
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differently.
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- Adds 4 to `$x`, 3 to `$a`'s value, 2 to `$b`'s value, and 1 to `$a`'s value.
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In the script above, `$x`, `$a.Value`, and `$c.Value` point to the same memory
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location. They are the same, i.e., 1 + 4 + 3 + 1 = 9. But `$b.Value` refers to
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a copy of `$x` at the time of its creation. Hence, it contains 1 + 2 = 3.
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## See also
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- [about_Variables](about_Variables.md)
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- [about_Environment_Variables](about_Environment_Variables.md)
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- [about_Functions](about_Functions.md)
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- [about_Script_Blocks](about_Script_Blocks.md)
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- [about_Scopes](about_scopes.md)
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- [about_Type_accelerators]
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[about_Type_accelerators]: about_Type_Accelerators.md

‎reference/7.4/Microsoft.PowerShell.Core/About/about_Ref.md‎

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@@ -9,15 +9,16 @@ title: about_Ref
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# about_Ref
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## Short description
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Describes how to create and use a reference type variable. You can use
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reference type variables to permit a function to change the value
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of a variable that is passed to it.
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## Long description
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You can pass variables to functions *by reference* or *by value*.
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You can pass variables to functions _by reference_ or _by value_.
1920

20-
When you pass a variable *by value*, you are passing a copy of the data.
21+
When you pass a variable _by value_, you are passing a copy of the data.
2122

2223
In the following example, the function changes the value of the variable passed
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to it. In PowerShell, integers are value types so they are passed by value.
@@ -40,9 +41,9 @@ $var
4041

4142
In the following example, a variable containing a `Hashtable` is passed to a
4243
function. `Hashtable` is an object type so by default it is passed to the
43-
function *by reference*.
44+
function _by reference_.
4445

45-
When passing a variable *by reference*, the function can change the data and
46+
When passing a variable _by reference_, the function can change the data and
4647
that change persists after the function executes.
4748

4849
```powershell
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You can code your functions to take a parameter as a reference, regardless of
7172
the type of data passed. This requires that you specify the parameters type
72-
as `System.Management.Automation.PSReference`, or `[ref]`.
73+
as `[ref]`.
7374

74-
When using references, you must use the `Value` property of the
75-
`System.Management.Automation.PSReference` type to access your data.
75+
When using references, you must use the `Value` property of the `[ref]` type to
76+
access your data.
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```powershell
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Function Test([ref]$data)
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To pass a variable to a parameter that expects a reference, you must type
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cast your variable as a reference.
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> [!NOTE]
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> [!IMPORTANT]
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> The brackets and parenthesis are BOTH required.
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```powershell
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Only the reference type's variable was changed.
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### Relationship between [ref] and System.Management.Automation.PSReference
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`Ref` is both a type accelerator for `System.Management.Automation.PSReference`
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(see [about_Type_Accelerators] for details) and a reserved keyword that
155+
PowerShell [treats][2] [especially][1]. Hence, `ref` and `PSReference` are not
156+
equivalents. The following script demonstrates their difference:
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```powershell
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$x = 1
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$a = [ref] $x
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$b = [System.Management.Automation.PSReference] $x
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$c = [ref] $x
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$x +=4
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$a.Value +=3
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$b.Value +=2
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$c.Value +=1
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$x, $a.Value, $b.Value, $c.Value | ForEach-Object {
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Write-Output $PSItem
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}
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```
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The output of this script is:
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```powershell
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9
179+
9
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3
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9
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```
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The above script:
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- Creates an integer `$x` variable and assigns `1` to it.
187+
- Creates pointers `$a` and `$c` of `[ref]` types and points them at `$x`.
188+
- Creates pointer `$b` of `[PSReference]` type and points it, not at `$x`, but
189+
a copy thereof, because PowerShell treats `[ref]` and `[PSReference]`
190+
differently.
191+
- Adds 4 to `$x`, 3 to `$a`'s value, 2 to `$b`'s value, and 1 to `$a`'s value.
192+
193+
In the script above, `$x`, `$a.Value`, and `$c.Value` point to the same memory
194+
location. They are the same, i.e., 1 + 4 + 3 + 1 = 9. But `$b.Value` refers to
195+
a copy of `$x` at the time of its creation. Hence, it contains 1 + 2 = 3.
196+
150197
## See also
151198

152199
- [about_Variables](about_Variables.md)
153200
- [about_Environment_Variables](about_Environment_Variables.md)
154201
- [about_Functions](about_Functions.md)
155202
- [about_Script_Blocks](about_Script_Blocks.md)
156203
- [about_Scopes](about_scopes.md)
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- [about_Type_accelerators]
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[about_Type_accelerators]: about_Type_Accelerators.md
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[1]: https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/blob/master/src/System.Management.Automation/engine/parser/ast.cs#L7983
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[2]: https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/blob/master/src/System.Management.Automation/engine/parser/Compiler.cs#L6121

‎reference/7.5/Microsoft.PowerShell.Core/About/about_Ref.md‎

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Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -70,10 +70,10 @@ scope.
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You can code your functions to take a parameter as a reference, regardless of
7272
the type of data passed. This requires that you specify the parameters type
73-
as `System.Management.Automation.PSReference`, or `[ref]`.
73+
as `[ref]`.
7474

75-
When using references, you must use the `Value` property of the
76-
`System.Management.Automation.PSReference` type to access your data.
75+
When using references, you must use the `Value` property of the `[ref]` type to
76+
access your data.
7777

7878
```powershell
7979
Function Test([ref]$data)
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ Function Test([ref]$data)
8585
To pass a variable to a parameter that expects a reference, you must type
8686
cast your variable as a reference.
8787

88-
> [!NOTE]
88+
> [!IMPORTANT]
8989
> The brackets and parenthesis are BOTH required.
9090
9191
```powershell
@@ -148,10 +148,62 @@ $i = 0;$iRef = 1
148148

149149
Only the reference type's variable was changed.
150150

151+
### Relationship between [ref] and System.Management.Automation.PSReference
152+
153+
`Ref` is both a type accelerator for `System.Management.Automation.PSReference`
154+
(see [about_Type_Accelerators] for details) and a reserved keyword that
155+
PowerShell [treats][2] [especially][1]. Hence, `ref` and `PSReference` are not
156+
equivalents. The following script demonstrates their difference:
157+
158+
```powershell
159+
$x = 1
160+
161+
$a = [ref] $x
162+
$b = [System.Management.Automation.PSReference] $x
163+
$c = [ref] $x
164+
165+
$x +=4
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$a.Value +=3
167+
$b.Value +=2
168+
$c.Value +=1
169+
170+
$x, $a.Value, $b.Value, $c.Value | ForEach-Object {
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Write-Output $PSItem
172+
}
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```
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The output of this script is:
176+
177+
```powershell
178+
9
179+
9
180+
3
181+
9
182+
```
183+
184+
The above script:
185+
186+
- Creates an integer `$x` variable and assigns `1` to it.
187+
- Creates pointers `$a` and `$c` of `[ref]` types and points them at `$x`.
188+
- Creates pointer `$b` of `[PSReference]` type and points it, not at `$x`, but
189+
a copy thereof, because PowerShell treats `[ref]` and `[PSReference]`
190+
differently.
191+
- Adds 4 to `$x`, 3 to `$a`'s value, 2 to `$b`'s value, and 1 to `$a`'s value.
192+
193+
In the script above, `$x`, `$a.Value`, and `$c.Value` point to the same memory
194+
location. They are the same, i.e., 1 + 4 + 3 + 1 = 9. But `$b.Value` refers to
195+
a copy of `$x` at the time of its creation. Hence, it contains 1 + 2 = 3.
196+
151197
## See also
152198

153199
- [about_Variables](about_Variables.md)
154200
- [about_Environment_Variables](about_Environment_Variables.md)
155201
- [about_Functions](about_Functions.md)
156202
- [about_Script_Blocks](about_Script_Blocks.md)
157203
- [about_Scopes](about_scopes.md)
204+
- [about_Type_accelerators]
205+
206+
[about_Type_accelerators]: about_Type_Accelerators.md
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208+
[1]: https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/blob/master/src/System.Management.Automation/engine/parser/ast.cs#L7983
209+
[2]: https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/blob/master/src/System.Management.Automation/engine/parser/Compiler.cs#L6121

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