Editing Reference (computer science) (section)

=== C/C++ ===
{{Further|Reference (C++)}}

The [[Pointer (computer programming)|pointer]] is still one of the most popular types of references today. It is similar to the assembly representation of a raw address, except that it carries a static [[datatype]] which can be used at compile-time to ensure that the data it refers to is not misinterpreted. However, because C has a [[weak typing|weak type system]] which can be violated using [[Cast (computer science)|casts]] (explicit conversions between various pointer types and between pointer types and integers), misinterpretation is still possible, if more difficult. Its successor [[C++]] tried to increase [[type safety]] of pointers with new cast operators, a [[reference type]] <code>&</code>, and smart pointers in [[C++ standard library|its standard library]], but still retained the ability to circumvent these safety mechanisms for compatibility.