ByRef explanation

[AutID]

Can someone explain me what ByRef really means?
For example

_MyFunc(ByRef $a, ByRef $b, ByRef $c)
...
...
EndFunc

 

I don't quiet understand the explanations of the help file.

I had some trouble with ByRef lately that is why i am asking this.

[BrewManNH]

Normally when you pass a value to a function, the value stays inside the function as the variable you assigned to it. When you pass it ByRef, a copy of the original variable is passed and anything done to the byref variable is reflected in the value of the variable you passed to that function.

Global $test = 123
FuncNotByRef($test)
ConsoleWrite("Value of $test after the function = " & $test & @CRLF)
FuncByRef($test)
ConsoleWrite("Value of $test after the function = " & $test & @CRLF)
Func FuncNotByRef($incoming)
    ConsoleWrite("Value of $incoming = " & $incoming & @CRLF)
    $incoming = 456
    ConsoleWrite("Value of $incoming is now = " & $incoming & @CRLF)
EndFunc   ;==>FuncNotByRef
Func FuncByRef(ByRef $incoming)
    ConsoleWrite("Value of $incoming = " & $incoming & @CRLF)
    $incoming = 456
    ConsoleWrite("Value of $incoming is now = " & $incoming & @CRLF)
EndFunc   ;==>FuncByRef

[JohnOne]

Did you get that backwards there?

[BrewManNH]

  On 4/8/2014 at 12:33 AM, JohnOne said:

Did you get that backwards there?

Oops, yeah, in ByRef a pointer to the original is passed, and when not ByRef a copy is passed. 

I knew what I meant, just can't seem to put it on the page the way I was thinking it.

 

At least the script was right LOL