Understanding values and references in Microsoft Visual C#
In this chapter from Microsoft Visual C# Step by Step, 8th Edition , you will learn how the characteristics of the primitive types, such as int, double, and char, differ from the characteristics of class types.
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
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- Explain the differences between a value type and a reference type.
- Modify the way in which arguments are passed as method parameters by using the ref and out keywords.
- Convert a value into a reference by using boxing.
- Convert a reference back to a value by using unboxing and casting.
Chapter 7, “Creating and managing classes and objects,” demonstrates how to declare your own classes and how to create objects by using the new keyword. That chapter also shows you how to initialize an object by using a constructor. In this chapter, you will learn how the characteristics of the primitive types—such as int, double, and char—differ from the characteristics of class types.