godot-docs/classes/class_weakref.rst

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.. Generated automatically from Godot engine sources.
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.. XML source: https://github.com/godotengine/godot/tree/master/doc/classes/WeakRef.xml.

.. _class_WeakRef:

WeakRef
=======

**Inherits:** :ref:`RefCounted<class_RefCounted>` **<** :ref:`Object<class_Object>`

Holds an :ref:`Object<class_Object>`. If the object is :ref:`RefCounted<class_RefCounted>`, it doesn't update the reference count.

.. rst-class:: classref-introduction-group

Description
-----------

A weakref can hold a :ref:`RefCounted<class_RefCounted>` without contributing to the reference counter. A weakref can be created from an :ref:`Object<class_Object>` using :ref:`@GlobalScope.weakref<class_@GlobalScope_method_weakref>`. If this object is not a reference, weakref still works, however, it does not have any effect on the object. Weakrefs are useful in cases where multiple classes have variables that refer to each other. Without weakrefs, using these classes could lead to memory leaks, since both references keep each other from being released. Making part of the variables a weakref can prevent this cyclic dependency, and allows the references to be released.

.. rst-class:: classref-reftable-group

Methods
-------

.. table::
   :widths: auto

   +-------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------+
   | :ref:`Variant<class_Variant>` | :ref:`get_ref<class_WeakRef_method_get_ref>`\ (\ ) |const| |
   +-------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------+

.. rst-class:: classref-section-separator

----

.. rst-class:: classref-descriptions-group

Method Descriptions
-------------------

.. _class_WeakRef_method_get_ref:

.. rst-class:: classref-method

:ref:`Variant<class_Variant>` **get_ref**\ (\ ) |const| :ref:`🔗<class_WeakRef_method_get_ref>`

Returns the :ref:`Object<class_Object>` this weakref is referring to. Returns ``null`` if that object no longer exists.

.. |virtual| replace:: :abbr:`virtual (This method should typically be overridden by the user to have any effect.)`
.. |const| replace:: :abbr:`const (This method has no side effects. It doesn't modify any of the instance's member variables.)`
.. |vararg| replace:: :abbr:`vararg (This method accepts any number of arguments after the ones described here.)`
.. |constructor| replace:: :abbr:`constructor (This method is used to construct a type.)`
.. |static| replace:: :abbr:`static (This method doesn't need an instance to be called, so it can be called directly using the class name.)`
.. |operator| replace:: :abbr:`operator (This method describes a valid operator to use with this type as left-hand operand.)`
.. |bitfield| replace:: :abbr:`BitField (This value is an integer composed as a bitmask of the following flags.)`
.. |void| replace:: :abbr:`void (No return value.)`