What are strong and weak references in programming?

What are strong and weak references in programming?

Strong references are references that prevent the referenced object from being garbage collected. Weak references, on the other hand, allow the referenced object to be collected if there are no strong references to it.

Can you give me an example of when to use weak references?

Sure! Weak references are useful in caching scenarios where you want to allow objects to be collected when memory is low, but still want to access them if they are available.

What happens if I only use weak references?

If you only use weak references, the objects may be collected by the garbage collector at any time, leading to potential null references when you try to access them.

How do strong references affect memory management?

Strong references can lead to memory leaks if not managed properly, as they prevent objects from being garbage collected even when they are no longer needed.