
local reference(+Name)

   Creates a named reference called Name.

Arguments
   +Name               An atom.

Type
   Non-logical Variables, Arrays, Bags and Shelves

Description
   This creates a named reference with the atomic name Name.  A named
   reference can be used to hold a reference to a term in the same way
   as a logical variable.  Unlike the non-logical variables, the value
   of a reference is not a copy, but identical to the original term it
   was set to.  This implies that the value behaves logically, i.e. 
   it disappears on backtracking, bindings to the variables inside it
   are undone on backtracking etc.  A typical example of it use is global
   state that a set of predicates wants to share without having to
   pass an argument pair through all the predicate invocations. 

   Changing the value of a reference is similar to changing an argument
   of a compound term using setarg/3.

   There are no arrays of references, but the same effect can be
   achieved by storing a structure in a reference and using the
   structure's arguments.  The arguments can then be accessed and
   modified using arg/3 and setarg/3 respectively. 

   The total number of references in the system is limited.


Resatisfiable
      No.

Fail Conditions
      None.



Exceptions
     4 --- Name is not instantiated.
     5 --- Name is not an atom.

Examples
   
% comparison between references and nonlogical variables

      [eclipse 1]: local reference(a), variable(b).

      yes.
      [eclipse 2]: Term = p(X), setval(a, Term), getval(a, Y), Y == Term.
      X = X
      Y = p(X)
      Term = p(X)
      yes.
      [eclipse 3]: Term = p(X), setval(b, Term), getval(b, Y), Y == Term.

      no (more) solution.

% values of references are subject to backtracking:

    [eclipse 4]: setval(a, 1), (setval(a, 2), getval(a, X); getval(a, Y)).
      X = 2
      Y = Y     More? (;) 

      X = X
      Y = 1



See Also
   setval / 2, getval / 2, setarg / 3, arg / 3
