Error Messages/40019

Warning or Error Message

Attempt to de-reference a non-reference. The # operator may only be applied to a reference (e.g., constructed using the \ operator).

Description

A reference is an atomic value (i.e., treated as a single item by array abstraction) that points to value. Even though the reference is atomic, the value it points to can be an array. The de-reference operator, #r, returns the value pointed to by the reference, r. This error or warning message occurs when the de-reference operator, #, is applied to something that is not a reference.

Prior to Analytica 5.1, this warning appears when r is Null. Starting with Analytica 5.1, #Null returns Null without a warning.

This is almost always a warning, but in a few cases is issued as an error where a continuation is not possible.

See Also

• Using References
• References and Data Structures