ThismyRef

ThismyRef is a term encountered in informal programming discussions and educational materials to denote a reference to the current object or instance within code. It is not a keyword of any programming language, and it does not refer to a standard library concept. Instead, it arises as a mnemonic or placeholder in examples that illustrate how a program might retain or pass a reference to its own object.

Origins and usage: The construction combines this (the concept of the current instance) with myRef (a common suffix for a field meant to store a reference). Authors may use thismyRef in explanations to highlight a self-reference without relying on language-specific dot notation such as this.myRef. In practice, it may appear as a variable name in pseudo-code or as a naming convention in tutorials.

Relationship to real syntax: In real code, languages provide explicit mechanisms for obtaining a self-reference, typically via this, self, or the instance pointer, followed by a property or field name (for example, this.myRef). The term thismyRef, if seen in actual code, is likely just a locally scoped identifier and not a language construct.

Limitations and best practices: Because thismyRef is not standardized, its meaning can vary across materials, leading to confusion. When teaching or documenting, it is generally clearer to use language-appropriate forms such as this.myRef or self.myRef, and to explain the difference between a variable named thismyRef and an intended self-reference.

See also: this, self, this pointer, reference, object-oriented programming, programming tutorials.