[nivenhuh]

I think you mean automatic reference counting (ARC) — and ARC happens at compile time as part of a static analysis pass. (The compiler is basically adding retain/release code for you.)

At runtime, it’s functionally close(ish) to malloc/free and doesn’t carry much overhead.

[steveklabnik]

In my understanding, it’s both: you’re right about Automatic Reference Counting (ARC) being a compile time pass. But the reference counts that they use for said retain/release are atomic reference counted (ARC).

ARC certainly helps ARC be more performant than ARC without ARC due to the elided traffic on the count. (lol)

[nivenhuh]

TIL ARC does ARC.

[nxobject]

My professor who taught me undergraduate algebra once said: sometimes you have to repeat a sentence out loud to _really_ convince yourself of it.

[zengid]

This guy ARCs