[MetallicCloud]

I'm just guessing here, but I assume the variables are created on the stack, then copied into the table object, rather than references being passed to the table. So when the function would end, the original variables would be destroyed, but the copies would remain.

[orangeduck]

This is correct. "Table" is a datatype which copies the values into the table, while "Dict" is a data type that holds references to the objects. The same semantics hold for "Array" and "List".

Although not perfect this was probably the best way I could have designed such structures. There is some info in the header files as to how to use them.