Object Duplication

For language objects, a DBO variable contains only a reference to the actual object. DataBasic is therefore unable to duplicate an object since it is not the owner, and has no knowledge of the object’s structure or contents. Hence, when one DBO variable is assigned to another it is only the reference to the underlying object that is duplicated, such that both variables now operate on the same language object.

For internal objects, however, the object's structure and content is known. Therefore, while assigning one DBO variable to another duplicates only the reference to the same internal object, whole internal objects or elements within them can be duplicated by using the %New special method with the Object keyword.

In addition, because fields of an internal object cannot reference another internal object, assigning an object to a field duplicates the assigned object.