比較著名的使用引用計數的有COM和Objective-C，在COM的IUnknow接口中定義了三個函數：QueryInterface。AddRef和Release，它們分別用於獲取接口對象、給接口對象添加計數，給接口對象降低計數，當內部計數變為0時，自己主動銷毀接口對象。

在Objective-C中，則定義了retain，release和autorelease函數，分別用於添加計數、降低計數以及將一個對象交給自己主動釋放池對象AutoreleasePool進行管理，由AutoreleasePool對象負責調用release函數。

【Ref類的實現】
因為Cocos2d-x是在Cocos2d-iPhone的基礎上發展而來，所以沿用了非常多Objective-C的思想。Ref類的實現就是如此。

Ref類實現了引用計數的功能，它是引擎代碼中絕大多數其它類的父類，定義在CCRef.h中。實如今CCRef.cpp中。事實上在CCRef.h文件裏不止定義了Ref類。還定義了Clonable類、一系列的宏定義和類型定義。只是我們暫且將精力放在Ref類的解讀上。Ref類使用私有成員變量_referenceCount保存計數值。並通過retain，release和autorelease函數實現增減計數值。

class CC_DLL Ref
{
public:
    /**
     * Retains the ownership.
     *
     * This increases the Ref‘s reference count.
     *
     * @see release, autorelease
     * @js NA
     */
    void retain();

    /**
     * Releases the ownership immediately.
     *
     * This decrements the Ref‘s reference count.
     *
     * If the reference count reaches 0 after the descrement, this Ref is
     * destructed.
     *
     * @see retain, autorelease
     * @js NA
     */
    void release();

    /**
     * Releases the ownership sometime soon automatically.
     *
     * This descrements the Ref‘s reference count at the end of current
     * autorelease pool block.
     *
     * If the reference count reaches 0 after the descrement, this Ref is
     * destructed.
     *
     * @returns The Ref itself.
     *
     * @see AutoreleasePool, retain, release
     * @js NA
     * @lua NA
     */
    Ref* autorelease();

    /**
     * Returns the Ref‘s current reference count.
     *
     * @returns The Ref‘s reference count.
     * @js NA
     */
    unsigned int getReferenceCount() const;

protected:
    /**
     * Constructor
     *
     * The Ref‘s reference count is 1 after construction.
     * @js NA
     */
    Ref();

public:
    /**
     * @js NA
     * @lua NA
     */
    virtual ~Ref();

protected:
    /// count of references
    unsigned int _referenceCount;

    friend class AutoreleasePool;
};

NS_CC_BEGIN

Ref::Ref() : _referenceCount(1) // when the Ref is created, the reference count of it is 1
{

}

Ref::~Ref()
{

}

void Ref::retain()
{
    CCASSERT(_referenceCount > 0, "reference count should greater than 0");
    ++_referenceCount;
}

void Ref::release()
{
    CCASSERT(_referenceCount > 0, "reference count should greater than 0");
    --_referenceCount;

    if (_referenceCount == 0)
    {
        delete this;
    }
}

Ref* Ref::autorelease()
{
    PoolManager::getInstance()->getCurrentPool()->addObject(this);
    return this;
}

unsigned int Ref::getReferenceCount() const
{
    return _referenceCount;
}

NS_CC_END

/** Interface that defines how to clone an Ref */
class CC_DLL Clonable
{
public:
    /** returns a copy of the Ref */
    virtual Clonable* clone() const = 0;
    /**
     * @js NA
     * @lua NA
     */
    virtual ~Clonable() {};

    /** returns a copy of the Ref.
     * @deprecated Use clone() instead
     */
    CC_DEPRECATED_ATTRIBUTE Ref* copy() const
    {
        // use "clone" instead
        CC_ASSERT(false);
        return nullptr;
    }
};

typedef void (Ref::*SEL_CallFunc)();
typedef void (Ref::*SEL_CallFuncN)(Node*);
typedef void (Ref::*SEL_CallFuncND)(Node*, void*);
typedef void (Ref::*SEL_CallFuncO)(Ref*);
typedef void (Ref::*SEL_MenuHandler)(Ref*);
typedef void (Ref::*SEL_SCHEDULE)(float);

#define callfunc_selector(_SELECTOR) static_cast<cocos2d::SEL_CallFunc>(&_SELECTOR)
#define callfuncN_selector(_SELECTOR) static_cast<cocos2d::SEL_CallFuncN>(&_SELECTOR)
#define callfuncND_selector(_SELECTOR) static_cast<cocos2d::SEL_CallFuncND>(&_SELECTOR)
#define callfuncO_selector(_SELECTOR) static_cast<cocos2d::SEL_CallFuncO>(&_SELECTOR)
#define menu_selector(_SELECTOR) static_cast<cocos2d::SEL_MenuHandler>(&_SELECTOR)
#define schedule_selector(_SELECTOR) static_cast<cocos2d::SEL_SCHEDULE>(&_SELECTOR)

#define CC_USE_MEM_LEAK_DETECTION 0

class CC_DLL Ref
{
    // Memory leak diagnostic data (only included when CC_USE_MEM_LEAK_DETECTION is defined and its value isn‘t zero)
#if CC_USE_MEM_LEAK_DETECTION
public:
    static void printLeaks();
#endif
};

#if CC_USE_MEM_LEAK_DETECTION
static void trackRef(Ref* ref);
static void untrackRef(Ref* ref);
#endif

#if CC_USE_MEM_LEAK_DETECTION

static std::list<Ref*> __refAllocationList;

void Ref::printLeaks()
{
    // Dump Ref object memory leaks
    if (__refAllocationList.empty())
    {
        log("[memory] All Ref objects successfully cleaned up (no leaks detected).\n");
    }
    else
    {
        log("[memory] WARNING: %d Ref objects still active in memory.\n", (int)__refAllocationList.size());

        for (const auto& ref : __refAllocationList)
        {
            CC_ASSERT(ref);
            const char* type = typeid(*ref).name();
            log("[memory] LEAK: Ref object ‘%s‘ still active with reference count %d.\n", (type ? type : ""), ref->getReferenceCount());
        }
    }
}

static void trackRef(Ref* ref)
{
    CCASSERT(ref, "Invalid parameter, ref should not be null!");

    // Create memory allocation record.
    __refAllocationList.push_back(ref);
}

static void untrackRef(Ref* ref)
{
    auto iter = std::find(__refAllocationList.begin(), __refAllocationList.end(), ref);
    if (iter == __refAllocationList.end())
    {
        log("[memory] CORRUPTION: Attempting to free (%s) with invalid ref tracking record.\n", typeid(*ref).name());
        return;
    }

    __refAllocationList.erase(iter);
}

#endif // #if CC_USE_MEM_LEAK_DETECTION