IInstance::AddRef

Increments the reference count for the object. This method should be called for every new copy of a pointer to an interface on the object.

This function has no parameters.

The method returns the new reference count. This value is intended to be used for test purposes only.

Objects use a reference counting mechanism to ensure that the lifetime of the object includes the lifetime of references to it. You use AddRef to stabilize a copy of an interface pointer. It can also be called when the lifetime of a cloned pointer must extend beyond that of the original pointer. The cloned pointer must be released by calling IInstance::Release.