In programming, what does an index reference do?

An index reference specifically identifies a position within a list or an array. In programming, data structures like arrays or lists hold multiple values in a single variable, and each value is associated with an index, which is a numerical representation of its position. For example, in an array of numbers, the first element is typically accessed using the index 0, the second element with index 1, and so on. Thus, when you use an index reference, you can directly access or modify the value at that particular location in the array or list. This operation is fundamental in programming, as it allows for efficient data manipulation and retrieval.