# Equivalent of Ref in a @. — $Ref?
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/equivalent-of-ref-in-a-ref/20478
**Category:** General Usage
**Tags:** question, broadcasting
**Created:** [February 5, 2019, 4:30pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/equivalent-of-ref-in-a-ref/20478 "2019-02-05T16:30:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Tamas\_Papp](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Tamas_Papp)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2019, 4:30pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/equivalent-of-ref-in-a-ref/20478/1 "2019-02-05T16:30:56Z")
If I want to simplify a broadcasted call full of `.`s with `@.`, what is the recommended way of ensuring that certain values are treated as scalars? Eg should I replace `Ref` with `$Ref`? MWE:
```julia
# setup
a, b = 1, 2
cs = collect(1:10)
f(a, b, c) = a + b + c
# original
cs .= f.(Ref(a), Ref(b), cs)
# @ __dot__ , is $Ref the simplest way?
@. cs = f($Ref(a), $Ref(b), cs)
```
---
### Author:  [@rdeits](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/rdeits)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2019, 6:19pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/equivalent-of-ref-in-a-ref/20478/2 "2019-02-05T18:19:38Z")
Just cross-referencing some previous discussion on this topic: [recent broadcast changes (iterate by default), scalar struct, and `@.` - #12 by mbauman](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/recent-broadcast-changes-iterate-by-default-scalar-struct-and/11178/12)
---
### Author:  [@Gnimuc](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Gnimuc)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2019, 6:20am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/equivalent-of-ref-in-a-ref/20478/3 "2019-02-07T06:20:31Z")
~~I’m wondering what’s the purpose of using `Ref(a)` here.~~
oh, never mind. found the reason in the above link.