loc will be the referencing "operator"

parser/phrase.go

@@ -328,6 +328,8 @@ func (parser *ParsingOperation) parsePhraseCommand () (
 			switch identifier.trail[0] {
 			case "set":
 				kind = PhraseKindSet
+			case "loc":
+				kind = PhraseKindReference
 			case "defer":
 				kind = PhraseKindDefer
 			case "if":

parser/tree.go

@@ -231,6 +231,7 @@ const (
 	PhraseKindCallExternal
 	PhraseKindOperator
 	PhraseKindSet
+	PhraseKindReference
 	PhraseKindDefer
 	PhraseKindIf
 	PhraseKindElseIf

tests/parser/func/main.arf

@@ -124,9 +124,8 @@ func ro gControlFlow
 func ro hSetPhrase
 	---
 	set x:Int 3
-	# TODO: this should be the "location of" phrase. update other things to
+	# loc is a reference, similar to * in C
-	# match.
+	set y:{Int} [loc x]
-	set y:{Int} [. x]
 	set z:{Int 8}
 		398 9 2309 983 -2387
 		478 555 123