How to use intern()? - newbie

[Martin von Loewis]

"Wm. King" <wjk at wjk.mv.com> writes:

> intern("ASTRING") -- puts that string internally in a table...
> 1. How do you access any string put away using intern().

The result of intern is the interned string:

>>> x = intern("Syntax"+"Error")
>>> x is SyntaxError.__name__
1

> 2. How would you put this function to good use / or what is
>     its purpose.

The function is implicitly called in a lot of cases. Module, class,
and method names get interned, as well as identifier-like string
constants in source code. Interned strings are more efficient in
dictionary lookups, because it is only a pointer compare if they are
equal.

> 3. Python Quick Reference - says interned strings are "immortals".
>     Does that mean for the duration of running program only?

Of course. Nothing lasts forever :)

Regards,
Martin