From: Chad Perrin <perrin@...>
Date: 2005-12-30T16:56:51+09:00
Subject: Re: What is the difference between :foo and "foo" ?

On Fri, Dec 30, 2005 at 03:01:34PM +0900, Devin Mullins wrote:
> 
> Calling it a "name" is just another analogy. Its name is its String 
> representation, just as Module#name == Module#to_s (for non-singletons). 
> Rather, :jazz is :jazz is :jazz. There is no reducing it to other concepts.

That's something I've been trying to get across in other emails, but I
don't think I've done a very good job.  Thus, using the "symbol is just
a name" analogy doesn't actually explain what a symbol *is*.  Analogies
are essentially useless without the technically correct explanation for
them to illustrate.

-- 
Chad Perrin [ CCD CopyWrite | http://ccd.apotheon.org ]

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