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Thu Apr 5 11:35:47 EDT 2001 · http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2001-April/109254.html

In article <Pine.LNX.4.21.0104042019020.17701-100000 at tarpon.exis.net>,
Jay Collins  <jcollin at exis.net> wrote:
>
>does del() free the ram used by string?
>
>like 
>
>a = "my string"
>del(a)
>
>will I get my ram back? Should I even worry about this since gc takes care
>of this?

I am not entirely sure the answers you've been given are correct.
They're probably true for the specific case you're using, but certain
strings get interned (e.g. "a = 'my'", 'my' is interned), and while the
reference will go away (that is, the variable a will be freed), I'm not
entirely sure the string itself will be freed.

This subtlety (if true) is probably irrelevent for your needs; I just
wanted to get the technical accuracy.  (Someone more familiar with
Python's internals will have to verify whether I'm right.)
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del()?