Delete an object by id in python?

Question

If I get the id of an object, how can I delete an object by it's id ?

How did you get the id? You called `id(someObject)`, right? You will also do `del someObject`. How is it possible to have the id, but not the object? Can you provide some context or code sample? — S.Lott, Jan 27 '11 at 14:48

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 27 '11 at 14:49

2

This is not a good idea. Try using the weakref module, which allows you to create weak references (analogous to symbolic links) to objects.

answered Jan 27 '11 at 14:49

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 27 '11 at 14:42

1

AFAIK objects are deleted by garbage collector in python. You can't force a delete yourself.

answered Jan 27 '11 at 14:42

gruszczy

Not strictly true; that's what the `del` keyword is for. – nmichaels Jan 27 '11 at 14:44
9

No, that's not deleting object, but deleting a variable. Totally different thing. – gruszczy Jan 27 '11 at 14:46
Delete the variable. The reference count goes to zero. The object can be removed, then, also. – S.Lott Jan 27 '11 at 15:55
You don't have to wait for the next cycle of garbage collector? – gruszczy Jan 27 '11 at 16:50
1

You don't delete a variable in Python, you delete a name aka reference to an object; Python doesn't have variables in the sense of other programming languages. In CPython, an objects gets deleted if its reference count reaches zero unless it's part of a cycle, so its deletion becomes responsibility of the garbage collector. – tzot Feb 21 '11 at 11:58

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 27 '11 at 14:53

0

The id refers to a memory address. You "can't" delete (or free) a memory address, only its references, with the del statement

answered Jan 27 '11 at 14:53

Fábio Diniz

score -2 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 27 '11 at 14:44

-2

You can delete objects by calling del() on them. But AFAIK id won't help in that.

answered Jan 27 '11 at 14:44

erickrf

4 Answers4