# What's up with symbols? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [April 3, 2006, 3:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/whats-up-with-symbols/56744 "2006-04-03T15:05:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hans-Eric\_GrSSSSnlu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/58f4c7/32.png) [@Hans-Eric\_GrSSSSnlu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Hans-Eric_GrSSSSnlu)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2006, 3:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/whats-up-with-symbols/56744/1 "2006-04-03T15:05:51Z")
Hello fellows! I’m trying to understand symbols. Not what they are, but rather why Ruby has them. They are neat and I use them, but effectively you end up with the same thing using plain strings, right? So why extend the language? I get the feeling I’m missing a big point so please help me out by pointing it out to me. Best regards Hans-Eric Grönlund ---
**Author:** ![Hans-Eric\_GrSSSSnlu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/58f4c7/32.png) [@Hans-Eric\_GrSSSSnlu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Hans-Eric_GrSSSSnlu)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/whats-up-with-symbols/56744/2 "2006-04-03T16:20:35Z")
On Apr 3, 2006, at 3:06 PM, Hans-Eric Grönlund wrote: > I’m trying to understand symbols. Not what they are, but rather why > Ruby > has them. They are neat and I use them, but effectively you end up > with > the same thing using plain strings, right? So why extend the > language? I > get the feeling I’m missing a big point so please help me out by > pointing it out to me. Hi, See: - [Symbols Are Not Immutable Strings](http://onestepback.org/index.cgi/+Tech/Ruby/) - [Many previous discussions on the list][2] SymbolsAreNotImmutableStrings.red [2]: [http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/search](http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/search)? group=comp.lang.ruby&q=symbols&qt\_g=1&searchnow=Search+this+group – Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Hans-Eric\_GrSSSSnlu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/58f4c7/32.png) [@Hans-Eric\_GrSSSSnlu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Hans-Eric_GrSSSSnlu)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2006, 4:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/whats-up-with-symbols/56744/3 "2006-04-03T16:23:42Z")
Hans-Eric Grönlund wrote: > Hello fellows! > > I’m trying to understand symbols. Not what they are, but rather why Ruby > has them. They are neat and I use them, but effectively you end up with > the same thing using plain strings, right? No. There was a lengthy thread about Symbols here on ruby-talk not too long ago, so perhaps you’ll want to search the archives. > So why extend the language? I > get the feeling I’m missing a big point so please help me out by > pointing it out to me. See also > **[O'Reilly Media - Technology and Business Training](https://www.oreilly.com)** > > Gain technology and business knowledge and hone your skills with learning resources created and curated by O'Reilly's experts: live online training, video, books, our platform has content from 200+ of the world's best publishers. > **[O'Reilly Media - Technology and Business Training](https://www.oreilly.com)** > > Gain technology and business knowledge and hone your skills with learning resources created and curated by O'Reilly's experts: live online training, video, books, our platform has content from 200+ of the world's best publishers. – James B. “A language that doesn’t affect the way you think about programming is not worth knowing.” - A. Perlis ---
**Author:** ![Hans-Eric\_GrSSSSnlu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/58f4c7/32.png) [@Hans-Eric\_GrSSSSnlu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Hans-Eric_GrSSSSnlu)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 4:20am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/whats-up-with-symbols/56744/4 "2006-05-23T04:20:53Z")
Daniel H. wrote: > – Daniel > Is there somewhere besides the newsgroup for this?