What are weak references in Python?

Can you explain what weak references are in Python?

Sure! Weak references allow the Python garbage collector to reclaim an object even if there are still references to it, preventing memory leaks.

How do weak references differ from strong references?

Strong references keep an object in memory as long as they exist, while weak references do not prevent the object from being garbage collected.

When should I use weak references?

You should use weak references when you want to allow an object to be garbage collected while still having a reference to it, like in caching.

Can you show me an example of using weak references?

Certainly! You can use the weakref module to create weak references. Here's a simple example: import weakref; obj = SomeObject(); weak_ref = weakref.ref(obj).