How to Recover a Python Object from Its ID?

Recover Python Object from Its ID

When working with Python objects, obtaining their unique identifiers using id() provides valuable information. However, retrieving the object itself based on its ID may seem challenging. This question addresses how to accomplish this.

Solution Using ctypes

To recover an object from its ID, the ctypes module in Python offers a solution. If the object still exists in memory, the following code snippet demonstrates how to retrieve it:

import ctypes
a = "hello world"
print(ctypes.cast(id(a), ctypes.py_object).value)

This code casts the ID of the object (id(a)) to a Python object using ctypes.cast(). The resulting object can then be accessed and displayed, as seen in the example below:

hello world

Caution

It's important to note that this approach relies on the assumption that the object is still present in memory. Attempting to recover a deleted or garbage-collected object will result in undefined behavior. Therefore, exercise caution when applying this technique.

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