!7 sclass Symbol { S text; *() {} *(S *text, bool dummy) {} // weird signature to prevent accidental calling public int hashCode() { ret main.hashCode(text); } toString { ret text; } public bool equals(O o) { ret this == o; } } sclass SymbolTester { S text; *() {} *(S *text) {} public int hashCode() { ret main.hashCode(text); } public bool equals(O o) { ret o instanceof Symbol && eq(text, o/Symbol.text); } } static new WeakHashMap symbolMap; static Symbol symbol(S s) { if (s == null) null; synchronized(symbolMap) { // This is a trick that works because of how WeakHashMap compares keys. SymbolTester test = new(s); //WeakHashMap2.Entry e = symbolMap.getEntry(test); //Symbol sym = e == null ? null : e.get(); O e = call(symbolMap, 'getEntry, test); Symbol sym = e == null ? null : ((WeakReference) e).get(); if (sym == null) symbolMap.put(sym = Symbol(s, false), Bool.TRUE); ret sym; } } p { S s1 = "a", s2 = lower("A"); assertNotIdentical(s1, s2); // Now more clearly showing the improvement Symbol a = symbol(s1); Symbol a2 = symbol(s2); assertEquals("a", str(a)); assertEquals("a", str(a2)); assertIdentical(a, a2); Symbol b = symbol("b"); assertEquals("b", str(b)); print("OK"); }