What is the difference between `>>> some_object` and `>>> print some_object` in the Python interpreter?

Question

In the interpreter you can just write the name of an object e.g. a list a = [1, 2, 3, u\"hellö\"] at the interpreter prompt like this:

>>&         


        

Answer 1

The print statement always calls x.__str__() method while (only in the interactive interpeter) simply calling a variable the objects x.__repr__() method ia called.

>>> '\x02agh'
'\x02agh'
>>> print '\x02agh'
'agh'