What Are Symbols, Really?

1

Quoted from MDN:

Every symbol value returned from Symbol() is unique. A symbol value may be used as an identifier for object properties; this is the data type’s only purpose. Some further explanation about purpose and usage can be found in the glossary entry for Symbol.

As I am a skeptic in all things, I have to wonder what “unique” means, and how it is accomplished. Does anyone know? I would assume that new symbols are checked against some kind of global Set, but what are they? Random letters and numbers? Something lower level?

2

Did you read the Wiki page.

In the most trivial implementation, they are essentially named integers (e.g. the enumerated type in C).

Does that help? Enums are unique I believe.