# Evaluate string as variable

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/evaluate-string-as-variable/40504>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Tags:** question\
**Created:** [May 31, 2020, 10:50am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/evaluate-string-as-variable/40504 "2020-05-31T10:50:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![POKIN\_CHAN](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/pokin_chan/32/9309_2.png) [@POKIN\_CHAN](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/POKIN_CHAN)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 10:50am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/evaluate-string-as-variable/40504/1 "2020-05-31T10:50:52Z")

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In python,  
a = 3  
eval(“a”) equals 3

Any Julia method similar to “eval()”? Thanks.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GunnarFarneback](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/gunnarfarneback/32/1827_2.png) [@GunnarFarneback](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/GunnarFarneback)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 11:02am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/evaluate-string-as-variable/40504/2 "2020-05-31T11:02:21Z")

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The closest correspondence is  
`eval(Meta.parse("a"))`  
but this is a case where the literal translation from Python is almost never the right thing to do in Julia.

What is the right approach depends on what you want to accomplish on a higher level.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zweiglimmergneis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/zweiglimmergneis/32/7892_2.png) [@zweiglimmergneis](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/zweiglimmergneis)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 11:06am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/evaluate-string-as-variable/40504/3 "2020-05-31T11:06:45Z")

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See also: [Metaprogramming · The Julia Language](https://docs.julialang.org/en/v1/manual/metaprogramming/#Metaprogramming-1)