1.. _extending-index: 2 3################################################## 4 Extending and Embedding the Python Interpreter 5################################################## 6 7This document describes how to write modules in C or C++ to extend the Python 8interpreter with new modules. Those modules can not only define new functions 9but also new object types and their methods. The document also describes how 10to embed the Python interpreter in another application, for use as an extension 11language. Finally, it shows how to compile and link extension modules so that 12they can be loaded dynamically (at run time) into the interpreter, if the 13underlying operating system supports this feature. 14 15This document assumes basic knowledge about Python. For an informal 16introduction to the language, see :ref:`tutorial-index`. :ref:`reference-index` 17gives a more formal definition of the language. :ref:`library-index` documents 18the existing object types, functions and modules (both built-in and written in 19Python) that give the language its wide application range. 20 21For a detailed description of the whole Python/C API, see the separate 22:ref:`c-api-index`. 23 24 25Recommended third party tools 26============================= 27 28This guide only covers the basic tools for creating extensions provided 29as part of this version of CPython. Third party tools like 30`Cython <http://cython.org/>`_, `cffi <https://cffi.readthedocs.io>`_, 31`SWIG <http://www.swig.org>`_ and `Numba <https://numba.pydata.org/>`_ 32offer both simpler and more sophisticated approaches to creating C and C++ 33extensions for Python. 34 35.. seealso:: 36 37 `Python Packaging User Guide: Binary Extensions <https://packaging.python.org/guides/packaging-binary-extensions/>`_ 38 The Python Packaging User Guide not only covers several available 39 tools that simplify the creation of binary extensions, but also 40 discusses the various reasons why creating an extension module may be 41 desirable in the first place. 42 43 44Creating extensions without third party tools 45============================================= 46 47This section of the guide covers creating C and C++ extensions without 48assistance from third party tools. It is intended primarily for creators 49of those tools, rather than being a recommended way to create your own 50C extensions. 51 52.. toctree:: 53 :maxdepth: 2 54 :numbered: 55 56 extending.rst 57 newtypes_tutorial.rst 58 newtypes.rst 59 building.rst 60 windows.rst 61 62Embedding the CPython runtime in a larger application 63===================================================== 64 65Sometimes, rather than creating an extension that runs inside the Python 66interpreter as the main application, it is desirable to instead embed 67the CPython runtime inside a larger application. This section covers 68some of the details involved in doing that successfully. 69 70.. toctree:: 71 :maxdepth: 2 72 :numbered: 73 74 embedding.rst 75