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 Cython, 30``cffi``, SWIG and Numba offer both simpler and more sophisticated 31approaches to creating C and C++ extensions for Python. 32 33.. seealso:: 34 35 `Python Packaging User Guide: Binary Extensions <https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/extensions/>`_ 36 The Python Packaging User Guide not only covers several available 37 tools that simplify the creation of binary extensions, but also 38 discusses the various reasons why creating an extension module may be 39 desirable in the first place. 40 41 42Creating extensions without third party tools 43============================================= 44 45This section of the guide covers creating C and C++ extensions without 46assistance from third party tools. It is intended primarily for creators 47of those tools, rather than being a recommended way to create your own 48C extensions. 49 50.. toctree:: 51 :maxdepth: 2 52 :numbered: 53 54 extending.rst 55 newtypes.rst 56 building.rst 57 windows.rst 58 59Embedding the CPython runtime in a larger application 60===================================================== 61 62Sometimes, rather than creating an extension that runs inside the Python 63interpreter as the main application, it is desirable to instead embed 64the CPython runtime inside a larger application. This section covers 65some of the details involved in doing that successfully. 66 67.. toctree:: 68 :maxdepth: 2 69 :numbered: 70 71 embedding.rst 72