Learning Cython Programming

Expand your existing legacy applications in C using Python

Overview

• Extend C applications with pure Python code
• Expand low-level C open source projects with pure Python – Tmux
• Get the most out of highly computational Python code using Cython
• Integrate your C applications with Python Distutils and Automake/Autoconf

In Detail

Cython is a very powerful combination of Python and C. Using Cython, you can write Python code that calls back and forth from and to C or C++ code natively at any point. It is a language with extra syntax allowing for optional static type declarations. It is also a very popular language as it can be used for multicore programming.

Learning Cython Programming will provide you with a detailed guide to extending your native applications in pure Python; imagine embedding a twisted web server into your native application with pure Python code. You will also learn how to get your new applications up and running by reusing Python’s extensive libraries such as Logging and Config Parser to name a few.

With Learning Cython Programming, you will learn that writing your own Python module in C from scratch is not only hard, but is also unsafe. Cython will automatically handle all type-conversion issues as well as garbage collection on your code. You can also still write all your code in Python but have it compiled and called directly in C as if it was just another function or data.

This book also demonstrates how you can take the open source project Tmux and extend it to add new commands directly in pure Python. With this book, you will learn everything you need to know to get up and running with Cython and how you can reuse examples in a practical way.

What you will learn from this book

• Reuse Python logging in C
• Make an IRC bot out of your C application
• Extend an application to have a web server for rest calls
• Use Cython against your C++ code
• Reuse Python ConfigParser in C
• Create Python bindings to native libraries
• Learn about threading and concurrency related to the GIL
• Expand Terminal Multiplexer Tmux with Cython

Approach

A practical and a fast-paced guide that gives you all the information you need to start programming using Cython.

Who this book is written for

This book is for developers who love C/C++ for low latency and speed but who also require the ability to add more dynamic features to applications both fast and reliably. It will also show you how you can get new applications off the ground by reusing Python libraries to get started.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Cython Won’t Bite
Chapter 2: Understanding Cython
Chapter 3: Extending Applications
Chapter 4: Debugging Cython
Chapter 5: Advanced Cython
Chapter 6: Further Reading