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| 53 | <H1><A NAME="SECTION001300000000000000000"></A> |
| 54 | <A NAME="python-terms"></A> |
| 55 | <BR> |
| 56 | 1.3 General Python terminology |
| 57 | </H1> |
| 58 | |
| 59 | <P> |
| 60 | If you're reading this document, you probably have a good idea of what |
| 61 | modules, extensions, and so forth are. Nevertheless, just to be sure |
| 62 | that everyone is operating from a common starting point, we offer the |
| 63 | following glossary of common Python terms: |
| 64 | <DL> |
| 65 | <DT><STRONG>module</STRONG></DT> |
| 66 | <DD>the basic unit of code reusability in Python: a block of |
| 67 | code imported by some other code. Three types of modules concern us |
| 68 | here: pure Python modules, extension modules, and packages. |
| 69 | |
| 70 | <P> |
| 71 | </DD> |
| 72 | <DT><STRONG>pure Python module</STRONG></DT> |
| 73 | <DD>a module written in Python and contained in a |
| 74 | single <span class="file">.py</span> file (and possibly associated <span class="file">.pyc</span> and/or |
| 75 | <span class="file">.pyo</span> files). Sometimes referred to as a ``pure module.'' |
| 76 | |
| 77 | <P> |
| 78 | </DD> |
| 79 | <DT><STRONG>extension module</STRONG></DT> |
| 80 | <DD>a module written in the low-level language of |
| 81 | the Python implementation: C/C++ for Python, Java for Jython. |
| 82 | Typically contained in a single dynamically loadable pre-compiled |
| 83 | file, e.g. a shared object (<span class="file">.so</span>) file for Python extensions on |
| 84 | <span class="Unix">Unix</span>, a DLL (given the <span class="file">.pyd</span> extension) for Python extensions |
| 85 | on Windows, or a Java class file for Jython extensions. (Note that |
| 86 | currently, the Distutils only handles C/C++ extensions for Python.) |
| 87 | |
| 88 | <P> |
| 89 | </DD> |
| 90 | <DT><STRONG>package</STRONG></DT> |
| 91 | <DD>a module that contains other modules; typically contained |
| 92 | in a directory in the filesystem and distinguished from other |
| 93 | directories by the presence of a file <span class="file">__init__.py</span>. |
| 94 | |
| 95 | <P> |
| 96 | </DD> |
| 97 | <DT><STRONG>root package</STRONG></DT> |
| 98 | <DD>the root of the hierarchy of packages. (This isn't |
| 99 | really a package, since it doesn't have an <span class="file">__init__.py</span> |
| 100 | file. But we have to call it something.) The vast majority of the |
| 101 | standard library is in the root package, as are many small, standalone |
| 102 | third-party modules that don't belong to a larger module collection. |
| 103 | Unlike regular packages, modules in the root package can be found in |
| 104 | many directories: in fact, every directory listed in <code>sys.path</code> |
| 105 | contributes modules to the root package. |
| 106 | </DD> |
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| 144 | <span class="release-info">Release 2.4.2, documentation updated on 28 September 2005.</span> |
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