sam-t2/devtools/v8plus/html/python/api/intro.html

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<link rel="STYLESHEET" href="api.css" type='text/css' />
<link rel="SHORTCUT ICON" href="../icons/pyfav.png" type="image/png" />
<link rel='start' href='../index.html' title='Python Documentation Index' />
<link rel="first" href="api.html" title='Python/C API Reference Manual' />
<link rel='contents' href='contents.html' title="Contents" />
<link rel='index' href='genindex.html' title='Index' />
<link rel='last' href='about.html' title='About this document...' />
<link rel='help' href='about.html' title='About this document...' />
<link rel="next" href="veryhigh.html" />
<link rel="prev" href="contents.html" />
<link rel="parent" href="api.html" />
<link rel="next" href="includes.html" />
<meta name='aesop' content='information' />
<title>1. Introduction </title>
</head>
<body>
<DIV CLASS="navigation">
<div id='top-navigation-panel' xml:id='top-navigation-panel'>
<table align="center" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2">
<tr>
<td class='online-navigation'><a rel="prev" title="Contents"
  href="contents.html"><img src='../icons/previous.png'
  border='0' height='32'  alt='Previous Page' width='32' /></A></td>
<td class='online-navigation'><a rel="parent" title="Python/C API Reference Manual"
  href="api.html"><img src='../icons/up.png'
  border='0' height='32'  alt='Up One Level' width='32' /></A></td>
<td class='online-navigation'><a rel="next" title="1.1 Include Files"
  href="includes.html"><img src='../icons/next.png'
  border='0' height='32'  alt='Next Page' width='32' /></A></td>
<td align="center" width="100%">Python/C API Reference Manual</td>
<td class='online-navigation'><a rel="contents" title="Table of Contents"
  href="contents.html"><img src='../icons/contents.png'
  border='0' height='32'  alt='Contents' width='32' /></A></td>
<td class='online-navigation'><img src='../icons/blank.png'
  border='0' height='32'  alt='' width='32' /></td>
<td class='online-navigation'><a rel="index" title="Index"
  href="genindex.html"><img src='../icons/index.png'
  border='0' height='32'  alt='Index' width='32' /></A></td>
</tr></table>
<div class='online-navigation'>
<b class="navlabel">Previous:</b>
<a class="sectref" rel="prev" href="contents.html">Contents</A>
<b class="navlabel">Up:</b>
<a class="sectref" rel="parent" href="api.html">Python/C API Reference Manual</A>
<b class="navlabel">Next:</b>
<a class="sectref" rel="next" href="includes.html">1.1 Include Files</A>
</div>
<hr /></div>
</DIV>
<!--End of Navigation Panel-->

<H1><A NAME="SECTION003000000000000000000"></A><A NAME="intro"></A>
<BR>
1. Introduction
</H1>

<P>
The Application Programmer's Interface to Python gives C and
C++ programmers access to the Python interpreter at a variety of
levels.  The API is equally usable from C++, but for brevity it is
generally referred to as the Python/C API.  There are two
fundamentally different reasons for using the Python/C API.  The first
reason is to write <em>extension modules</em> for specific purposes;
these are C modules that extend the Python interpreter.  This is
probably the most common use.  The second reason is to use Python as a
component in a larger application; this technique is generally
referred to as <i class="dfn">embedding</i> Python in an application.

<P>
Writing an extension module is a relatively well-understood process,
where a ``cookbook'' approach works well.  There are several tools
that automate the process to some extent.  While people have embedded
Python in other applications since its early existence, the process of
embedding Python is less straightforward than writing an extension.

<P>
Many API functions are useful independent of whether you're embedding
or extending Python; moreover, most applications that embed Python
will need to provide a custom extension as well, so it's probably a
good idea to become familiar with writing an extension before
attempting to embed Python in a real application.

<P>

<p><br /></p><hr class='online-navigation' />
<div class='online-navigation'>
<!--Table of Child-Links-->
<A NAME="CHILD_LINKS"><STRONG>Subsections</STRONG></a>

<UL CLASS="ChildLinks">
<LI><A href="includes.html">1.1 Include Files</a>
<LI><A href="objects.html">1.2 Objects, Types and Reference Counts</a>
<UL>
<LI><A href="refcounts.html">1.2.1 Reference Counts</a>
<UL>
<LI><A href="refcountDetails.html">1.2.1.1 Reference Count Details</a>
</ul>
<LI><A href="types.html">1.2.2 Types</a>
</ul>
<LI><A href="exceptions.html">1.3 Exceptions</a>
<LI><A href="embedding.html">1.4 Embedding Python</a>
</ul>
<!--End of Table of Child-Links-->
</div>

<DIV CLASS="navigation">
<div class='online-navigation'>
<p></p><hr />
<table align="center" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2">
<tr>
<td class='online-navigation'><a rel="prev" title="Contents"
  href="contents.html"><img src='../icons/previous.png'
  border='0' height='32'  alt='Previous Page' width='32' /></A></td>
<td class='online-navigation'><a rel="parent" title="Python/C API Reference Manual"
  href="api.html"><img src='../icons/up.png'
  border='0' height='32'  alt='Up One Level' width='32' /></A></td>
<td class='online-navigation'><a rel="next" title="1.1 Include Files"
  href="includes.html"><img src='../icons/next.png'
  border='0' height='32'  alt='Next Page' width='32' /></A></td>
<td align="center" width="100%">Python/C API Reference Manual</td>
<td class='online-navigation'><a rel="contents" title="Table of Contents"
  href="contents.html"><img src='../icons/contents.png'
  border='0' height='32'  alt='Contents' width='32' /></A></td>
<td class='online-navigation'><img src='../icons/blank.png'
  border='0' height='32'  alt='' width='32' /></td>
<td class='online-navigation'><a rel="index" title="Index"
  href="genindex.html"><img src='../icons/index.png'
  border='0' height='32'  alt='Index' width='32' /></A></td>
</tr></table>
<div class='online-navigation'>
<b class="navlabel">Previous:</b>
<a class="sectref" rel="prev" href="contents.html">Contents</A>
<b class="navlabel">Up:</b>
<a class="sectref" rel="parent" href="api.html">Python/C API Reference Manual</A>
<b class="navlabel">Next:</b>
<a class="sectref" rel="next" href="includes.html">1.1 Include Files</A>
</div>
</div>
<hr />
<span class="release-info">Release 2.4.2, documentation updated on 28 September 2005.</span>
</DIV>
<!--End of Navigation Panel-->
<ADDRESS>
See <i><a href="about.html">About this document...</a></i> for information on suggesting changes.
</ADDRESS>
</BODY>
</HTML>