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| 55 | <H1><A NAME="SECTION003000000000000000000"></A><A NAME="intro"></A> |
| 56 | <BR> |
| 57 | 1. Introduction |
| 58 | </H1> |
| 59 | |
| 60 | <P> |
| 61 | The Application Programmer's Interface to Python gives C and |
| 62 | C++ programmers access to the Python interpreter at a variety of |
| 63 | levels. The API is equally usable from C++, but for brevity it is |
| 64 | generally referred to as the Python/C API. There are two |
| 65 | fundamentally different reasons for using the Python/C API. The first |
| 66 | reason is to write <em>extension modules</em> for specific purposes; |
| 67 | these are C modules that extend the Python interpreter. This is |
| 68 | probably the most common use. The second reason is to use Python as a |
| 69 | component in a larger application; this technique is generally |
| 70 | referred to as <i class="dfn">embedding</i> Python in an application. |
| 71 | |
| 72 | <P> |
| 73 | Writing an extension module is a relatively well-understood process, |
| 74 | where a ``cookbook'' approach works well. There are several tools |
| 75 | that automate the process to some extent. While people have embedded |
| 76 | Python in other applications since its early existence, the process of |
| 77 | embedding Python is less straightforward than writing an extension. |
| 78 | |
| 79 | <P> |
| 80 | Many API functions are useful independent of whether you're embedding |
| 81 | or extending Python; moreover, most applications that embed Python |
| 82 | will need to provide a custom extension as well, so it's probably a |
| 83 | good idea to become familiar with writing an extension before |
| 84 | attempting to embed Python in a real application. |
| 85 | |
| 86 | <P> |
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| 95 | <LI><A href="objects.html">1.2 Objects, Types and Reference Counts</a> |
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| 97 | <LI><A href="refcounts.html">1.2.1 Reference Counts</a> |
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| 99 | <LI><A href="refcountDetails.html">1.2.1.1 Reference Count Details</a> |
| 100 | </ul> |
| 101 | <LI><A href="types.html">1.2.2 Types</a> |
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| 143 | <span class="release-info">Release 2.4.2, documentation updated on 28 September 2005.</span> |
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