Credit and license
Interfacing Fortran, C, C++, and Python: Overview over different approaches
Overview
Teaching: 5 min
Exercises: 0 min
Exercises: 0 min
Questions
- Which tools are out there?
- Get a birds-eye overview of existing technologies.
Overview
There exist several tools which make it possible to couple Python and compiled libraries:
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| Cython | powerful | complexity |
| requires writing interface files | ||
| complicates build process | ||
| pybind11 | header-only | requires C++11 |
| lightweight | ||
| great for C++11 | ||
| C++ can call Python | ||
| SWIG | supports many languages | requires writing interface files |
| complicates build process | ||
| Boost | powerful | huge |
| F2PY | direct link to Fortran | intrusive to source code |
| no need to go via C | restricts some features | |
| CFFI | general | for C++, pybind11 is more direct |
| simple | ||
| non-intrusive | ||
| requires C interface | ||
| generates Python bindings | ||
| any language (via C) |
In this tutorial we will take a closer look at two of these tools:
-
pybind11: it is a modern, simple, and lightweight way to interface Python and C++.
-
CFFI: because it is modern, simple, non-intrusive (does not require modifying neither the Python nor the compiled code), and very general since almost any language can talk to a C interface.
Key points
Many tools exist with different scope, expressiveness, and complexity.