<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<!--Converted with LaTeX2HTML 98.2 beta6 (August 14th, 1998)
original version by:  Nikos Drakos, CBLU, University of Leeds
* revised and updated by:  Marcus Hennecke, Ross Moore, Herb Swan
* with significant contributions from:
  Jens Lippmann, Marek Rouchal, Martin Wilck and others -->
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Front Matter</TITLE>
<META NAME="description" CONTENT="Front Matter">
<META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="ext">
<META NAME="resource-type" CONTENT="document">
<META NAME="distribution" CONTENT="global">
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<LINK REL="STYLESHEET" HREF="ext.css">
<LINK REL="next" HREF="contents.html">
<LINK REL="previous" HREF="ext.html">
<LINK REL="up" HREF="ext.html">
<LINK REL="next" HREF="contents.html">
</HEAD>
<BODY bgcolor="#ffffff">
<div class=navigation>
<table align=center width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=2>
<tr>
<td><A HREF="contents.html"><img width=32 height=32 align=bottom border=0 alt="next"
 src="../icons/next.gif"></A></td>
<td><A HREF="ext.html"><img width=32 height=32 align=bottom border=0 alt="up"
 src="../icons/up.gif"></A></td>
<td><A HREF="ext.html"><img width=32 height=32 align=bottom border=0 alt="previous"
 src="../icons/previous.gif"></A></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#99CCFF" width="100%">
 <b class=title>Extending and Embedding the Python Interpreter</b></td>
<td><A HREF="contents.html"><img width=32 height=32 align=bottom border=0 alt="contents"
 src="../icons/contents.gif"></A></td>
<td><img width=32 height=32 align=bottom border=0 alt=""
 src="../icons/blank.gif"></td>
<td><img width=32 height=32 align=bottom border=0 alt=""
 src="../icons/blank.gif"></td>
</tr></table><b class=navlabel>Next:</b> <span class=sectref><A HREF="contents.html">Contents</A></span>
<b class=navlabel>Up:</b> <span class=sectref><A HREF="ext.html">Extending and Embedding the</A></span>
<b class=navlabel>Previous:</b> <span class=sectref><A HREF="ext.html">Extending and Embedding the</A></span>
<br><hr></div>
<!--End of Navigation Panel-->

<H1><A NAME="SECTION001000000000000000000"></A>
<BR>
Front Matter
</H1>

<P>
Copyright &#169; 1991-1995 by Stichting Mathematisch Centrum,
Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

<P>
<DIV ALIGN="CENTER">
All Rights Reserved

</DIV>

<P>
Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its
documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted,
provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that
both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in
supporting documentation, and that the names of Stichting Mathematisch
Centrum or CWI or Corporation for National Research Initiatives or
CNRI not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to
distribution of the software without specific, written prior
permission.

<P>
While CWI is the initial source for this software, a modified version
is made available by the Corporation for National Research Initiatives
(CNRI) at the Internet address <span class=url><a href="ftp://ftp.python.org">ftp://ftp.python.org</a></span>.

<P>
STICHTING MATHEMATISCH CENTRUM AND CNRI DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES WITH
REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, IN NO EVENT SHALL STICHTING MATHEMATISCH
CENTRUM OR CNRI BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR
PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER
TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR
PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.

<P>
<b><BIG CLASS="LARGE">Acknowledgements</BIG></b>

<P>
The following people have contributed sections to this document:  Jim
Fulton, Konrad Hinsen, Chris Phoenix, and Neil Schemenauer.

<P>

<H3>Abstract:</H3>
<DIV CLASS="ABSTRACT">

<P>
Python is an interpreted, object-oriented programming language.  This
document describes how to write modules in C or C++ to extend the
Python interpreter with new modules.  Those modules can define new
functions but also new object types and their methods.  The document
also describes how to embed the Python interpreter in another
application, for use as an extension language.  Finally, it shows how
to compile and link extension modules so that they can be loaded
dynamically (at run time) into the interpreter, if the underlying
operating system supports this feature.

<P>
This document assumes basic knowledge about Python.  For an informal
introduction to the language, see the Python Tutorial.  The <i>Python
Reference Manual</i> gives a more formal definition of the language.  The
<i>Python Library Reference</i> documents the existing object types,
functions and modules (both built-in and written in Python) that give
the language its wide application range.

<P>
For a detailed description of the whole Python/C API, see the separate
<i>Python/C API Reference Manual</i>.

<P>
</DIV>
<P>

<P>
<p>
<div class=navigation><hr><table align=center width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=2>
<tr>
<td><A HREF="contents.html"><img width=32 height=32 align=bottom border=0 alt="next"
 src="../icons/next.gif"></A></td>
<td><A HREF="ext.html"><img width=32 height=32 align=bottom border=0 alt="up"
 src="../icons/up.gif"></A></td>
<td><A HREF="ext.html"><img width=32 height=32 align=bottom border=0 alt="previous"
 src="../icons/previous.gif"></A></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#99CCFF" width="100%">
 <b class=title>Extending and Embedding the Python Interpreter</b></td>
<td><A HREF="contents.html"><img width=32 height=32 align=bottom border=0 alt="contents"
 src="../icons/contents.gif"></A></td>
<td><img width=32 height=32 align=bottom border=0 alt=""
 src="../icons/blank.gif"></td>
<td><img width=32 height=32 align=bottom border=0 alt=""
 src="../icons/blank.gif"></td>
</tr></table><b class=navlabel>Next:</b> <span class=sectref><A HREF="contents.html">Contents</A></span>
<b class=navlabel>Up:</b> <span class=sectref><A HREF="ext.html">Extending and Embedding the</A></span>
<b class=navlabel>Previous:</b> <span class=sectref><A HREF="ext.html">Extending and Embedding the</A></span>
</div>
<!--End of Navigation Panel-->
<ADDRESS>
<hr>Send comments on this document to <a href="mailto:python-docs@python.org">python-docs@python.org</a>.
</ADDRESS>
</BODY>
</HTML>
