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<TITLE>3.23 py_compile --
Compile Python source files.</TITLE>
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Compile Python source files.">
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<H1><A NAME="SECTION0052300000000000000000">
3.23 <tt class=module>py_compile</tt> --
         Compile Python source files.</A>
</H1>

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<P>

<P>
<a name="l2h-549"></a>
The <tt class=module>py_compile</tt> module provides a single function to generate
a byte-code file from a source file.

<P>
Though not often needed, this function can be useful when installing
modules for shared use, especially if some of the users may not have
permission to write the byte-code cache files in the directory
containing the source code.

<P>
<dl><dt><b><a name="l2h-548"><tt class=function>compile</tt></a></b> (<var>file</var><big>[</big><var>, cfile</var><big>[</big><var>, dfile</var><big>]</big><big>]</big>)
<dd>
  Compile a source file to byte-code and write out the byte-code cache 
  file.  The source code is loaded from the file name <var>file</var>.  The 
  byte-code is written to <var>cfile</var>, which defaults to <var>file</var>
  <tt>+</tt> <tt>'c'</tt> (<tt>'o'</tt> if optimization is enabled in the
  current interpreter).  If <var>dfile</var> is specified, it is used as
  the name of the source file in error messages instead of <var>file</var>. 
</dl>

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<div class=seealso>
  <p class=heading><b>See Also:</b></p>

  <div class=seemodule>
<p>Module <b><tt class=module><a href="module-compileall.html">compileall</a></tt></b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(Utilities to compile all Python source files
                         in a directory tree.)</p>
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