Chapter 2. Understanding Cython

As I mentioned previously, there are a number of methods of using Cython. As the basics are very familiar to any Python programmer, it's important to review the linking models before getting into the programming language. This is what drives the design of applications when using Cython.

Next, we will get more familiar with the Cython programming language constructs, namely, the distinction between cdef and cpdef. Then, we will look at getting the most out of Cython by interfacing directly with native C types. Later in this book, we will see that it's possible to use native C++ STL container types. This is where you will gain the optimizations in execution, as no Python runtime is required to work with native types.

Finally, we will see how easy it is to work with callbacks to and from C and Python code. This is an interesting technique whereby you can offload logic from C code to Python.

Therefore, in this chapter, we will be diving into the following topics:

• Linking models
• Cython keyword – cdef
• Typedef and function pointers
• The public keyword
• Keyword cpdef
• Logging from C/C++ into Python
• Using Python ConfigParser from C/C++
• Callbacks from Python to C/C++
• Cython PXD
• Integration with build systems