What are some examples of using FFI in Python?

What are some examples of using FFI in Python?

FFI, or Foreign Function Interface, allows Python to call functions written in C or C++. Here are a few examples.

Can you show me a simple example of calling a C function from Python?

Sure! You can use the ctypes library. Here's a simple example:

import ctypes

# Load the shared library
my_c_lib = ctypes.CDLL('./my_c_library.so')

# Call a function from the library
result = my_c_lib.my_function(5)
print(result)

What about using Cython for FFI?

Cython is another great option! It allows you to write C extensions for Python. You can define C functions in a .pyx file and compile it.

Are there any performance benefits to using FFI?

Yes, using FFI can significantly improve performance for compute-intensive tasks by leveraging optimized C code.