Bridge between Delphi or C code and Python script

Question

I have a Delphi Win32 program. I want to "expose" somehow app structures and procedures via Python module. E.g. module my_api must expose public items for my app structures/methods. This module must "sit" in memory only.

Then I want, in the same app, to call Python scripts (using Python dll) which can import my_api and call my app methods. How to do it.

Answer 1

You're asking for two things here, which often go together.

First, you want to extend the Python interpreter, adding types and functions and so forth that Python code can use.

Second, you want to embed the Python interpreter in your app, so it can run Python scripts (which can use your extension modules).

Assuming you want to use CPython (the usual Python interpreter), the tutorial Extending and Embedding the Python Interpreter is part of the docs.

You may want to look at other options that help make the extending side easier—for example, you can use Cython to write the bridge code in a near-Python language instead of C, or Boost.Python to write it in nice C++ that takes care of most of the boilerplate for you, or SWIG to try to generate it automatically, or ctypes to avoid writing a bridge in the first place. But it's worth learning the underlying mechanism first.