Python/C API Reference Manual

This manual documents the API used by C and C++ programmers who want to write extension modules or embed Python. It is a companion to Extending and Embedding the Python Interpreter, which describes the general principles of extension writing but does not document the API functions in detail.

• Introduction
  • Language version compatibility
  • Coding standards
  • Include Files
  • Useful macros
  • Objects, Types and Reference Counts
  • Exceptions
  • Embedding Python
  • Debugging Builds
  • Recommended third party tools
• C API Stability
  • Unstable C API
  • Stable Application Binary Interface
  • Platform Considerations
  • Contents of Limited API
• The Very High Level Layer
  • Available start symbols
• Reference Counting
• Exception Handling
  • Printing and clearing
  • Raising exceptions
  • Issuing warnings
  • Querying the error indicator
  • Signal Handling
  • Exception Classes
  • Exception Objects
  • Unicode Exception Objects
  • Recursion Control
  • Exception and warning types
  • Tracebacks
• Defining extension modules
  • Multiple module instances
  • Initialization function
  • Multi-phase initialization
  • Legacy single-phase initialization
• Utilities
  • Operating System Utilities
  • System Functions
  • Process Control
  • Importing Modules
  • Data marshalling support
  • Parsing arguments and building values
  • String conversion and formatting
  • Character classification and conversion
  • PyHash API
  • Reflection
  • Codec registry and support functions
  • PyTime C API
  • Support for Perf Maps
• Abstract Objects Layer
  • Object Protocol
  • Call Protocol
  • Number Protocol
  • Sequence Protocol
  • Mapping Protocol
  • Iterator Protocol
  • Buffer Protocol
• Concrete Objects Layer
  • Fundamental Objects
  • Numeric Objects
  • Sequence Objects
  • Container Objects
  • Function Objects
  • Other Objects
  • C API for extension modules
• Initialization, Finalization, and Threads
  • Before Python Initialization
  • Global configuration variables
  • Initializing and finalizing the interpreter
  • Process-wide parameters
  • Thread State and the Global Interpreter Lock
  • Sub-interpreter support
  • Asynchronous Notifications
  • Profiling and Tracing
  • Reference tracing
  • Advanced Debugger Support
  • Thread Local Storage Support
  • Synchronization Primitives
• Python Initialization Configuration
  • PyInitConfig C API
  • Configuration Options
  • Runtime Python configuration API
  • PyConfig C API
  • Py_GetArgcArgv()
  • Delaying main module execution
• Memory Management
  • Overview
  • Allocator Domains
  • Raw Memory Interface
  • Memory Interface
  • Object allocators
  • Default Memory Allocators
  • Customize Memory Allocators
  • Debug hooks on the Python memory allocators
  • The pymalloc allocator
  • The mimalloc allocator
  • tracemalloc C API
  • Examples
• Object Implementation Support
  • Allocating Objects on the Heap
  • Object Life Cycle
  • Common Object Structures
  • Type Object Structures
  • Supporting Cyclic Garbage Collection
• API and ABI Versioning
  • Build-time version constants
  • Run-time version
  • Bit-packing macros
• Monitoring C API
• Generating Execution Events
  • Managing the Monitoring State