The ctypes module overview :: "tutorial":tutorial.html :: "reference":reference.html :: "faq":faq.html ( Work in progress: "COM":com.html :: "COM sample":sum_sample.html ) Overview 'ctypes' is a Python package to create and manipulate C data types in Python, and to call functions in dynamic link libraries/shared dlls. It allows wrapping these libraries in pure Python. It works on Windows, Linux and MacOS X and other systems. The latter require that your machine is supported by libffi. News **'ctypes' version 0.6.3 has been released**. The changes are summarized "here":changes.html. Yasushi Masuda has translated the docs into "japanese":http://www.python.jp/pub/doc_jp/contrib/ctypes/. A 'ctypes' "Wiki":http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/moin.cgi/CtypesModule, and a mailing list which should be used to discuss the usage and further development of 'ctypes'. More info can be found on the "list info page":http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/ctypes-users. Testimonials *I am using it and much prefer it to the calldll/windll ... easy to use, well documented ...* - Ben C *Your ctypes stuff is awesome! Thanks so much for making it. Almost every time I write a C extension it's so I can call some Windows function - I don't know if I'll need to do that much anymore and that makes me very happy. :)* - Dave Brueck *ctypes! With stuff like Pysco and Pyrex maturing, the main reason I was still writing C extensions was to access various Windows APIs (especially those not covered in the Win32 Python extensions), but no longer - I may never write another "wrapper" extension again and that makes me very, very happy. :)* - Dave Brueck *I like the idea of using ctypes for creating highly native windows applications. So far I have been using wxPython, but that library is so big that it adds 3-4 seconds latency to the startup of the python :-), Also memory footprint is kind of huge.* - Henk Punt *... and I just started using ctypes tonight. Good old calldll/windll won't be in my toolkit much longer. :) It's a very exciting time for Python. Between Psyco and ctypes, writing code in C is becoming quite rare for me!* - Jimmy Retzlaff *ctypes is very cool! Great piece of work.* - Just van Rossum Old news 'ctypes' version 0.6.0 has been released, and the documentation has been updated. There have been some (also incompatible) changes, but I'm quite pleased with the result: ctypes is much more consistent than before. A proof-of-concept COM framework has been implemented, and added to the package. It is in an early stage, and I would like experienced COM developers to look at it, and submit feedback. 'ctypes' now works on Windows, Linux and MacOSX. Thanks to *Robin Becker* and *Just van Rossum* for their help. 'ctypes' Development now takes place on sourceforge's "ctypes project page":http://sourceforge.net/projects/ctypes. I've started a "FAQ":faq.html which should be consulted in case of problems. Documentation An extensive tutorial is included in the source distribution, but also available "online":tutorial.html. You should also read the sample files in the source distribution. Downloads Recent releases can be downloaded in the "sourceforge files section":http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=71702. The source archives contain all the sources, the documentation you are reading here, and sample files in a 'samples' subdirectory. Looking at the sample files is highly recommended in addition to reading the documentation. The binary Windows distribution only everything except the documentation, the unittests, and some example scripts. These files are distributed under the "MIT license":LICENSE.txt.