Schedule

Room: Room 111

April 4

14:00–14:25

Abstract

Python's ecosystem is one of the best out there, and this is mainly due to its community and what lies inside its core, a C API.

Being partially in C enables Python to interact with many languages out there which might be known by you like C++, Rust or Zig. But how does it work?

On this talk, you will be able to understand how Python can embrace the power and performance of other languages, in order to expose modules that improve the whole ecosystem.

Prerequisites

Familiarity with other programming languages

Description

The standard Python implementation is written in C (mostly) and the potential of that detail has been demonstrated with the evolution of the ecosystem, among them, the focus on calculations with a performance and precision necessary to be part of scientific projects that revolutionize different fields.

But how do extensions work? In this talk we will see how different programming languages offer the possibility of extending Python, and current cases to which its popularity can be attributed.

Practical examples of extensions in C++, Rust and Zig will be presented, using the C-API and binding generators tools that are currently the being used in popular Python packages.

After this talk, you will have a general understanding of the process, and will have a starting point to hopefully create the next blazing-fast Python package, that will improve the ecosystem.

Outline

• Introduction to CPython and its C-API [4 min]
• Using C++
  • Introduction to the language [2 min]
  • Python binding example [3 min]
• Using Rust
  • Introduction to the language [2 min]
  • Python binding example [3 min]
• Using Zig
  • Introduction to the language [2 min]
  • Python binding example [3 min]
• Binding generators
  • Example with a few tools like pybind11/nanobind, shiboken, and PyO3 but mentioning other as well [5 min]
• Other languages
  • Brief mention to other languages and their possibilities [1 min]