Call C code quickly and compatibly with CFFI
Channel: North Bay Python
Date: 2017-12-08

Zack Voase

https://2017.northbaypython.org/schedule/presentation/17/

Have you ever wanted to speed up a slow part of your Python program by rewriting part of it in C? Maybe you needed to use a C/C++ library, but couldn’t find a Python binding? This talk will get you started with CFFI, a modern approach to calling into C code from Python. CFFI (FFI stands for ‘foreign function interface’) produces modules that work across interpreters and language versions. You won't need to write wrappers in a third language like SWIG or Cython, and you'll get better performance than with ctypes.

I'll walk through the creation of a library which wraps a C data structure, showing tips and tricks for rapid development, and how to avoid potential pitfalls. I'll also touch on how to interface with system libraries from Python, using CFFI to generate safe and fast bindings.

About North Bay Python

A single-track conference north of the Golden Gate, focused on community, collaboration, and all things Python.

North Bay Python is a two-day, single-track Python conference held at the Mystic Theatre in Historic Downtown Petaluma, California, over the weekend of December 2 & 3, 2017.

We're a nonprofit conference for professionals, enthusiasts and students alike. We're focused on inclusion, accessibility, diversity, and affordability. Most importantly, we're planning a great lineup of talks from all over the Python ecosystem, with plenty of time to meet new people and develop new ideas.

Our venue, the Mystic Theatre in Downtown Petaluma, is a beautiful example of an early 1900s Vaudeville theatre. You can find over 50 different food and drink options a short walk away, and the nearest hotel is only a block away.

A Python conference north of the Golden Gate


North Bay Python is a single-track conference with a carefully curated set of talks representing the diverse Python community and their different areas of interest.

If a topic is less to your interest, or you've met some people you really want to sit down and chat with, we'll have plenty of areas away from the main theatre to catch up and chat.

Our goal is to keep prices as low as possible. That means we won't be catering lunch. Instead, you can look forward to extra-long lunch breaks you can use to explore all of the great food options around the venue.