# Ampliación e incrustación del intérprete de Python

This document describes how to write modules in C or C++ to extend the Python interpreter with new modules. Those modules can do what Python code does – define functions, object types and methods – but also interact with native libraries or achieve better performance by avoiding the overhead of an interpreter. The document also describes how to embed the Python interpreter in another application, for use as an extension language. Finally, it shows how to compile and link extension modules so that they can be loaded dynamically (at run time) into the interpreter, if the underlying operating system supports this feature.

This document assumes basic knowledge about C and Python. For an informal introduction to Python, see El tutorial de Python. Referencia del Lenguaje Python gives a more formal definition of the language. La biblioteca estándar de Python documents the existing object types, functions and modules (both built-in and written in Python) that give the language its wide application range.

Para obtener una descripción detallada de toda la API de Python/C, consulte el apartado separado Python/C API reference manual.

To support extensions, Python’s C API (Application Programmers Interface) defines a set of functions, macros and variables that provide access to most aspects of the Python run-time system. The Python API is incorporated in a C source file by including the header `"Python.h"`.

Nota

The C extension interface is specific to CPython, and extension modules do not work on other Python implementations. In many cases, it is possible to avoid writing C extensions and preserve portability to other implementations. For example, if your use case is calling C library functions or system calls, you should consider using the `ctypes` module or the cffi library rather than writing custom C code. These modules let you write Python code to interface with C code and are more portable between implementations of Python than writing and compiling a C extension module.

## Herramientas de terceros recomendadas

This document only covers the basic tools for creating extensions provided as part of this version of CPython. Some third party tools offer both simpler and more sophisticated approaches to creating C and C++ extensions for Python.

While this document is aimed at extension authors, it should also be helpful to the authors of such tools. For example, the tutorial module can serve as a simple test case for a build tool or sample expected output of a code generator.

## C API Tutorial

This tutorial describes how to write a simple module in C or C++, using the Python C API – that is, using the basic tools provided as part of this version of CPython.

1. Your first C API extension module

## Guides for intermediate topics

Esta sección de la guía cubre la creación de extensiones C y C++ sin la ayuda de herramientas de terceros. Está destinado principalmente a los creadores de esas herramientas, en lugar de ser una forma recomendada de crear sus propias extensiones C.

- Using the C API: Assorted topics

- Definición de tipos de extensión: Tutorial

- Definición de tipos de extensión: temas variados

- Construyendo extensiones C y C++

- Creación de extensiones C y C++ en Windows

## Incrustar el tiempo de ejecución de CPython en una aplicación más grande

A veces, en lugar de crear una extensión que se ejecute dentro del intérprete de Python como la aplicación principal, es conveniente incorporar el tiempo de ejecución de CPython dentro de una aplicación más grande. Esta sección cubre algunos de los detalles involucrados en hacerlo con éxito.

- Incrustando Python en otra aplicación