January 2015
Intermediate to advanced
254 pages
6h 17m
English
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Chapter 1. Cython Essentials
The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.
— F. Scott Fitzgerald
Cython is two closely related things:
- Cython is a programming language that blends Python with the static type system of C and C++.
-
cythonis a compiler that translates Cython source code into efficient C or C++ source code. This source can then be compiled into a Python extension module or a standalone executable.
Cython’s power comes from the way it combines Python and C: it feels like Python while providing easy access to C. Cython is situated between high-level Python and low-level C; one might call it a creole programming language.
But Python and C-like languages are so different—why combine them? Precisely because their differences are complementary. Python is high-level, dynamic, easy to learn, and flexible. These positives come with a cost, however—because Python is dynamic and interpreted, it can be several orders of magnitude slower than statically typed compiled languages.
C, on the other hand, is one of the oldest statically typed compiled languages in widespread use, so compilers have had nearly half a century to optimize its performance. C is very low level and very powerful. Unlike Python, it does not have many safeguards in place and can be difficult to use.
Both languages are mainstream, but they are typically used in different domains, given their differences. Cython’s beauty ...
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I'm always learning. So when I got on to O'Reilly, I was like a kid in a candy store. There are playlists. There are answers. There's on-demand training. It's worth its weight in gold, in terms of what it allows me to do.