Python: Essential Reference, Third Edition

Converting Data from C to Python

The following C function is used to convert the values contained in C variables to a Python object:

						PyObject *Py_BuildValue(char
						*format,
						...)

This constructs a Python object from a series of C variables. format is a string describing the desired conversion. The remaining arguments are the values of C variables to be converted.

The format specifier is similar to that used with the PyArg_ParseTuple* functions, as shown in Table 27.3.

Table 27.3. Format Specifiers for Py_BuildValue()

Format	Python Type	C Type	Description
“s”	String	char *	Null-terminated string. If the C string pointer is NULL,None is returned.
“s#”	String	char *, int	String and length. May contain null bytes. If the C string pointer is NULL, None is returned. ...