Provided by: regina-normal_4.96-2.1build2_amd64 
NAME
regina-python - Regina's command-line Python interface
SYNOPSIS
regina-python [ -q, --quiet | -v, --verbose ] [ -n, --nolibs ] [ -a, --noautoimport ]
regina-python [ -q, --quiet | -v, --verbose ] [ -n, --nolibs ] [ -a, --noautoimport ] [ -i, --interactive
] script [ script-args ]
DESCRIPTION
Regina is a software package for studying 3-manifold triangulations and normal surfaces. Other key
features include angle structures, census enumeration, combinatorial recognition of triangulations, and
high-level tasks such as 3-sphere recognition and connected sum decomposition. Regina comes with a full
graphical user interface, and also offers Python bindings and a low-level C++ programming interface.
This command starts an interactive Python session for Regina. This will be a command-line Python
session, with direct text input/output and no graphical user interface. All of the objects, clases and
methods from Regina's mathematical engine will be made available through the module regina, which will be
imported on startup (effectively running import regina). Moreover, unless the option --noautoimport is
passed, all of Regina's objects, classes and methods will be imported directly into the current namespace
(effectively running from regina import *).
If you have frequently-used code, you can store it in a user library. At the beginning of each Python
session, Regina will automatically run all of the code in all of your user libraries. The list of user
libraries will be read from the text file ~/.regina-libs, which should contain one library filename per
line. Blank lines and lines beginning with a hash (#) will be ignored. You can also configure this list
of libraries through the graphical user interface: see the Python options page.
Instead of starting an interactive Python session, you can pass a Python script (with arguments if
desired). In this case Regina will run the script (after first importing the regina module and loading
any user libraries). If you pass --interactive, Regina will leave you at a Python prompt once the script
finishes; otherwise it will exit Python and return you to the command line.
OPTIONS
-q
--quiet
Start in quiet mode. No output will be produced except for serious errors. In particular,
warnings will be suppressed.
This is equivalent to setting the environment variable REGINA_VERBOSITY=0.
-v
--verbose
Start in verbose mode. Additional diagnostic information will be output.
This is equivalent to setting the environment variable REGINA_VERBOSITY=2.
-n
--nolibs
Do not load any user libraries when the session starts. User libraries are discussed in the
overview above.
-a
--noautoimport
Still import the regina module, but do not automatically import all of Regina's objects, classes
and methods into the current namespace (that is, do not run from regina import *). This means
that (for example) the main 3-manifold triangulation class must be accessed as
regina.NTriangulation, not just NTriangulation.
-i
--interactive
Run the script in interactive mode. After executing the given script, Regina will leave you in
the Python interpreter to run your own additional commands.
This option is only available when a script is passed. If no script is passed, regina-python will
always start in interactive mode.
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
The following environment variables influence the behaviour of this program. Each variable can also be
set in the local configuration file ~/.regina-python using a line of the form option=value. Environment
variables will take precedence over values in the configuration file.
REGINA_VERBOSITY
Specifies how much output should be generated. Recognised values are:
0 Display errors only; this is equivalent to passing the option --quiet.
1 Display errors and warnings; this is the default.
2 Display errors, warnings and diagnostic output; this is equivalent to passing the option
--verbose.
REGINA_PYTHON
The command used to start the Python interpreter. By default, Regina tries to run the same
version of Python that it was built against.
In general you should use the same version of Python that Regina was built against; otherwise
Python might not be able to load the regina module.
In normal situations you should never need to set this option yourself.
REGINA_HOME
The directory in which Regina's data files are installed. This should be the directory containing
the icons/ subdirectory, the examples/ subdirectory and so on.
If you are running Regina directly out of the source tree, this defaults to the top-level source
directory. If you are running Regina from a proper installation, this defaults to the
corresponding installation directory.
In normal situations you should never need to set this option yourself.
Warning: When running from a proper installation, the default REGINA_HOME is hard-wired into the
startup script (it is set at compile time). If you install Regina into one directory but then
move it by hand into another, the default REGINA_HOME will be incorrect.
REGINA_PYLIBDIR
The directory containing the Python module regina.so.
If you are running Regina directly out of the source tree, this defaults to a directory within
this source tree. If you are running Regina from a proper installation, this defaults to the
corresponding installation directory.
If you have installed Regina's Python module in a standard Python location (i.e., Python can
import it directly without extending sys.path), then REGINA_PYLIBDIR should be left empty or
undefined.
In normal situations you should never need to set this option yourself.
Warning: Like REGINA_HOME, when running from a proper installation the default REGINA_PYLIBDIR is
hard-wired into the startup script. If you install Regina into one directory but then move it by
hand into another, the default REGINA_PYLIBDIR will be incorrect.
MACOS X USERS
If you downloaded a drag-and-drop app bundle, this utility is shipped inside it. If you dragged Regina
to the main Applications folder, you can run it as /Applications/Regina.app/Contents/MacOS/regina-python.
WINDOWS USERS
The command regina-python is not available under Windows. However, you can still use Python scripting in
Regina's graphical user interface, by opening a graphical Python console or using script packets.
SEE ALSO
regina-gui.
Regina comes with thorough API documentation, which describes in detail all of the objects, classes and
methods that Regina makes available to Python. You can access this documentation via Help->Python API
Reference in the graphical user interface, or read it online at http://regina.sourceforge.net/engine-
docs/.
AUTHOR
Many people have been involved in the development of Regina; see the users' handbook for a full list of
credits.
23 August 2014 REGINA-PYTHON(1)