Ubuntu Manpage: h2xml - convert header files to XML intermediates

Provided by: python-ctypeslib_0.0.0+svn20100125-5_all

NAME

       h2xml - convert header files to XML intermediates
       xml2py - convert XML intermediates to Python ctypes interface

SYNOPSIS

       h2xml includefile ... [options] -o outputxmlfile
       xml2py xmlfile ... [options] -o outputpyfile

DESCRIPTION

ctypeslib is a Python code generator capable of converting C header files into xml files
(using gccxml), and then converting the xmlfiles into Python modules which define a ctypes
interface to the corresponding C library.

Ctypeslib is not ctypes. Ctypes is included in Python 2.5+ and as an add-on for lower
versions, while ctypeslib is a lesser known add-on written by the ctypes author. If you
use ctypes a lot and are tired of setting argtypes and restype of the called functions,
you should look into ctypeslib. Ctypeslib can also set up data types and structures from
C header files automatically.

h2xml and xml2py are the user interface scripts to ctypeslib. h2xml converts C header
files into xml intermediates (using gccxml) and xml2py converts these intermediates to
Python files. At the minimum, you can get automatic construction of the C types
(structures, etc) in ctypes definitions. With extra options, macro definitions can be
expanded and the output Python file can be automatically linked (using ctypes) to the
corresponding C library.

The briefest example is:

h2xml header.h -o out_c.xml
xml2py out_c.xml -o out_c.py

To obtain preprocessor symbols, you must use the -c flag to h2xml. To automatically link
to C libraries via ctypes, you muss pass the relevant libraries to xml2py with -l
library.so.

OPTIONS

       h2xml options:

              -h, --help
                     show brief help message

              -q, --quiet

              -D NAME[=VALUE]
                     macros to define

              -U NAME
                     macros to undefine

              -I DIRECTORY
                     additional include directories

              -o XMLFILE
                     XML output filename

              -c, --cpp-symbols
                     try to find #define symbols - this may give compiler errors, so it's off  by
                     default.

              -k     don't delete the temporary files created (useful for finding problems)

       xml2py options:

              -h, --help
                     show this help message and exit

              -c     include source file location in comments

              -d     include docstrings containing C prototype and source file location

              -k TYPEKIND
                     kind  of  type  descriptions to include: d = #defines, e = enumerations, f =
                     functions, s = structures, t = typedefs

              -l DLLS
                     libraries to search for exported functions

              -o OUTPUT
                     output filename (if not specified, standard output will be used)

              -r EXPRESSION
                     regular  expression  for  symbols  to  include  (if  neither   symbols   nor
                     expressions are specified,everything will be included)

              -s SYMBOL
                     symbol    to    include    (if   neither   symbols   nor   expressions   are
                     specified,everything will be included)

              -v     verbose output

              -w     add all standard windows dlls to the searched dlls list

              -m module
                     Python module(s) containing  symbols  which  will  be  imported  instead  of
                     generated

              --preload=DLL
                     dlls to be loaded before all others (to resolve symbols)

EXAMPLES

       Please see /usr/share/doc/python-ctypeslib/examples.Debian for examples and explanation.

AUTHOR