Pyrex is a python-like language for writing rapidly and easily python extension modules. It can be described as python with C data types. You can produce with it code as fast as in C and access to C libraries is easy.

Homepage at http://www.cosc.canterbury.ac.nz/~greg/python/Pyrex/

Two main purposes of Pyrex usage are:

• speed up a Python code
• provide Python interface to existing C modules/libraries

For examples of speedup see [http://www.eby-sarna.com/pipermail/source-changes/2002q4/000749.html this message]. or [http://www.prescod.net/python/pyrexopt/optimization.html this page].

There is an enhanced fork of Pyrex, called [http://www.cython.org Cython]. It features substantial performance optimisations and improved support for newer Python language features.

PyrexOnWindows provides a step-by-step guide to Pyrex installation on Windows.

[http://www.freenet.org.nz/python/pyrexdoc pyrexdoc] is a tool for generating HTML documentation from a compiled Pyrex module, by DavidMcNab. See other DocumentationTools.

You can also consider other Python speedup solutions such as [http://psyco.sf.net psyco] and ["weave"].

For access to existing C libraries you may also consider ctypes module (Python 2.5).