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 this message. or this page.
There is an enhanced fork of Pyrex, called 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.
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 psyco and weave.
For access to existing C libraries you may also consider ctypes module (Python 2.5).