Documentation for the distutils.sysconfig module.

Doc/dist/sysconfig.tex

+\section{\module{distutils.sysconfig} ---
+         System configuration information}
+
+\declaremodule{standard}{distutils.sysconfig}
+\modulesynopsis{Low-level access to configuration information of the
+                Python interpreter.}
+\moduleauthor{Fred L. Drake, Jr.}{fdrake@acm.org}
+\moduleauthor{Greg Ward}{gward@python.net}
+\sectionauthor{Fred L. Drake, Jr.}{fdrake@acm.org}
+
+
+The \module{distutils.sysconfig} module provides access to Python's
+low-level configuration information.  The specific configuration
+variables available depend heavily on the platform and configuration.
+The specific variables depend on the build process for the specific
+version of Python being run; the variables are those found in the
+\file{Makefile} and configuration header that are installed with
+Python on \UNIX{} systems.  The configuration header is called
+\file{pyconfig.h} for Python versions starting with 2.2, and
+\file{config.h} for earlier versions of Python.
+
+Some additional functions are provided which perform some useful
+manipulations for other parts of the \module{distutils} package.
+
+
+\begin{datadesc}{PREFIX}
+  The result of \code{os.path.normpath(sys.prefex)}.
+\end{datadesc}
+
+\begin{datadesc}{EXEC_PREFIX}
+  The result of \code{os.path.normpath(sys.exec_prefex)}.
+\end{datadesc}
+
+\begin{funcdesc}{get_config_var}{name}
+  Return the value of a single variable.  This is equivalent to
+  \code{get_config_vars().get(\var{name})}.
+\end{funcdesc}
+
+\begin{funcdesc}{get_config_vars}{\moreargs}
+  Return a set of variable definitions.  If there are no arguments,
+  this returns a dictionary mapping names of configuration variables
+  to values.  If arguments are provided, they should be strings, and
+  the return value will be a sequence giving the associated values.
+  If a given name does not have a corresponding value, \code{None}
+  will be included for that variable.
+\end{funcdesc}
+
+\begin{funcdesc}{get_config_h_filename}{}
+  Return the full path name of the configuration header.  For \UNIX,
+  this will be the header generated by the \program{configure} script;
+  for other platforms the header will have been supplied directly by
+  the Python source distribution.  The file is a platform-specific
+  text file.
+\end{funcdesc}
+
+\begin{funcdesc}{get_makefile_filename}{}
+  Return the full path name of the \file{Makefile} used to build
+  Python.  For \UNIX, this will be a file generated by the
+  \program{configure} script; the meaning for other platforms will
+  vary.  The file is a platform-specific text file, if it exists.
+  This function is only useful on \POSIX{} platforms.
+\end{funcdesc}
+
+\begin{funcdesc}{get_python_inc}{\optional{plat_specific\optional{, prefix}}}
+  Return the directory for either the general or platform-dependent C
+  include files.  If \var{plat_specific} is true, the
+  platform-dependent include directory is returned; if false or
+  omitted, the platform-independent directory is returned.  If
+  \var{prefix} is given, it is used as either the prefix instead of
+  \constant{PREFIX}, or as the exec-prefix instead of
+  \constant{EXEC_PREFIX} if \var{plat_specific} is true.
+\end{funcdesc}
+
+\begin{funcdesc}{get_python_lib}{\optional{plat_specific\optional{,
+                                 standard_lib\optional{, prefix}}}}
+  Return the directory for either the general or platform-dependent
+  library installation.  If \var{plat_specific} is true, the
+  platform-dependent include directory is returned; if false or
+  omitted, the platform-independent directory is returned.  If
+  \var{prefix} is given, it is used as either the prefix instead of
+  \constant{PREFIX}, or as the exec-prefix instead of
+  \constant{EXEC_PREFIX} if \var{plat_specific} is true.  If
+  \var{standard_lib} is true, the directory for the standard library
+  is returned rather than the directory for the installation of
+  third-party extensions.
+\end{funcdesc}
+
+
+The following function is only intended for use within the
+\module{distutils} package.
+
+\begin{funcdesc}{customize_compiler}{compiler}
+  Do any platform-specific customization of a
+  \class{distutils.ccompiler.CCompiler} instance.
+
+  This function is only needed on \UNIX{} at this time, but should be
+  called consistently to support forward-compatibility.  It inserts
+  the information that varies across \UNIX{} flavors and is stored in
+  Python's \file{Makefile}.  This information includes the selected
+  compiler, compiler and linker options, and the extension used by the
+  linker for shared objects.
+\end{funcdesc}
+
+
+This function is even more special-purpose, and should only be used
+from Python's own build procedures.
+
+\begin{funcdesc}{set_python_build}{}
+  Inform the \module{distutils.sysconfig} module that it is being used
+  as part of the build process for Python.  This changes a lot of
+  relative locations for files, allowing them to be located in the
+  build area rather than in an installed Python.
+\end{funcdesc}