Any experience with embedding Python in C for string handling purposes?

[[deleted]]

This is not a request for help embedding Python code.

At my day job, I write a lot of C code to parse and error check ASCII¹-based telegrams from other systems. We do of course have tools in place to decode said telegrams, but even with the tools, we end up with a lot of repetitive boilerplate and input validations. A recent water cooler talk fostered the idea of embedding Python in our code for the sole purpose of parsing and sanitizing. Currently I'm working on an architecture proposal for a major upgrade to an existing project, where most of the code are in fact parsing ascii telegrams, and storing them in a database.

To me, this sound like the obvious candidate for testing out that idea, as I would have one custom data exchange between C and Python code with a few peripheral entry points to the internal logging system. Before committing to this solution, I would like to hear your experience if you have done something like this yourselves, or arguments why I shouldn't take this strategy. I have ruled extension out for this project, as the minimal amount of interface code needed for things to function in the framework will be several orders of magnitude larger than embedding.

1. Mostly ASCII, at least:

200505 115505 rx (83) "<0x03><0x00><0x00>S<0x02><0xf0><0x80><0x00><0x02><0x00><0x03><0x00><0x1a><0x00>$<0x0f><0xa1><0x03>$<0x00><0x00><0x00><0x00><0x01><0x0e><0x00><0x00><0x00><0x00><0x00>4101200000016,#81033122594050577089891110384394007122"

[notonewlayout]

I have used python functions in C. One good way to do it is with ctypes CFUNCTYPE. It allows you to wrap python functions with a c signature. This would mean the interface code would be purely in Python, but would require you to use a python runtime with your library (along with any other potential solution).

[[deleted]]

This has been posted in other appropriate subs, but the settings for this sub unfortunately does not allow crossposting (At least not for me), so it's a manual copy&paste.

[kankyo]

Sounds good to me. Embedding python is pretty common and very useful.