LLNL Python Extensions

This directory tree contains files distributed by X-Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, in the public interest. The directory contains the following packages:

• Numerical -- provides a fast numerical facility for Python. Users of Numerical may also find some of the array functions in the Graphics/Arrayfns subdirectory useful.
• Graphics -- enables use of Gist and Narcisse from Python
• PyPDB -- provides an interface to PACT/PDB database files
• PyHistory -- collects time history data from Python-steered simulations and stores it in a variety of formats such as text and PACT/PDB.
• RNG -- makes various random number distributions accessible from Python.
• CXX -- Experimental facility for making it easier to write Python extensions using C++.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory redistributes this user-contributed software as a service to the Python community. Not all of it was authored at LLNL.

In each subdirectory of this directory we have placed a file README.htm which explains more about it. In each subdirectory, either in the README.htm or in a separate file Credits.htm, we explain the origin of the software to the best of our knowledge. Those parts of the software originated at LLNL are covered by the legal notice in file Legal.htm. All other parts were contributed, to the best of our knowledge, under equivalent terms by their originators. It is in the nature of such efforts that the distinct contributions of the various authors cannot really be tracked.

Organization

Each leaf subdirectory contains some or all of the following:

• Directory Lib containing the Python source part of the package.
• Directory Include containing any C/C++ header files.
• Directory Src containing any C/C++ sources. C++ sources are named with a .cxx extension.
• Directory Demo contains test and/or demonstration routines.
• File makethis.py (see below) for creating the necessary Makefile or project files.
• File Setup used by makeit.py. 
• File installthis.py for installing the package.
• File install_windows.bat runs installthis.py in a persistent window so that you can see the output on Win 95/98.

Compilation & Installation Instructions

For details on how to build and install these packages, see the INSTALL.htm file.

Important note: if you are building an extension that requires you to use the numerical extension (arrayobject.h) then you MUST add the statement:

    import_array()

to the initialization routine for your module in order to initialize it properly.