I have written a bunch of Perl libraries (actually Perl classes) and I want to use some of them in my Python application. Is there a natural way to do this without using SWIG or writing Perl API for Python. I am asking for a similar way of PHP's Perl interface. If there is no such kind of work for Perl in Python. What is the easiest way to use Perl classes in python?
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5 Answers
Personally, I would expose the Perl libs as services via XML/RPC or some other such mechanism. That way you can call them from your Python application in a very natural manner.
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systemsfault
thanx shane at the moment i am considering 2 options either rewriting in python or implement an API for communicating two languages using sockets.
I haven't tried it, but Inline::Python lets you call Python from Perl.
You should be able to use a thin bit of perl to load your python app and then use the perl python package that comes with I::P to access your Perl objects.
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"What is the easiest way to use Perl classes in python?"
Easiest. Rewrite the Perl into Python and be done with it. Seriously. Just pick one language—that's easiest. Leaving Perl behind is no great loss. Rewriting classes into Python may give you an opportunity to improve them in small ways.
Not so easy. Run the Perl application using Python's subprocess module. That uses the Perl classes in the Perl application without problems. You can easily create pipelines so the Perl gets input from Python and produces output to Python
someApp.py | something.pl | finalStep.py
This has the advantage of breaking your application into three concurrent processes, using up lots of processor resources and running (sometimes) in 1/3 the time.
Everything else is much less easy.
1 Comment
systemsfault
actually i tried to mean by Perl API for Python was the same thing you described in your second step. I also have to provide a small api for Python because my Perl libraries are pm files and they are not standalone executable files so i'd have to write pl file which allows access to py libraries.
You've just missed a chance for having Python running on the Parrot VM together with Perl. On April 1st, 2009 PEP 401 was published, and one of the Official Acts of the FLUFL read:
- Recognized that C is a 20th century language with almost universal rejection by programmers under the age of 30, the CPython implementation will terminate with the release of Python 2.6.2 and 3.0.2. Thereafter, the reference implementation of Python will target the Parrot virtual machine. Alternative implementations of Python (e.g. Jython, IronPython, and PyPy ) are officially discouraged but tolerated.
4 Comments
mpeters
Uh oh, you're in trouble: "This document is the property of the Python Steering Union (not to be confused with the Python Secret Underground, which emphatically does not exist). We suppose it's okay for you to read this, but don't even think about quoting, copying, modifying, or distributing it."
gimel
Will the Steering Union reconsider ?
A B
I think the "April 1st" part should perhaps be made bold. I was rather confused until I reread it more carefully.
gimel
Makes one sad, contemplating the early (4 months) obsolescence of PEP401.
Check out PyPerl.
WARNING: PyPerl is currently unmaintained, so don't use it if you require stability.
3 Comments
systemsfault
yeah actually stability is an important metric for me.
splicer
You're probably best to port your Perl classes to Python then. AFAIK, PyPerl is currently the only easy way to call Perl code from Python code.
systemsfault
or port the python code to perl :D. which may take less time because the amount of perl code is much bigger than the python one. But in this case, i will miss the chance of writing code in Python but this is tolerable i guess :).