sysconfig | Python Standard Library – Real Python
The Python sysconfig module provides access to Python’s configuration information, which includes details about the installation paths, the build environment, and platform-specific settings.
This module is beneficial for determining the environment in which your Python code is running and for making decisions based on that information.
Here’s a quick example:
Key Features
- Retrieves Python’s installation paths
- Provides details about the build environment
- Provides access to platform-specific configuration data
- Retrieves compiler and linker flags used to build Python
- Lists available installation schemes for customization
Frequently Used Classes and Functions
Examples
Get standard installation paths:
Access a specific configuration variable:
List available path names:
Common Use Cases
- Determining the platform for platform-specific logic
- Locating Python’s installation paths for custom installations or deployments
- Accessing build-time configuration variables for extensions or tools
- Integrating with packaging tools to install files in the correct environment
- Querying or overriding install schemes for advanced deployment scenarios
Real-World Example
If you need to compile a C extension or interface with Python’s C API, you’ll want to locate include/ and library/ directories for your current Python installation:
This example uses sysconfig to extract the include paths and library information needed when compiling a C extension against the current Python installation.
Tutorial
Building a Python C Extension Module
In this tutorial, you'll learn how to write Python interfaces in C. Find out how to invoke C functions from within Python and build Python C extension modules. You'll learn how to parse arguments, return values, and raise custom exceptions using the Python API.