How do I convert a Python list into a C array by using ctypes?

Question

If I have the follow 2 sets of code, how do I glue them together?

void
c_function(void *ptr) {
    int i;

    for (i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
        printf("%p", ptr[i]);
    }

    return;
}


def python_routine(y):
    x = []
    for e in y:
        x.append(e)

How can I call the c_function with a contiguous list of elements in x? I tried to cast x to a c_void_p, but that didn't work.

I also tried to use something like

x = c_void_p * 10 
for e in y:
    x[i] = e

but this gets a syntax error.

The C code clearly wants the address of an array. How do I get this to happen?

Georg Plaz · Accepted Answer · 2022-06-03 01:51:27Z

120

The following code works on arbitrary lists:

import ctypes
py_values = [1, 2, 3, 4]
arr = (ctypes.c_int * len(py_values))(*py_values)

edited Jun 3, 2022 at 1:51

Georg Plaz

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answered Nov 10, 2010 at 15:08

Gabi Purcaru

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10 Comments

AaronYC Over a year ago

"*pyarr" in python... What does it mean?

Gabi Purcaru Over a year ago

@AaronYC I'm sorry for the confusion; pyarr is an ordinary python list, like pyar = [1,2,3,4]. If you're wondering about the star before the name, check this out: stackoverflow.com/questions/400739/what-does-mean-in-python

Jiminion Over a year ago

Good answer, but a bit glib for us unwashed ones.

akhan Over a year ago

@Jiminion See my answer below for an explanation of the syntax.

Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy Over a year ago

Very well, now how would one free that arr variable ? Surely we don't have to use free() from C here do we ?

|

akhan · Accepted Answer · 2018-06-30 19:14:07Z

25

This is an explanation of the accepted answer.

ctypes.c_int * len(pyarr) creates an array (sequence) of type c_int of length 4 (python3, python 2). Since c_int is an object whose constructor takes one argument, (ctypes.c_int * len(pyarr)(*pyarr) does a one shot init of each c_int instance from pyarr. An easier to read form is:

pyarr = [1, 2, 3, 4]
seq = ctypes.c_int * len(pyarr)
arr = seq(*pyarr)

Use type function to see the difference between seq and arr.

answered Jun 30, 2018 at 19:14

akhan

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Comments

Ryan Ginstrom · Accepted Answer · 2010-11-10 15:07:57Z

13

From the ctypes tutorial:

>>> IntArray5 = c_int * 5
>>> ia = IntArray5(5, 1, 7, 33, 99)

answered Nov 10, 2010 at 15:07

Ryan Ginstrom

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2 Comments

Pavel Patrin Over a year ago

Try to create arrays more than with 255 items.

Guillaume Jacquenot Over a year ago

Works with more than 255 items: IntArray300 = c_int * 300; arrayWith300Elements=IntArray300(*list([i for i in range(300)]))

Jörg Beyer · Accepted Answer · 2019-01-03 22:29:23Z

2

import ctypes
import typing

def foo(aqs : typing.List[int]) -> ctypes.Array:
    array_type = ctypes.c_int64 * len(aqs)
    ans = array_type(*aqs)
    return ans

for el in foo([1,2,3]):
    print(el)

this will give:

1
2
3

answered Jan 3, 2019 at 22:29

Jörg Beyer

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