Making executable binaries in Python (or Perl)

For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))

In a nutshell, translations of any of the scripting / semi-scripting languages into executables require the libraries that are included with the base distribution to be included with them, so they gain very little indeed in terms of efficiency or footprint; if the language uses dynamic memory allocation, it still needs that when compiled so you can't pull the application down to a fast and tiny single executable file, which is what most people who are asking this question are hoping for. Indeed, I spoke with the author of one of the major script to C converters and to paraphrase him, he wrote - "Graham - I wish I had never written that piece of code. It does exactly what was intended, but people assume it can do so much more that it's a support headache and I'm forever having to disappoint people"

A recent delegate writes ...

... I have discussed the possibility of migrating to Python for applications that we now developing, mostly in MATLAB. Being free resource Python is very attractive alternative to MATLAB. There was a question raised [82][ac] •Ü is it possible to generate executable in Python? [82][ac] •Ü based on Python source files?

Although no easy "make me a small binary" exists, there is a close alternative in Python if you are looking to avoid the need to distribute your source. Place the whole application in a .py file (let's call in application.py) and run it via an enclosing script that simply states
from application import *

At the first run, this will generate a file application.oyc (or application .pyo - optimised - if you run it with the -O option which eliminates asserts and make some other optimisations) and you can then distribute / embed based purely on the binary files.
(written 2009-10-12)

Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles

Y150 - Python Development Tools and Environments
  [316] Development Environments - (2005-05-19)
  [745] Python modules. The distribution, The Cheese Shop and the Vaults of Parnassus. - (2006-06-05)
  [2123] Using Python with OpenOffice - (2009-04-09)
  [2370] C++, Python, and other training - do we use an IDE - (2009-08-21)
  [3151] Disassembling Python and Java - previously compiled code - (2011-01-29)

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Making executable binaries in Python (or Perl)
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This is a page archived from The Horse's Mouth at http://www.wellho.net/horse/ - the diary and writings of Graham Ellis. Every attempt was made to provide current information at the time the page was written, but things do move forward in our business - new software releases, price changes, new techniques. Please check back via our main site for current courses, prices, versions, etc - any mention of a price in "The Horse's Mouth" cannot be taken as an offer to supply at that price.

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