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	svn+ssh://pythondev@svn.python.org/python/branches/py3k ........ r81851 | brian.curtin | 2010-06-08 17:27:07 -0500 (Tue, 08 Jun 2010) | 2 lines Fix #8946. Extra PyObject* parameter documented which doesn't exist. ........
		
			
				
	
	
		
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			320 lines
		
	
	
	
		
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.. highlightlang:: c
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.. _bufferobjects:
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Buffer Objects
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--------------
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.. sectionauthor:: Greg Stein <gstein@lyra.org>
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.. sectionauthor:: Benjamin Peterson
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.. index::
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   single: buffer interface
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Python objects implemented in C can export a "buffer interface."  These
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functions can be used by an object to expose its data in a raw, byte-oriented
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format. Clients of the object can use the buffer interface to access the
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object data directly, without needing to copy it first.
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Two examples of objects that support the buffer interface are bytes and
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arrays. The bytes object exposes the character contents in the buffer
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interface's byte-oriented form. An array can also expose its contents, but it
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should be noted that array elements may be multi-byte values.
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An example user of the buffer interface is the file object's :meth:`write`
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method. Any object that can export a series of bytes through the buffer
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interface can be written to a file. There are a number of format codes to
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:cfunc:`PyArg_ParseTuple` that operate against an object's buffer interface,
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returning data from the target object.
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.. index:: single: PyBufferProcs
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More information on the buffer interface is provided in the section
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:ref:`buffer-structs`, under the description for :ctype:`PyBufferProcs`.
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Buffer objects are useful as a way to expose the data from another object's
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buffer interface to the Python programmer.  They can also be used as a zero-copy
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slicing mechanism.  Using their ability to reference a block of memory, it is
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possible to expose any data to the Python programmer quite easily.  The memory
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could be a large, constant array in a C extension, it could be a raw block of
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memory for manipulation before passing to an operating system library, or it
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could be used to pass around structured data in its native, in-memory format.
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.. ctype:: Py_buffer
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   .. cmember:: void *buf
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      A pointer to the start of the memory for the object.
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   .. cmember:: Py_ssize_t len
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      :noindex:
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      The total length of the memory in bytes.
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   .. cmember:: int readonly
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      An indicator of whether the buffer is read only.
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   .. cmember:: const char *format
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      :noindex:
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      A *NULL* terminated string in :mod:`struct` module style syntax giving
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      the contents of the elements available through the buffer.  If this is
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      *NULL*, ``"B"`` (unsigned bytes) is assumed.
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   .. cmember:: int ndim
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      The number of dimensions the memory represents as a multi-dimensional
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      array.  If it is 0, :cdata:`strides` and :cdata:`suboffsets` must be
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      *NULL*.
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   .. cmember:: Py_ssize_t *shape
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      An array of :ctype:`Py_ssize_t`\s the length of :cdata:`ndim` giving the
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      shape of the memory as a multi-dimensional array.  Note that
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      ``((*shape)[0] * ... * (*shape)[ndims-1])*itemsize`` should be equal to
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      :cdata:`len`.
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   .. cmember:: Py_ssize_t *strides
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      An array of :ctype:`Py_ssize_t`\s the length of :cdata:`ndim` giving the
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      number of bytes to skip to get to a new element in each dimension.
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   .. cmember:: Py_ssize_t *suboffsets
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      An array of :ctype:`Py_ssize_t`\s the length of :cdata:`ndim`.  If these
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      suboffset numbers are greater than or equal to 0, then the value stored
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      along the indicated dimension is a pointer and the suboffset value
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      dictates how many bytes to add to the pointer after de-referencing. A
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      suboffset value that it negative indicates that no de-referencing should
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      occur (striding in a contiguous memory block).
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      Here is a function that returns a pointer to the element in an N-D array
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      pointed to by an N-dimensional index when there are both non-NULL strides
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      and suboffsets::
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          void *get_item_pointer(int ndim, void *buf, Py_ssize_t *strides,
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              Py_ssize_t *suboffsets, Py_ssize_t *indices) {
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              char *pointer = (char*)buf;
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              int i;
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              for (i = 0; i < ndim; i++) {
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                  pointer += strides[i] * indices[i];
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                  if (suboffsets[i] >=0 ) {
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                      pointer = *((char**)pointer) + suboffsets[i];
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                  }
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              }
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              return (void*)pointer;
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           }
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   .. cmember:: Py_ssize_t itemsize
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      This is a storage for the itemsize (in bytes) of each element of the
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      shared memory. It is technically un-necessary as it can be obtained
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      using :cfunc:`PyBuffer_SizeFromFormat`, however an exporter may know
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      this information without parsing the format string and it is necessary
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      to know the itemsize for proper interpretation of striding. Therefore,
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      storing it is more convenient and faster.
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   .. cmember:: void *internal
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      This is for use internally by the exporting object. For example, this
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      might be re-cast as an integer by the exporter and used to store flags
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      about whether or not the shape, strides, and suboffsets arrays must be
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      freed when the buffer is released. The consumer should never alter this
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      value.
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Buffer related functions
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========================
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.. cfunction:: int PyObject_CheckBuffer(PyObject *obj)
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   Return 1 if *obj* supports the buffer interface otherwise 0.
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.. cfunction:: int PyObject_GetBuffer(PyObject *obj, Py_buffer *view, int flags)
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      Export *obj* into a :ctype:`Py_buffer`, *view*.  These arguments must
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      never be *NULL*.  The *flags* argument is a bit field indicating what
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      kind of buffer the caller is prepared to deal with and therefore what
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      kind of buffer the exporter is allowed to return.  The buffer interface
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      allows for complicated memory sharing possibilities, but some caller may
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      not be able to handle all the complexity but may want to see if the
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      exporter will let them take a simpler view to its memory.
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      Some exporters may not be able to share memory in every possible way and
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      may need to raise errors to signal to some consumers that something is
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      just not possible. These errors should be a :exc:`BufferError` unless
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      there is another error that is actually causing the problem. The
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      exporter can use flags information to simplify how much of the
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      :cdata:`Py_buffer` structure is filled in with non-default values and/or
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      raise an error if the object can't support a simpler view of its memory.
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      0 is returned on success and -1 on error.
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      The following table gives possible values to the *flags* arguments.
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      +------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
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      | Flag                         | Description                                       |
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      +==============================+===================================================+
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      | :cmacro:`PyBUF_SIMPLE`       | This is the default flag state.  The returned     |
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      |                              | buffer may or may not have writable memory.  The  |
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      |                              | format of the data will be assumed to be unsigned |
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      |                              | bytes.  This is a "stand-alone" flag constant. It |
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      |                              | never needs to be '|'d to the others. The exporter|
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      |                              | will raise an error if it cannot provide such a   |
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      |                              | contiguous buffer of bytes.                       |
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      |                              |                                                   |
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      +------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
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      | :cmacro:`PyBUF_WRITABLE`     | The returned buffer must be writable.  If it is   |
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      |                              | not writable, then raise an error.                |
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      +------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
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      | :cmacro:`PyBUF_STRIDES`      | This implies :cmacro:`PyBUF_ND`. The returned     |
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      |                              | buffer must provide strides information (i.e. the |
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      |                              | strides cannot be NULL). This would be used when  |
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      |                              | the consumer can handle strided, discontiguous    |
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      |                              | arrays.  Handling strides automatically assumes   |
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      |                              | you can handle shape.  The exporter can raise an  |
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      |                              | error if a strided representation of the data is  |
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      |                              | not possible (i.e. without the suboffsets).       |
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      |                              |                                                   |
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      +------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
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      | :cmacro:`PyBUF_ND`           | The returned buffer must provide shape            |
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      |                              | information. The memory will be assumed C-style   |
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      |                              | contiguous (last dimension varies the             |
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      |                              | fastest). The exporter may raise an error if it   |
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      |                              | cannot provide this kind of contiguous buffer. If |
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      |                              | this is not given then shape will be *NULL*.      |
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      |                              |                                                   |
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      |                              |                                                   |
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      |                              |                                                   |
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      +------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
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      |:cmacro:`PyBUF_C_CONTIGUOUS`  | These flags indicate that the contiguity returned |
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      |:cmacro:`PyBUF_F_CONTIGUOUS`  | buffer must be respectively, C-contiguous (last   |
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      |:cmacro:`PyBUF_ANY_CONTIGUOUS`| dimension varies the fastest), Fortran contiguous |
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      |                              | (first dimension varies the fastest) or either    |
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      |                              | one.  All of these flags imply                    |
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      |                              | :cmacro:`PyBUF_STRIDES` and guarantee that the    |
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      |                              | strides buffer info structure will be filled in   |
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      |                              | correctly.                                        |
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      |                              |                                                   |
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      +------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
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      | :cmacro:`PyBUF_INDIRECT`     | This flag indicates the returned buffer must have |
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      |                              | suboffsets information (which can be NULL if no   |
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      |                              | suboffsets are needed).  This can be used when    |
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      |                              | the consumer can handle indirect array            |
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      |                              | referencing implied by these suboffsets. This     |
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      |                              | implies :cmacro:`PyBUF_STRIDES`.                  |
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      |                              |                                                   |
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      |                              |                                                   |
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      |                              |                                                   |
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      +------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
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      | :cmacro:`PyBUF_FORMAT`       | The returned buffer must have true format         |
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      |                              | information if this flag is provided. This would  |
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      |                              | be used when the consumer is going to be checking |
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      |                              | for what 'kind' of data is actually stored. An    |
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      |                              | exporter should always be able to provide this    |
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      |                              | information if requested. If format is not        |
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      |                              | explicitly requested then the format must be      |
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      |                              | returned as *NULL* (which means ``'B'``, or       |
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      |                              | unsigned bytes)                                   |
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      +------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
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      | :cmacro:`PyBUF_STRIDED`      | This is equivalent to ``(PyBUF_STRIDES |          |
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      |                              | PyBUF_WRITABLE)``.                                |
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      +------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
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      | :cmacro:`PyBUF_STRIDED_RO`   | This is equivalent to ``(PyBUF_STRIDES)``.        |
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      |                              |                                                   |
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      +------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
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      | :cmacro:`PyBUF_RECORDS`      | This is equivalent to ``(PyBUF_STRIDES |          |
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      |                              | PyBUF_FORMAT | PyBUF_WRITABLE)``.                 |
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      +------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
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      | :cmacro:`PyBUF_RECORDS_RO`   | This is equivalent to ``(PyBUF_STRIDES |          |
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      |                              | PyBUF_FORMAT)``.                                  |
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      +------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
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      | :cmacro:`PyBUF_FULL`         | This is equivalent to ``(PyBUF_INDIRECT |         |
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      |                              | PyBUF_FORMAT | PyBUF_WRITABLE)``.                 |
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      +------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
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      | :cmacro:`PyBUF_FULL_RO`      | This is equivalent to ``(PyBUF_INDIRECT |         |
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      |                              | PyBUF_FORMAT)``.                                  |
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      +------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
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      | :cmacro:`PyBUF_CONTIG`       | This is equivalent to ``(PyBUF_ND |               |
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      |                              | PyBUF_WRITABLE)``.                                |
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      +------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
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      | :cmacro:`PyBUF_CONTIG_RO`    | This is equivalent to ``(PyBUF_ND)``.             |
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      |                              |                                                   |
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      +------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
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.. cfunction:: void PyBuffer_Release(Py_buffer *view)
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   Release the buffer *view*.  This should be called when the buffer is no
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   longer being used as it may free memory from it.
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.. cfunction:: Py_ssize_t PyBuffer_SizeFromFormat(const char *)
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   Return the implied :cdata:`~Py_buffer.itemsize` from the struct-stype
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   :cdata:`~Py_buffer.format`.
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.. cfunction:: int PyObject_CopyToObject(PyObject *obj, void *buf, Py_ssize_t len, char fortran)
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   Copy *len* bytes of data pointed to by the contiguous chunk of memory
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   pointed to by *buf* into the buffer exported by obj.  The buffer must of
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   course be writable.  Return 0 on success and return -1 and raise an error
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   on failure.  If the object does not have a writable buffer, then an error
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   is raised.  If *fortran* is ``'F'``, then if the object is
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   multi-dimensional, then the data will be copied into the array in
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   Fortran-style (first dimension varies the fastest).  If *fortran* is
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   ``'C'``, then the data will be copied into the array in C-style (last
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   dimension varies the fastest).  If *fortran* is ``'A'``, then it does not
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   matter and the copy will be made in whatever way is more efficient.
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.. cfunction:: int PyBuffer_IsContiguous(Py_buffer *view, char fortran)
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   Return 1 if the memory defined by the *view* is C-style (*fortran* is
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   ``'C'``) or Fortran-style (*fortran* is ``'F'``) contiguous or either one
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   (*fortran* is ``'A'``).  Return 0 otherwise.
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.. cfunction:: void PyBuffer_FillContiguousStrides(int ndim, Py_ssize_t *shape, Py_ssize_t *strides, Py_ssize_t itemsize, char fortran)
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   Fill the *strides* array with byte-strides of a contiguous (C-style if
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   *fortran* is ``'C'`` or Fortran-style if *fortran* is ``'F'`` array of the
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   given shape with the given number of bytes per element.
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.. cfunction:: int PyBuffer_FillInfo(Py_buffer *view, void *buf, Py_ssize_t len, int readonly, int infoflags)
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   Fill in a buffer-info structure, *view*, correctly for an exporter that can
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   only share a contiguous chunk of memory of "unsigned bytes" of the given
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   length.  Return 0 on success and -1 (with raising an error) on error.
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.. index::
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   object: memoryview
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MemoryView objects
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==================
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A memoryview object exposes the C level buffer interface to Python.
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.. cfunction:: PyObject* PyMemoryView_FromObject(PyObject *obj)
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   Return a memoryview object from an object that defines the buffer interface.
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.. cfunction:: PyObject * PyMemoryView_GetContiguous(PyObject *obj,  int buffertype, char order)
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   Return a memoryview object to a contiguous chunk of memory (in either
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   'C' or 'F'ortran order) from an object that defines the buffer
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   interface. If memory is contiguous, the memoryview object points to the
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   original memory. Otherwise copy is made and the memoryview points to a
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   new bytes object.
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