AMPS Python Client

Introduction

The AMPS Python Client is a Python extension module that makes it easy to connect to AMPS. This client builds upon the AMPS C++ Client and Python/C api to bring high performance AMPS connectivity to Python code.

Prerequisites

To use the AMPS Python Client, you must have the following software installed and configured on your system:

• Python 3.8 and above.
• Python setuptools. Most python installations build and include this package by default, but you may run into issues building this extension module if setuptools is not functioning properly on your system.
• C++ compiler. gcc 4.9 or greater on Linux, or a verion of Visual Studio with Mainstream Support from Microsoft (please refer to Microsoft product lifecycle policies) on Windows. Note that this must be the same compiler used to build your python distribution, else python distutils may be unable to invoke your compiler.

Fedora prerequisites:

1. dnf install redhat-rpm-config
2. dnf install python3-devel # for use with Python3
3. dnf install gcc-c++

Building From a Git Clone

If you obtained this client by a git clone of the 60East amps-client-python repository, you also need to fetch the correct version of the AMPS C++ client submodule. To do this, issue a git submodule command to initialize and update the src/cpp submodule. One easy way to do this is by issuing the command:

git submodule update --init

which will initialize and update the submodule in one step. Note that working with submodules in git requires extra care. Visit this chapter to learn more about git submodules.

Build

This client is distributed as source code and must be compiled before it is used. The build process emits a shared library (or DLL on Windows) that can be imported into your python application.

To build on Linux:

1. Run python3 setup.py build from the AMPS Python Client directory to build the client.

   This script uses Python distutils to build the client library. Python distutils provides many additional options for installing the built library into your Python distribution, or otherwise controlling the output of the build process. Run python3 setup.py --help to view command help.

2. Check under the build directory for AMPS.abi3.so -- this is the Python extension module. Ensure this library's directory is in your PYTHONPATH.

3. To test, run python3 -c "import AMPS". If any errors occur importing the AMPS module, validate that the module built properly, and that the containing directory is in your PYTHONPATH.

To build on Windows:

1. Use a Visual Studio Command Prompt to create a command prompt where the necessary Visual Studio environment variables are set for command line builds.

2. Add the Python directory (the location of the python.exe interpreter) to your path.

3. Run python setup.py build fom the AMPS Python Client directory to build the client module.

4. Check under the build directory for AMPS.pyd -- this is the Python extension module. Ensure this library's directory is in your PYTHONPATH.

5. To test, run python -c "import AMPS". If any errors occur importing the AMPS module, validate that the module built properly, and that the containing directory is in your PYTHONPATH.

Installing the Python Binary Wheel

60East also provides Linux-x86-64, Linux-aarch64, Macosx-arm64, and Windows x86-64 64-bit binary wheels built for Python 3.x. These wheel files are provided on the 60East website and are available to install using pip.

Installing From the 60East website:

1. Download the wheel file from the 60East client release page.

2. run 'python3 -m pip install *.whl'.

Installing From pip:

1. run 'python3 -m pip install amps-python-client'.

Troubleshooting Build Problems

Symptom: Python.h not found

Resolution: Update or install python distutils. See the entry on python distutils in the prequisites section for information on installing this package.

For More Information

The AMPS Python Developer's Guide is available on the 60East website. Generated API reference documentation for this client is available under the doc/ directory.