Installing

c_api_extract is available on PyPI and may be installed using pip:

$ pip install c-api-extract

Usage

Using the command line interface:

$ c_api_extract <input> [-i <include_pattern>...] [options] [-- <clang_args>...]

Check out the available options with:

$ c_api_extract -h

Or using Python:

import c_api_extract

# `definitions` follow the same format as output JSON
definitions = c_api_extract.definitions_from_header('header_name.h', ['-Dsome_clang_args', ...])

c_api_extract.py works on a single header file for simplicity. If you need more than one header processed, create a new one and #include them.

Output format

Output is a list of definitions, each kind with its format:

# variable definitions
{
  'kind': 'var',
  'name': '<name>',         # variable name
  'type': <type spelling or object>,  # variable type
  # only present if you pass `--source` to c_api_extract
  'source': '<verbatim definition source code>',
}

# constant macro definitions
{
  'kind': 'const',
  'name': '<name>',
  'type': <type spelling or object>,  # constant type, is always const
}

# enum definitions
{
  'kind': 'enum',
  'name': '<name>',         # enum name, generated for anonymous enums
  'type': <type spelling or object>,  # enum underlying type, usually "unsigned int"
  'values': [               # list of declared names and values
    ['<name>', <integer value>]
    # ...
  ],
  # only present if enum is anonymous
  'anonymous': true,
  # only present if you pass `--source` to c_api_extract
  'source': '<verbatim definition source code>',
}

# struct|union definitions
{
  'kind': 'struct' | 'union',
  'name': '<name>',          # struct|union name, generated for anonymous struct|unions
  'spelling': '<spelling>',  # Spelling that be used directly in C to refer to type
  'fields': [                # list of declared fields, empty for opaque struct|unions
    [<type spelling or object>, '<name>'],  # name may be "" for nested anonymous structs|unions
    ...
  ],
  # only present if record is anonymous
  'anonymous': true,
  # only present if you pass `--source` to c_api_extract
  'source': '<verbatim definition source code>',
}

# typedef definitions
{
  'kind': 'typedef',
  'name': '<name>',         # name of the typedef
  'type': <type spelling or object>,  # underlying type
  # only present if you pass `--source` to c_api_extract
  'source': '<verbatim definition source code>',
}

# function definitions
{
  'kind': 'function',
  'name': '<name>',                # name of the function
  'return_type': <type spelling or object>,  # return type
  'arguments': [                   # list of arguments
    [<type spelling or object>, '<name>'],
    ...
  ],
  # only present if function is variadic
  'variadic': true,
  # only present if you pass `--source` to c_api_extract
  'source': '<verbatim definition source code>',
}

#########################################################
# By default, types are literal strings with the type spelling as provided by clang.
# If you pass `--type-objects`, a JSON/Dict object is used instead with more detailed
# information. Its format is described below:
{
  'base': '<unqualified base type spelling>',
  # only present if type is a pointer type
  'pointer': ['*', ...],
  # only present if type is an array type
  'array': [<integer size>, '<"*" if incomplete array or pointer type>', ...],
  # only present if type is a function pointer type
  'function': {<type object>},
  # only present if type is a function type
  'return_type': {<type object>},
  # only present if type is a function type
  # notice that function types don't carry argument names
  'arguments': [{<type object>}, ...],
  # only present if type is a function type and function is variadic
  'variadic': true,
  # only present if type is a record or enum and record or enum is anonymous
  'anonymous': true,
  # only present if base type is const qualified
  'const': true,
  # only present if base type is volatile qualified
  'volatile': true,
  # only present if base type is restrict qualified
  'restrict': true,
  # only present if you pass `--size` to c_api_extract
  'size': <integer sizeof, may be negative for "void" and incomplete arrays>,
}

TODO

• Add support for constants defined using #define

• Add docstrings