xmake-python 0.0.3

xmake Python build system (PEP 517)

xmake Python build system (PEP 517)

A python build system based on xmake to output sdist/wheel file respecting PEP517.

Related Projects

Currently, the methods to build a python wheel containing C/C++ code are as following:

• distutils: A simple C/C++ build system written in pure python. Before python 3.13, it is one of python standard libraries. Slow.
  • setuptools: default python build system, which can use distutils to build python/C mixed project.
• scons: A C/C++ build system written in pure python. It is very slow. So Evan Martin, the maintainer of google chrome, has to create ninja and switch chrome's build system to ninja.
  • enscons: A python build system based on scons. Advantage: no extra dependency except python.
• cmake: A classic C/C++ build system. A standard in fact while bad-designed syntax. scikit-build organization package it to PYPI to let python developer enjoy it. cmake in PYPI uses ninja as its backend, which is also packaged by scikit-build organization. That means that python, cmake, ninja is needed. Although the latter two will be installed from PYPI.
  • scikit-build: first python build system based on cmake developed by scikit-build organization. Replaced by scikit-build-core.
  • scikit-build-core: scikit-build organization recommends it.
  • cmeel: Another wheel.
  • py-build-cmake: Another wheel forked from flit.
• meson: A C/C++ build system written in pure python. However, it uses ninja as its backend.
  • meson-python: A python build system based on meson.

Except slow distutils/scons, both cmake and meson use ninja as their backend. So if a python developer want to build a python/C mixed project in high speed, ninja is the only one choice. We hope xmake can be another choice -- it should be as fast as ninja, as easy as meson, as powerful as cmake.

• xmake: package it to PYPI.
  • xmake-python: A python build system based on xmake. This project!

TODO

• get project version from xmake.lua
• provide some path (like scikit-build-core's SKBUILD_PLATLIB_DIR) to install python binary module (XXX.cpython-313-x86_64-linux-gnu.so)

Usage

pyproject.toml:

[build-system]
requires = ["xmake-python"]
build-backend = "xmake_python"

examples

Introduction

Python build system support build sdist, wheel and editable installation. Different from other languages, python build system is consist of two parts:

Frontends

• pyproject-build/python -m build: stardard realization.
• uv build: the fastest frontend currently.
• pip wheel: pip is an incomplete frontend because build sdist is still a feature request.

In charge of:

• install required build dependencies from build-system.requires
• install optional build dependencies from the result of calling build-system.build-backend's get_requires_for_build_{sdist,wheel,editable}()
• call build-system.build-backend's build_{sdist,wheel,editable}()

Backends

Refer some python build system backends

Backend can install optional build dependencies. For example, scikit-build-core will install cmake and ninja only when cmake and ninja are not found in $PATH.

We provide two python packages. One is a wheel for xmake, like cmake and ninja. Another is a python build system backend, which will install xmake wheel when xmake is not found in $PATH.