My TCC Python Module

A Python module that wraps the Tiny C Compiler (TCC) for dynamic C code compilation and execution.

Features

• Compile C code strings dynamically.
• Run compiled C code with arguments.
• Add symbols (e.g., Python object addresses) for C code callbacks (if you implemented this).

Prerequisites

Before building this module, you need to have the Tiny C Compiler (TCC) installed on your system.

Installing Tiny C Compiler (TCC)

1. Download TCC: You can get the source from the official TCC website or a mirror. For example, tcc-0.9.27.tar.bz2.

2. Extract and Build:

   tar -xf tcc-0.9.27.tar.bz2
   cd tcc-0.9.27
   ./configure --prefix=/usr/local # or adjust to your preferred installation path
   make
   sudo make install
   sudo ldconfig # Update shared library cache

   Important Note: Even if sudo make install completes, sometimes tcc.h and libtcc.a might not end up in the standard /usr/local/include and /usr/local/lib directories. You might need to manually verify their location.

   • To find tcc.h:

     find /usr/local/include -name "tcc.h" # or search in your TCC source directory like ~/Downloads/tcc-0.9.27

   • To find libtcc.a (static library):

     find /usr/local/lib -name "libtcc.a" # or search in your TCC source directory

Building the Python Module

1. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd /path/to/your/c4python # or ~/Desktop/c4python

2. Create and activate a Python virtual environment (recommended):

   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate
   pip install Cython setuptools

3. Configure setup.py and my_tcc_module.pxd:

   • setup.py:

     • Ensure tcc_include_dirs points to the actual directory containing tcc.h. For example:

       tcc_include_dirs = ['/home/muser/Desktop/c4python/tcc-0.9.27'] # Adjust this path!

     • Ensure you are linking against the static library (libtcc.a) to avoid undefined symbol errors for use_tcc_malloc/use_tcc_free. The extra_link_args should directly point to the .a file:

       extra_link_args=['/usr/local/lib/libtcc.a'], # Adjust this path if libtcc.a is elsewhere!

     • Make sure the libraries parameter is commented out or removed.

   • my_tcc_module.pyx:

     • CRITICAL: Ensure the line # distutils: libraries=tcc (if it ever existed) is completely removed from this file. It conflicts with setup.py.

   • my_tcc_module.pxd:

     • Add the following block to the very end of the file to prevent TCC's internal malloc/free macros from interfering with your module's use of standard C library functions:

       cdef extern from *:
           """
           #ifdef malloc
           #undef malloc
           #endif
           #ifdef free
           #undef free
           #endif
           """

4. Clean previous builds (if any):

   rm -rf build/ my_tcc_module.c my_tcc_module*.so

5. Build the Cython extension:

   python setup.py build_ext --inplace -v

   If successful, you should see a my_tcc_module.cpython-X.Y-Z.so file created in your project directory.

Usage

Here's a quick example of how to use the TCC wrapper in Python:

import my_tcc_module

try:
    tcc = my_tcc_module.TCC()

    # You can add include/library paths if your C code needs them
    # tcc.add_include_path("/path/to/your/custom/includes")
    # tcc.add_library_path("/path/to/your/custom/libs")

    c_code = """
    #include <stdio.h>

    int my_c_function(int a, int b) {
        printf("Hello from C! Sum is: %d\\n", a + b);
        return a + b;
    }

    int main(int argc, char** argv) {
        if (argc > 1) {
            printf("Args: %s\\n", argv[1]);
        }
        return my_c_function(10, 32);
    }
    """

    tcc.compile(c_code)
    
    # Run without arguments
    print(f"Result (no args): {tcc.run()}")

    # Run with arguments
    print(f"Result (with args): {tcc.run(['program_name', 'arg1', 'arg2'])}")

    # Example: getting a symbol address (for advanced use)
    func_ptr = tcc.get_symbol("my_c_function")
    if func_ptr:
        print(f"Address of my_c_function: {hex(func_ptr)}")
    else:
        print("my_c_function symbol not found.")

except Exception as e:
    print(f"An error occurred: {e}")