gtsam/python/README.md

Python Wrapper and Packaging

This directory contains the basic setup script and directory structure for the gtsam python module. During the build of gtsam, when GTSAM_BUILD_PYTHON is enabled, the following instructions will run.

• Wrap parses gtsam.h and constructs a cpp file called ${moduleName}_python.cpp

• This file is then compiled and linked with BoostPython, generating a shared library which can then be imported by python

• The shared library is then copied to python/gtsam

• The user can use the setup.py script to build and install a python package, allowing easy importing into a python project. Examples:

  • python setup.py sdist ---- Builds a tarball of the python package which can then be distributed
  • python setup.py install ---- Installs the package into the python dist-packages folder. Can then be imported from any python file.
  • python setup.py install --prefix="your/local/install/path"---- Installs the package into a local instalation folder. Can then be imported from any python file if prefix/lib/pythonX.Y/site-packages is present in your $PYTHONPATH

• To run the unit tests, you must first install the package on your path (TODO: Make this easier)

TODO: There are many issues with this build system, but these are the basics.