Status and roadmap
Jim Hugunin created the project and actively contributed to it up until Version 1.0 which was released on September 5, 2006. IronPython 2.0 was released on December 10, 2008. After version 1.0 it was maintained by a small team atDifferences with CPython
There are some differences between the Python reference implementation CPython and IronPython. Some projects built on top of IronPython are known not to work under CPython. Conversely, CPython applications that depend on extensions to the language that are implemented in C are not compatible with IronPython , unless they are implemented in a .NET interop. For example, NumPy was wrapped by Microsoft in 2011, allowing code and libraries dependent on it to be run directly from .NET Framework.Silverlight
IronPython is supported on Silverlight (which is deprecated by Microsoft and already has lost support in most web browsers). It can be used as a scripting engine in the browser just like the
// Client-side script passed to IronPython and Silverlight.
The same works for IronRuby.
License
Until version 0.6, IronPython was released under the terms of Common Public License. Following recruitment of the project lead in August 2004, IronPython was made available as part of Microsoft's Shared Source initiative. This license is not OSI-approved but the authors claim it meets the open-source definition. With the 2.0 alpha release, the license was changed to the Microsoft Public License, which the OSI has approved. The latest versions are released under the terms of the Apache License 2.0.
Interface extensibility
One of IronPython's key advantages is in its function as an extensibility layer to application frameworks written in a .NET language. It is relatively simple to integrate an IronPython interpreter into an existing .NET application framework. Once in place, downstream developers can use scripts written in IronPython that interact with .NET objects in the framework, thereby extending the functionality in the framework's interface, without having to change any of the framework's code base.
IronPython makes extensive use of reflection. When passed in a reference to a .NET object, it will automatically import the types and methods available to that object. This results in a highly intuitive experience when working with .NET objects from within an IronPython script.
Examples
The following IronPython script manipulates .NET Framework objects. This script can be supplied by a third-party client-side application developer and passed into the server-side framework through an interface. Note that neither the interface, nor the server-side code is modified to support the analytics required by the client application.
from BookService import BookDictionary
booksWrittenByBookerPrizeWinners = ook.Title for book in BookDictionary.GetAllBooks()
if "Booker Prize" in book.Author.MajorAwards
In this case, assume that the .NET Framework implements a class, BookDictionary, in a module called BookService, and publishes an interface into which IronPython scripts can be sent and executed.
This script, when sent to that interface, will iterate over the entire list of books maintained by the framework, and pick out those written by Booker Prize-winning authors.
What's interesting is that the responsibility for writing the actual analytics reside with the client-side developer. The demands on the server-side developer are minimal, essentially just providing access to the data maintained by the server. This design pattern greatly simplifies the deployment and maintenance of complex application frameworks.
The following script uses the .NET Framework to create a simple Hello World message.
import clr
clr.AddReference("System.Windows.Forms")
from System.Windows.Forms import MessageBox
MessageBox.Show("Hello World")
Performance
The performance characteristics of IronPython compared to CPython
CPython is the reference implementation of the Python programming language. Written in C and Python, CPython is the default and most widely used implementation of the Python language.
CPython can be defined as both an interpreter and a comp ...
, the reference implementation of Python, depends on the exact benchmark used. IronPython performs worse than CPython on most benchmarks taken with the PyStone script but better on other benchmarks.
IronPython may perform better in Python programs that use threads or multiple cores, as it has a JIT compiler, and also because it doesn't have the Global Interpreter Lock
A global interpreter lock (GIL) is a mechanism used in computer-language Interpreter (computing), interpreters to synchronize the execution of Threads (computer science), threads so that only one native thread (per process) can execute basic ope ...
.
Overview and key features
# Integration with .NET: IronPython allows you to use .NET libraries and frameworks directly in your Python code. This means you can leverage the extensive .NET ecosystem and access features that are specific to .NET environments.
# Dynamic Language Runtime (DLR): IronPython runs on the Dynamic Language Runtime, which is a set of services that support dynamic typing and dynamic method invocation in .NET languages.
# Interoperability: You can call .NET code from IronPython and vice versa. This makes it possible to integrate Python scripts with existing .NET applications or use .NET components within Python projects.
# Syntax and Semantics: IronPython aims to be as close as possible to the standard Python language (CPython), though there might be minor differences due to the underlying .NET platform.
# Performance: While IronPython provides good performance for many applications, it might not be as fast as CPython for some tasks, particularly those that rely heavily on Python's native libraries.
# Compatibility: IronPython is compatible with Python 2.x, but it does not support Python 3.x features. This means that some newer Python libraries or syntax may not be available.
See also
* Boo – a language for the .NET Framework and Mono with Python-inspired syntax and features borrowed from C# and Ruby
Ruby is a pinkish-red-to-blood-red-colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapph ...
* Cobra
COBRA or Cobra, often stylized as CoBrA, was a European avant-garde art group active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home countries' capital cities: Copenhagen (Co), Brussels ...
* IronScheme
* Jython – an implementation of Python for the Java Virtual Machine
A Java virtual machine (JVM) is a virtual machine that enables a computer to run Java programs as well as programs written in other languages that are also compiled to Java bytecode. The JVM is detailed by a specification that formally descr ...
* Cython
Cython () is a superset of the programming language Python, which allows developers to write Python code (with optional, C-inspired syntax extensions) that yields performance comparable to that of C.
Cython is a compiled language that is ty ...
* PyPy – a self-hosting interpreter for the Python programming language
* Tao Framework
* Unladen Swallow – A (now-defunct) branch of CPython that aimed to provide superior performance using an LLVM
LLVM, also called LLVM Core, is a target-independent optimizer and code generator. It can be used to develop a Compiler#Front end, frontend for any programming language and a Compiler#Back end, backend for any instruction set architecture. LLVM i ...
-based just-in-time compiler
References
External links
*
{{Microsoft development tools
.NET programming languages
Free software programmed in C Sharp
Microsoft free software
Microsoft programming languages
Python (programming language) implementations
Python (programming language) libraries
Software using the Apache license
2006 software