python - Ctypes - basic explanation -

i'm trying speed integration (scipy.integrate.quad) using ctypes. have never used c , don't understand ctypes documentation. give basic explanation of ctypes doing using few computing terms possible. please explain i'm 5!

thanks

a computer runs program following simple steps, known machine code or native code. @ level, number of handful of widths, , there millions of memory slots store them in. when writing program, higher level of abstraction desired, allowing name variables , subroutines, keep track of memory holds value, , on. native code not reveal information, stored program files (whether libraries or executables) have clues, such subroutine names. c source code supplies information in declarations, , libraries scipy have wrappers preserve information layer up, in case python. python objects hold information on types, unlike c variables. ctypes permits names , describe missing type information, native variables , subroutines can accessed python. in scipy.integrate.quad example, ctypes used create python function object native subroutine named func.

>>> import ctypes >>> lib = ctypes.cdll('/home/.../testlib.*') #use absolute path >>> lib.func.restype = ctypes.c_double >>> lib.func.argtypes = (ctypes.c_int,ctypes.c_double) 

in c terms, function declared extern double func(int, double);. in general, native routines faster python ones, because python has figure out each operation objects handles, while information statically determined in c. middle ground can reached in time compilers, of pypy example.