Standalone `python3(y).dll` import library generator

Generates import libraries for the Python DLL (either python3.dll or python3y.dll) for MinGW-w64 and MSVC (cross-)compile targets.

See https://docs.python.org/3/c-api/stable.html for the Stable ABI details.

This crate does not require Python 3 distribution files to be present on the (cross-)compile host system.

Note: MSVC cross-compile targets require LLVM binutils to be available on the host system. More specifically, python3-dll-a requires llvm-dlltool executable to be present in PATH when targeting *-pc-windows-msvc from Linux.

PyO3 integration

Since version 0.16.4, the pyo3 crate implements support for the Stable ABI Python DLL import library generation via its new generate-abi3-import-lib feature.

In this configuration, python3-dll-a becomes a pyo3 crate dependency and is automatically invoked by its build script in both native and cross compilation scenarios.

Example `Cargo.toml` usage for a PyO3 extension module

toml [dependencies] pyo3 = { version = "0.16.4", features = ["extension-module", "abi3-py37", "generate-abi3-import-lib"] }

Standalone build script usage

If an older pyo3 crate version is used, or a different Python bindings library is required, python3-dll-a can be used directly from the crate build script.

The examples below assume using an older version of PyO3.

Example `build.rs` script

The following cargo build script can be used to cross-compile Stable ABI PyO3 extension modules for Windows (64/32-bit x86 or 64-bit ARM) using either MinGW-w64 or MSVC target environment ABI:

```rust fn main() { if std::env::var("CARGOCFGTARGETOS").unwrap() == "windows" { let crosslibdir = std::env::varos("PYO3CROSSLIBDIR") .expect("PYO3CROSSLIBDIR is not set when cross-compiling"); let arch = std::env::var("CARGOCFGTARGETARCH").unwrap(); let env = std::env::var("CARGOCFGTARGETENV").unwrap();

    let libdir = std::path::Path::new(&cross_lib_dir);
    python3_dll_a::generate_implib_for_target(libdir, &arch, &env)
        .expect("python3.dll import library generator failed");
}

} ```

A compatible python3.dll import library file named python3.dll.a or python3.lib will be automatically created in the directory pointed by the PYO3_CROSS_LIB_DIR environment variable.

Example `cargo build` invocation

sh PYO3_CROSS_LIB_DIR=target/python3-dll cargo build --target x86_64-pc-windows-gnu

Maintenance

This crate embeds Module-Defitions based on the stable_abi.toml file from CPython.

The upstream version of this file is located in the CPython project repository under the path Misc/stable_abi.toml.

Standalone python3(y).dll import library generator