Python for Delphi Developers - Part 1 Introduction

PYTHON FOR DELPHI
DEVELOPERS
Webinar by Kiriakos Vlahos (aka PyScripter)
and Jim McKeeth (Embarcadero)

CONTENTS
Motivation and Synergies
Introduction to Python
Introduction to Python for Delphi
Simple Demo
TPythonModule
TPyDelphiWrapper

PYTHON:
WHY
SHOULD I
(DELPHI
DEVELOPER)
CARE?
Massive increase in popularity
Language of choice for Data Analytics and Machine
Learning/Artificial Intelligence
Rapidly replacing Java as the core programming language in
Computer Science degrees
Huge number of packages
available (250K at PyPI)
All the latest and greatest open-source
libraries are available to Python
immediately
Perceived as productive and easy to learn
Complementary strengths with Delphi

PYTHON-
DELPHI:
POTENTIAL
SYNERGIES
Gain access to Python libraries from your Delphi applications
Use Python as a scripting language for Delphi applications
Make code developed in Delphi accessible from python scripts
Bring together RAD and GUI Delphi development with python
programming
Combine the strengths of each language

PYTHON VS. JAVA
Interest over time (Google Trends)
Java
Python

DELPHI VS PYTHON
Delphi/Pascal Python
Maturity (1995/1970!) (1989)
Object orientation
Multi-platform
Verbosity High (begin end) Low (indentation based)
REPL No Yes
Typing Strong static typing Dynamic (duck) typing
Memory management Manual Reference counting
Compiled bytecode
Performance
Multi-threading
RAD

PYTHON FOR DELPHI (I)
Low-level access to the
python API
High-level bi-directional
interaction with Python
Access to Python objects
using Delphi custom
variants
Wrapping of Delphi
objects for use in python
scripts using RTTI
Creating python extension
modules with Delphi
classes and functions

PYTHON FOR DELPHI (II)
• Delphi version support
• 2009 or later
• Platform support
• Windows 32 & 64 bits
• Linux
• MacOS
• Mostly non-visual components
• Can be used in console applications
• Lazarus/FPC support

GETTING STARTED – INSTALLING
PYTHON
• Select a Python distribution
• www.python.org (official distribution)
• Anaconda (recommended for heavy data-analytics work)
• Python 2 vs. Python 3
• 32-bits vs. 64-bits
• Download and run the installer
• Installation options (location, for all users)
• Install python packages you are planning to use (can be done later)
• Use the python package installer (pip) from the command prompt
• eg. > pip install numpy

GETTING STARTED – INSTALLING
PYTHON FOR DELPHI
• Clone or download and unzip the Github repository into a directory (e.g.,
D:ComponentsP4D).
• Start RAD Studio.
• Add the source subdirectory (e.g., D:ComponentsP4DSource) to the IDE's library
path for the targets you are planning to use.
• Open and install the Python4Delphi package specific to the IDE being used. For
Delphi Sydney and later it can be found in the PackagesDelphiDelphi 10.4+
directory. For earlier versions use the package in the PackagesDelphiDelphi 10.3-
directory.
Note: The package is Design & Runtime together

P4D COMPONENTS
Component Functionality
PythonEngine Load and connect to Python. Access to Python API (low-level)
PythonModule Create a Python module in Delphi and make it accessible to Python
PythonType Create a python type (class) in Delphi
PythonInputOutput Receive python output
PythonGUIInputOutput Send python output to a Memo
PyDelphiWrapper Make Delphi classes and objects accessible from Python (hi-level)
VarPython Hi-level access to Python objects from Delphi using custom variants
(unit not a component)

SIMPLE DEMO
(II)
• All components are using default properties
• PythonGUIInputOutput linked to PythonEngine and
Memo
• Source Code:
procedure TForm1.btnRunClick(Sender: TObject);
begin
GetPythonEngine.ExecString(UTF8Encode(sePythonC
ode.Text));
end;

USING TPYTHONMODULE (I)
Python
def is_prime(n):
""" totally naive implementation """
if n <= 1:
return False
q = math.floor(math.sqrt(n))
for i in range(2, q + 1):
if (n % i == 0):
return False
return True
Delphi
function IsPrime(x: Integer): Boolean;
begin
if (x <= 1) then Exit(False);
var q := Floor(Sqrt(x));
for var i := 2 to q do
if (x mod i = 0) then
Exit(False);
Exit(True);
end;

Python
def count_primes(max_n):
res = 0
for i in range(2, max_n + 1):
if is_prime(i):
res += 1
return res
def test():
max_n = 1000000
print(f'Number of primes between 0 and {max_n} = {count_primes(max_n)}')
def main():
print(f'Elapsed time: {Timer(stmt=test).timeit(1)} secs')
if __name__ == '__main__':
main()
USING TPYTHONMODULE (II)
Output
Number of primes between 0 and 1000000 = 78498
Elapsed time: 3.4528134000000037 secs

USING TPYTHONMODULE (III)
• Add a TPythonModule to the form and link it to the PythonEngine
• ModuleName: delphi_module
• Implement python function delphi_is_prime by writing a Delphi event
procedure TForm1.PythonModuleEvents0Execute(Sender: TObject; PSelf, Args: PPyObject; var Result: PPyObject);
Var
N: Integer;
begin
with GetPythonEngine do
if PyArg_ParseTuple(Args, 'i:delphi_is_prime',@N) <> 0 then
begin
if IsPrime(N) then
Result := PPyObject(Py_True)
else
Result := PPyObject(Py_False);
Py_INCREF(Result);
end else
Result := nil;
end;

Python
from delphi_module import delphi_is_prime
def count_primes(max_n):
res = 0
for i in range(2, max_n + 1):
if delphi_is_prime(i):
res += 1
return res
USING TPYTHONMODULE (IV)
Output
10x + improvement!
But hold on. Delphi can do something python can’t
do easily: Use threads and multiple CPU cores

USING TPYTHONMODULE (V)
• Implement delphi_count_primes using TParallel.For
function CountPrimes(MaxN: integer): integer;
begin
var Count := 0;
TParallel.&For(2, MaxN, procedure(i: integer)
begin
if IsPrime(i) then
AtomicIncrement(Count);
end);
Result := Count;
end;
Output
70x + improvement!
Python
from delphi_module import delphi_count_primes
from timeit import Timer
import math
def test():
max_n = 1000000
print(f'Number of primes between 0 and {max_n} = {delphi_count_primes(max_n)}')

USING PYDELPHIWRAPPER
• PyDelphiWrapper allows you to expose Delphi objects, records and types using RTTI
and cusomised wrapping of common Delphi objects.
• Add a TPyDelphiWrapper on the form and link it to a PythonModule.
• In this demo we will wrap a Delphi record containing a class function.
type
TDelphiFunctions = record
class function count_primes(MaxN: integer): integer; static;
end;
var
DelphiFunctions: TDelphiFunctions;
procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
begin
var Py := PyDelphiWrapper.WrapRecord(@DelphiFunctions,
TRttiContext.Create.GetType(TypeInfo(TDelphiFunctions))
as TRttiStructuredType);
PythonModule.SetVar('delphi_functions', Py);
PythonEngine.Py_DecRef(Py);
end;

WRAPDELPHI DEMO31
• Shows you how you can create Delphi GUIs with Python
• Create forms
• Subclass Forms (and other Delphi types)
• Add python Form event handlers
• Use customized wrapping of common RTL and VCL objects
• Common Dialogs
• StringLists
• Exception handling

CONCLUSIONS
• With Python for Delphi you can get the best of both worlds
• P4D makes it very easy to integrate Python into Delphi applications in RAD way
• Expose Delphi function, objects, records and types to Python using low or high-level
interfaces
• In a future webinar we will cover
• Using python libraries and objects in Delphi code (VarPyth)
• Python based data analytics in Delphi applications
• Creating Python extension modules using Delphi
• Python GUI development using the VCL

RESOURCES
• Python4Delphi library
• https://github.com/pyscripter/python4delphi
• PyScripter IDE
• https://github.com/pyscripter/pyscripter
• Thinking in CS – Python3 Tutorial
• https://openbookproject.net/thinkcs/python/english3e/
• PyScripter blog
• https://pyscripter.blogspot.com/
• Webinar blog post
• https://blogs.embarcadero.com/python-for-delphi-developers-webinar/

Python for Delphi Developers - Part 1 Introduction

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