In this tutorial we will explore how to install the ctypes Library in Python.
Install ctypes in Python
It may come as a surprise to some, but ctypes has actually been part of the Python Standard Library since Version 2.5. As such, unless you are using a Python that is 10 – 15 years old, you will already have it installed.
To check this, create a Python file with the following line, and execute it. If it runs without any errors that means you have ctypes installed already.
import ctypesIf you are using a really old version of Python or you uninstalled your old ctypes installation, you can use pip to install it. Just execute the following command in the terminal or command prompt of your system.
pip install ctypesIf this command runs without throwing any errors, that means ctypes was installed on your system safely.
If you want to learn more about ctypes and how to use it to write fast and efficient code, refer to our tutorial on ctypes.
Install ctypes in Linux
If you have a Linux/Ubuntu based OS, and you do not have pip installed on it, here is an alternative method for you to install ctypes.
First run the below update command to update your package repositories and get latest package information.
sudo apt-get update After this command has finished, run the following command which installs the python-ctypes module.
sudo apt-get install python-ctypesCongrats! You are done. Now try executing the import ctypes statement in a Python file or in the terminal. If it works, that means the installation was successful.
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