# Python Bindings for ContamX
This is the initial implementation of a Python wrapper for `contamx-lib.lib` which is a statically linked library with an API wrapper around ContamX. `contamx-lib` enables control of CONTAM simulations via C-language API. This Python package, `contamxpy`, provides another layer of access, i.e., Python bindings, to `contamx-lib`.
[Driver Modules](#DriverModules) are provided that demonstrate the use of `contamxpy.py`. These drivers import `contamxpy`, obtain a `state`, get properties of the simulation necessary to run from beginning to end, then step through all the time steps.
## Usage
Typically, one would work within a Python virtual environment which can be created and activated using the following commands.
```
$ python -m venv .venv
$ .venv\Scripts\activate (on Windows)
```
Install `contamxpy` from PyPI.
```
$(.venv) python -m pip install contamxpy
```
Get help for the test module from the command line.
```
test_cxcffi.py -h
Usage: test_cxcffi.py [options] arg1
arg1=PRJ filename
Options:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-v VERBOSE, --verbose=VERBOSE
define verbose output level: 0=Min, 1=Medium,
2=Max
```
## <a name="DriverModules"></a>Driver Modules
Demonstration cases are provided with the downloadable source distribution. Example drivers and test cases, i.e., CONTAM PRJ and associated input files (WTH, CTM), will be in the `demo_files` folder. This example command line runs the `test_OneZoneWthCtm.py` module with `test_GetPrjInfo.prj` using the `--verbose=2` command line option and redirects it to a text file named `out.txt`. Review `out.txt` for detailed information obtained from the PRJ file via the `contamxpy` module.
```
test_OneZoneWthCtm.py test_GetPrjInfo.prj --verbose=2 > out.txt
```
Some driver modules (listed below) are case-specific and provide boundary conditions (WTH and CTM-like) for their respective PRJ files.
* test_OneZoneWthCtm.py
- test_OneZoneWthCtm-UseApi.prj
- test_OneZoneWthCtmStack-UseApi.prj
- valThreeZonesWthCtm-UseApi.prj
- testGetPrjInfo.prj
* test_cxcffi.py
- test_OneZoneWthCtm.prj
- test_OneZoneWthCtmStack.prj
- valThreeZonesWthCtm.prj
* test_OneFloorWpcAddMf.py
- test_OneFloorWpcAddMf-UseApi.prj
`contamxpy` is thread safe, and the `test_Multirun.py` driver demonstrates this capability by running multiple PRJ files provided in a list file using the Python `threading` module. **NOTE**: At the time of this release, `contamxpy` cannot be used with Python's multiprocessing capabilities due to pickling limitation of CFFI-based modules.
* test_MultiRun.py (Use --help option for details)
- prjFile.lst
- reg_solverContTrace-mz-MH-trans-3day.prj, test_GetPrjInfo.prj, test_OneFloorWpcAddMfYear.prj, test_OneZoneWthCtmStackYear.prj, test_OneZoneWthCtmYear.prj, valThreeZonesWthCtmYear.prj
# Documentation
The *docs* folder in the source distribution file (e.g., *contamxpy-#.#.#.zip*) contains a PDF with detailed documentation of the API.
# Developer Notes
These bindings were developed using the **C Foreign Function Interface (CFFI)**. CFFI utilizes C header files that define the `contamx-lib` API. `contamx-lib.lib` is a statically linked build of ContamX with an API, i.e., `contamx-lib`. A dynamic Python module (.pyd) is built that incorporates the static build.
**NIST Developer NOTE:** The static build of `contamx-lib.lib` must include the following dependencies: `WSock32.lib`, `WS2_32.lib`, and `user32.lib`.
## Steps to Develop Python Bindings
### 1. Create directory for *contamxpy*
- Either clone the repo (NIST developers only) OR
- Download the source distribution from https://pypi.org/project/contamxpy/
#### Source files:
```
contamxpy\
|
| setup.py
| setup.cfg
| MANIFEST.in
| LICENSE.txt
| README.md
| contamxpy_build.py
| contamxpy.py
| contamx-lib.lib
|
├── include\
| └── contam-x-cosim.h
| string-len-max.h
| types.h
|
└── demo_files\
└── cxResults.py
cxRun.py
test_cxcffi.py
test_OneZoneWthCtm.prj/.wth/.ctm
test_OneZoneWthCtmStack.prj/.wth/.ctm
valThreeZonesWth.prj/.wth/.ctm
test_OneFloorWpcAddMf.prj
test_OneFloor.wpc
test_OneZoneWthCtm.py
test_OneZoneWthCtm-UseApi.prj
test_OneZoneWthCtmStack-UseApi.prj
test_GetPrjInfo.prj
test_OneFloorWpcAddMf.py
test_OneFloorWpcAddMf-UseApi.prj
test_MultiRun.py
prjFile.lst
reg_solverContTrace-mz-MH-trans-3day.prj
MD-Balt-EPW.wth
test_OneFloorWpcAddMfYear.prj
test_OneFloorYear.wpc
test_OneZoneWthCtmStackYear.prj/.wth/.ctm
test_OneZoneWthCtmYear.prj/.wth/.ctm
valThreeZonesWthCtmYear.prj/.wth/.ctm
```
### 2. Create virtual environment
`python -m venv .venv`
### 3. Activate virtual environment
+ Windows => `.venv\Scripts\activate.bat`
### 4. Install required packages:
`$ python -m pip install cffi, wheel, numpy`
* *cffi* and *wheel* are required for development
* *cffi* and *numpy* are required to run example driver modules
### 5. Generate *contamxpy*
Run the build module.
```
contamxpy_build.py
```
This should generate *_contamxpy.c*, etc.
```
contamxpy\
|
├── Release\
| └── ... *.exp/.lib/.obj
|
└── _contamxpy.c
_contamxpy.cp310-win_amd64.pyd
```
Most importantly it will generate a dynamic python module, e.g.,
`_contamxpy-cp310-win_amd64.pyd` that provides a wrapper to `contamx-lib.lib`.
### 6. Install the development version locally
```
$(.venv) pip install .
```
### 7. Generate Files for Distribution
Built distribution, i.e., wheel file:
```
$(.venv) python -m setup bdist_wheel
```
Source distribution, i.e., compressed archive (.zip, .gz):
```
$(.venv) python -m setup sdist --format=zip
AND/OR
$(.venv) python -m setup sdist
```
## Development Files
### cxcffi_build.py
This module is used to produce the dynamic python module using CFFI to wrap the static library, `contamx-lib`.
```python
from __future__ import annotations
# Using the "out-of-line", "API mode"
from cffi import FFI
CDEF = '''\
// NOT SHOWN: typedef and function prototypes for contamx-lib.lib
'''
SRC = '''\
#include "include//contam-x-cosim.h"
'''
ffibuilder = FFI()
ffibuilder.cdef(CDEF)
ffibuilder.set_source(
"_contamxpy", SRC,
include_dirs=['.','include'], # C header files for contam-x-lib
libraries=['contamx-lib'], # Library to link with (.lib, .dll)
)
if __name__ == "__main__":
ffibuilder.compile(verbose=True)
```
### contamxpy
`contamxpy` implements the `cxLib` class that provides the wrapper to `contamx-lib`. This module is imported for use by driver programs listed above.
NOTE: Code not shown here.
### setup.py
```python
from __future__ import annotations
import platform
import sys
from setuptools import setup
if platform.python_implementation() == 'CPython':
try:
import wheel.bdist_wheel
except ImportError:
cmdclass = {}
else:
class bdist_wheel(wheel.bdist_wheel.bdist_wheel):
def finalize_options(self) -> None:
self.py_limited_api = f'cp3{sys.version_info[1]}'
super().finalize_options()
cmdclass = {'bdist_wheel': bdist_wheel}
else:
cmdclass = {}
setup(
cffi_modules=['contamxpy_build.py:ffibuilder'], cmdclass=cmdclass
)
```
### setup.cfg
```ini
[metadata]
name = contamxpy
version = 0.0.5
description = Python wrapper for the CONTAM Simulation Engine, ContamX
long_description = file: README.md
long_description_content_type = text/markdown
author = W. Stuart Dols, Brian Polidoro, NIST
author_email = william.dols@nist.gov
license = Public Domain
license_files = LICENSE.txt
classifiers =
License :: Public Domain
License :: OSI Approved :: BSD License
Programming Language :: Python :: 3
Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: Only
Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPython
Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPy
Topic :: Scientific/Engineering
project_urls=
Web Page= https://www.nist.gov/el/energy-and-environment-division-73200/nist-multizone-modeling/
Source = https://pypi.org/project/contamxpy/
[options]
py_modules = contamxpy
python_requires = >=3.7
install_requires =
cffi>=1
setup_requires =
cffi>=1
```
### MANIFEST.in
The manifest file is used to add files to the source builds.
```
include include\*.h
include contamx-lib.*
include demo_files\*.py
include demo_files\*.prj
include demo_files\*.wth
include demo_files\*.ctm
```
# REFERENCES
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5irxO5VCHw
2. https://github.com/asottile/ukkonen
3. https://cffi.readthedocs.io/en/latest/index.html
4. https://docs.python.org/3.10/distutils/index.html
5. https://setuptools.pypa.io/en/latest/setuptools.html
6. https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/tutorials/packaging-projects/
# TODO
- Test on Linux