Using Python in Lazarus on Windows/Linux

Intro

I needed to make an app, cross platform, for Windows/Linux/Mac, which embeds Python engine. I tried Python4Delphi, it didn't compile and work on Linux x64 and Mac. App must use portable Python on Windows, system Python on Linux/Mac.

Update for Python4Delphi: The commit from 21.1.2018 claims the compatibility with both Lazarus and (hopefully) Delphi Linux

Results

Github repo: https://github.com/Alexey-T/Python-for-Lazarus

It has demo, which shows TEdit+TMemo as Python console, to input commands in Edit and show results in Memo. Special allowed first char "=" means to do "print(...)".

Screenshot on Ubuntu 14 x64:

Screenshot on Windows 7 x64:

Screenshot on macOS 10.8:

Repo was forked from Python4Delphi package. Compile and install the Lazarus package. You will see "Python" tab in IDE component palette. What is changed since original Python4Delphi:

• deleted all refs to units "..Delphi..", seems units aren't needed for Lazarus apps.
• modifications to PythonEngine.pas, see lines with "//AT".
• added support for macOS, for ex by replacing "$ifdef linux" with "$ifdef unix".

Files on Windows

On Windows you need to copy files to app folder.

Python 3.3

From "Sublime Text 3" installation for Windows, take Python files:

• python33.dll
• msvcr100.dll
• python33.zip
• .pyd files, copy them to subfolder DLLs

Python 3.5 or later

You need files for another Python version: *.dll, *.pyd, python*.zip. Get them at official site Python.org:

• "Windows x86 embeddable zip file" for 32-bit application
• "Windows x86-64 embeddable zip file" for 64-bit application

Also you must change Lazarus component property for your Python version: DllName and/or DllPath. See the demo program, how to set them.

procedure TfmMain.DoPy_InitEngine;
var
  S: string;
begin
  S:=
    {$ifdef windows} cPyLibraryWindows {$endif}
    {$ifdef linux} cPyLibraryLinux {$endif}
    {$ifdef darwin} cPyLibraryMac {$endif} ;
  PythonEngine.DllPath:= ExtractFileDir(S);
  PythonEngine.DllName:= ExtractFileName(S);
  PythonEngine.LoadDll;
end;

Manifest file

Manifest file (for all Python versions) should be named like "appname.exe.manifest".

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
  <assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0">
    <noInheritable/>
    <assemblyIdentity
        type="win32"
        name="DelphiApplication"
        version="1.0.0.0" 
        processorArchitecture="*"/>
    <dependency>
      <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity type='win32' name='Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls' version='6.0.0.0' processorArchitecture='*' publicKeyToken='6595b64144ccf1df' language='*' />
      </dependentAssembly>
    </dependency>
    <trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
      <security>
        <requestedPrivileges>
          <requestedExecutionLevel level='asInvoker' uiAccess='false' />
        </requestedPrivileges>
      </security>
    </trustInfo>
  </assembly>

Files on MacOS

macOS doesn't have preinstalled Python. User needs to install Python 3 package (demo must work with Py 3.4) from official www.python.org.

Then full path to Python library must be set in program code. It is easy to set this path, it is always the standard path like "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.5/lib/libpython3.5.dylib" (with different numbers 3.x).

Code

Form

Put on form:

• TPythonEngine
• TPythonInputOutput
• TCombobox (edConsole)
• TMemo (memoConsole)

Properties of PythonEngine:

• AutoLoad=False
• DllName empty
• DllPath empty
• FatalAbort=False
• InitScript="import sys; print('Python', sys.version)"
• IO=PythonInputOutput1
• PyFlags=[pfIgnoreEnvironmentFlag]
• UseLastKnownVersion=False

Event handlers

• PythonEngine.OnAfterInit: must set "sys.path" for Win (remember, we use portable py for Win).

procedure TfmMain.PythonEngineAfterInit(Sender: TObject);
var
  dir: string;
begin
  {$ifdef windows}
  dir:= ExtractFilePath(Application.ExeName);
  Py_SetSysPath([
    dir + 'DLLs',
    dir + 'python33.zip'
    ]);
  {$endif}
end;

procedure Py_SetSysPath(const Dirs: array of string);
var
  Str: string;
  i: Integer;
begin
  Str:= '';
  for i:= 0 to Length(Dirs)-1 do
    Str:= Str + 'r"' + Dirs[i] + '"' + ',';
  Str:= Format('sys.path = [%s]', [Str]);
  GetPythonEngine.ExecString(Str);
end;

• PythonInputOutput.OnSendData, OnSendUniData:

procedure TfmMain.PythonInputOutput1SendData(Sender: TObject;
  const Data: AnsiString);
begin
  memoConsole.Lines.Add(Data);
end;

procedure TfmMain.PythonInputOutput1SendUniData(Sender: TObject;
  const Data: UnicodeString);
begin
  memoConsole.Lines.Add(Data);
end;

• edConsole.OnKeyPress:

procedure TfmMain.edConsoleKeyPress(Sender: TObject; var Key: char);
var
  Str: string;
begin
  if Key=#13 then
  begin
    Str:= edConsole.Text;

    //support entering "=some cmd"
    if (Str<>'') and (Str[1]='=') then
      Str:= 'print('+Copy(Str, 2, MaxInt) + ')';

    memoConsole.Lines.Add('>>> '+Str);
    edConsole.Text:= '';
    edConsole.Items.Insert(0, Str);
    try
      GetPythonEngine.ExecString(Str);
    except
    end;
  end;
end;

• main form OnCreate:

const
  cPyLibraryWindows = 'python33.dll';
  cPyLibraryLinux = 'libpython3.4m.so.1.0';
  cPyLibraryMac = '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.4/lib/libpython3.4.dylib';

procedure TfmMain.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
var
  S: string;
begin
  S:=
    {$ifdef windows} cPyLibraryWindows {$endif}
    {$ifdef linux} cPyLibraryLinux {$endif}
    {$ifdef darwin} cPyLibraryMac {$endif} ;
  PythonEngine.DllPath:= ExtractFileDir(S);
  PythonEngine.DllName:= ExtractFileName(S);
  PythonEngine.LoadDll;
end;