Python overview

About

The Python API is provided by the file gsapi.py - this is the binding to the Ghostscript C library.

In the GhostPDL repository sample Python examples can be found in /demos/python/examples.py.

Platform & setup

Building Ghostscript

Ghostscript should be built as a shared library for your platform.

See Building Ghostscript.

Specifying the Ghostscript shared library

Two environmental variables can be used to specify where to find the Ghostscript shared library.

GSAPI_LIB sets the exact path of the Ghostscript shared library, otherwise, GSAPI_LIBDIR sets the directory containing the Ghostscript shared library.

If neither is defined we will use the OS's default location(s) for shared libraries.

If GSAPI_LIB is not defined, the leafname of the shared library is inferred from the OS type - libgs.so on Unix, libgs.dylib on MacOS, gsdll64.dll on Windows 64.

API test

The gsapi.py file that provides the Python bindings can also be used to test the bindings, by running it directly.

Assuming that your Ghostscript library has successfully been created, then from the root of your ghostpdl checkout run:

Windows

from ghostpdl

// Run gsapi.py as a test script in a cmd.exe window:
set GSAPI_LIBDIR=debugbin&& python ./demos/python/gsapi.py

// Run gsapi.py as a test script in a PowerShell window:
cmd /C "set GSAPI_LIBDIR=debugbin&& python ./demos/python/gsapi.py"

Linux/OpenBSD/MacOS

from ghostpdl

// Run gsapi.py as a test script:
GSAPI_LIBDIR=sodebugbin ./demos/python/gsapi.py

If there are no errors then this will have validated that the Ghostscript library is present & operational.