Pointers and Objects in Python (Summary)
You now know how Python deals with objects and pointers! You learned about the differences between names and variables, which is important for understanding how Python handles variables. You also saw that you can simulate pointers in Python without sacrificing the memory safety that Python provides.
You can simulate pointers in Python by:
- Using mutable objects as low-overhead pointers
- Creating custom Python objects for ease of use
- Unlocking real pointers with the
ctypesmodule
Congratulations, you made it to the end of the course! What’s your #1 takeaway or favorite thing you learned? How are you going to put your newfound skills to use? Leave a comment in the discussion section and let us know.
00:00
We covered a lot in this course. You learned how pointers work in C, the difference between mutable and immutable objects in Python, how you can utilize mutable objects and classes to mimic pointer behavior, and how Python code can interface with C using the ctypes module.
00:21 As you’ve learned, pointers don’t exactly exist in Python, but you can simulate the pass-by-reference behavior of pointers in Python, all without sacrificing the memory safety that Python provides. Using what you’ve learned in this course, you can write Python libraries that are easier to work with, and you can also encapsulate performance-critical parts of your Python code into C and pass pointers that way.
00:50 I’m Austin Cepalia with realpython.com. Thanks for watching this course and, as usual, happy coding!
Santosh on July 8, 2020
Great job! Loved the flow and presentation.
felixthec on July 8, 2020
:Applause: A very good and informative presentation.
Jordan Rowland on July 11, 2020
This was an awesome lesson! Very clear and concise. Bravo!
Hilman on July 11, 2020
Good presentation. A good refresh for me on C pointer. And this is my first time learning working with C type in python!
mahlenius on July 12, 2020
Great presentation. Very helpful. Its great that he calls out where Python is strong for some problems and weak for others.
thank you
Alex on July 15, 2020
awesome presentation!
andersstenborgmartin on July 15, 2020
Great course, well presented!
carl on July 15, 2020
Nice presentation. Would love to see a more advanced course on using the ctypes module to call C functions for all sorts of argument types and return types.
srihariraju on Aug. 12, 2020
Good presentation
Ghani on Oct. 18, 2020
Very informative and clear; thank you so much!
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DFreyer on July 8, 2020
Very good Presentation. I learned a lot.