It is quite easy to add new built-in modules to Python, if you know how to program in C. Such extension modules can do two things that can't be done directly in Python: they can implement new built-in object types, and they can call C library functions and system calls.
To support extensions, the Python API (Application Programmers
Interface) defines a set of functions, macros and variables that
provide access to most aspects of the Python run-time system. The
Python API is incorporated in a C source file by including the header
The compilation of an extension module depends on its intended use as well as on your system setup; details are given in later chapters.