fortran_meson_py

Table of contents

• Cookiecutter
• About the repository
• Previous lectures (if needed)
  • Fortran
  • Python
  • Meson
• Library directory structure
  • Fortran library (fpm)
  • C Wrapper
  • Python API
• Miscellaneous
  • CI (cibuildwheel)
  • For VScode users

Cookiecutter

You can create a new project from this repository's cookiecutter template. You can find it on the cookies branch. If you are not familiar with cookiecutter simply must do:

pip install cookiecutter

Then, in the folder you are going to start, your project

cookiecutter https://github.com/SalvadorBrandolin/fortran_meson_py --checkout cookies

About the repository

Example of building Python API of Fortran project with Meson.

The objective is to demonstrate how to integrate a Fortran library that runs with the Fortran Package Manager (fpm) and a Python API within the same repository, enabling package building and distribution.

The idea is having an example of a Fortran library that runs with fpm and a Python API inside the same repository that builds and distributes the package.

First, the Fortran project is compiled with fpm. Then, the Meson build system is used to compile the C wrapper for the Fortran library using numpy.f2py, linking with the fpm-compiled library. Finally, the repository builds different Python API wheels for various Python versions and operating systems.

Apologies in advance for experienced users, the repository is intended for beginners in the field of Fortran, Python, and Meson. And useful to simple architectures of Fortran code. It is assumed that an experienced user will be capable to adapt the repository to more complex cases.

Previous lectures (if needed)

We made a post of this topic in fortan-lang discussion. Maybe you can understand more the motivations of this repository. Also, you may find commentaries from other users that can help you.

https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/packaging-a-fpm-project-with-python-bindings-a-little-guide-and-insights-from-our-experience/8495

Fortran

Little knowledge of Fortran is needed. It's necessary to know how to install a Fortran compiler (gfortran is used in this example) and the Fortran Package Manager (fpm). The following links can be useful:

• Learn Fortran: https://fortran-lang.org/learn/
• fpm: https://fpm.fortran-lang.org/
• Compiler and IDE: https://fortran-lang.org/learn/os_setup/

Python

Little knowledge of Python is needed. It's necessary to know how to install Python on your system, and preferably, how to use virtual environments.

• Learn and install Python: https://wiki.python.org/moin/BeginnersGuide
• Virtual environments: https://virtualenv.pypa.io/en/latest/
• Numpy f2py meson: https://numpy.org/doc/stable/f2py/buildtools/meson.html
• Interesting to know: https://virtualenvwrapper.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

Meson

Meson build system lectures and specific sections of the documentation are provided:

• Meson tutorial: https://mesonbuild.com/Tutorial.html
• Meson py.extesion: https://mesonbuild.com/Python-module.html#extension_module
• meson-python: https://mesonbuild.com/meson-python/

Library directory structure

Fortran library (fpm)

If you are familiar with fpm and you have a Fortran project that you want to have a Python API, your project should look something like this:

├── app
│   └── main.f90
├── src
│   ├── circle
│   │   └── circle_props.f90
│   ├── constants.f90
│   └── fexample.f90
├── test
│    └── check.f90
├── LICENSE
├── fpm.toml
└── README.md

This is normally the structure of any new fpm project.

fpm new <project name>

For this tutorial the app and test directories are not of our interest. First, we focus on the fpm.toml file. There are all the configurations of the Fortran project. Here it's important to set the library setting to true:

[install]
library = true

Is necessary like that to generate the necessary files to build the Python API by linking the fpm compilation. Also, you can observe that our library's name is fexample.

Next, in the src directory, we have the Fortran source code of the library. The constants.f90 file contains the definition of the constant pi and the parameter pr (the precision of the float numbers in our project).

Then, the fexample.f90 file contains the definition of the main module of the library, called the same as the library. There we only import all the modules of the library.

Finally, the circle_props.f90 file contains the definition of the calculate_area and calculate_perimeter subroutines. These subroutines are used to calculate the area and circumference of a circle, with a given radius. Those are the subroutines that we want to use in our Python API.

Of course, the example is very simple, but it's enough to demonstrate the idea. Just imagine that those subroutines have a very complex and expensive calculation...

Note 1: Check the definition of the subroutines, you must explicitly define the intent of the variables.

Note 2: I told you that the app directory is not of our interest, but you can perform the fpm run command to test the two subroutines if you want.

C Wrapper

Is kind to have the c_wrapper separated from everything else, but of course you can do whatever you want. The c_wrapper directory contains the necessary files to build the C wrapper of the Fortran library. The C wrapper uses the iso_c_binding module to define subroutines compatible with C types.

Well, so I have to rewrite all my subroutines compatible with C?

Well, yes... I'm sorry. This is a pain for sure but necessary. Of course, we don't have to implement again the subroutines, only the subroutines signatures. Inside we call our fpm library.

You can check the fexample_c.f90 file. There are defined the same functions as in fexample with addition of *_c in their names to differentiate them. Also, we differentiate:

• fexample: fpm project (Fortran library)
• fexample_c: C-API of fexample

Python API

The nightmare begins here (lots of commits till compiles).

In the case of fexample there is no big problems, but for a more complex library with OOP architecture and lots of linking dependencies in compilations will take some time to make it work.

Fortran users that are too used to fpm capabilities as I (Salvador) and don't have much experience dealing with compilations flags, this is your first challenge.

Note 3 (Salvador): Really this is the true motivation of made this little example. To learn and mess around with a build system and compilations flags. In my Fortran language learning path I always used fpm and its was fun, its solves all the compilations for me. And for sure I don't want to solve the compilation order of any modern Fortran project, fpm already does. So, It's possible to compile fexample with fpm, and the link it with f2py and be happy? We found that meson allows us to do that, and all works pretty fine.

We are using meson-python as the build system for the Python library. For that you can check the configurations of:

• python/meson.build
• python/pyproject.toml

As in any Python we provide a requirements-dev.txt file with dependencies for developing. But here, we also provided a build-requirements.txt file with the dependencies for building the Python API. You can check that in the pyproject.toml and build-requirements.txt files the dependencies are the same. Why we do that? Because, when developing the package the developer need to install the Python package in --editable mode. With meson-python it's necessary to manually install the build dependencies and then install the package in --editable mode. The correct way of doing that is bay the commands:

cd python
pip install -r python/build-requirements.txt
pip install -e . --no-build-isolation

Then we have the python/fexample directory that contains the source code of the python library.

There we have the python/fexample/compiled directory that contains the C wrapper of the fexample library. The C wrapper is compiled with f2py and linked with the fexample library, and finally, stored in that directory. You can check the meson.build configuration file, on the py.extension, how that is done.

Miscellaneous

CI (cibuildwheel)

This is not really neccesary, buy maybe you want to distribute your python package with PyPI. Well, is the moment to obtain a compiled wheel matrix:

WheelMatrix = OS you want to support times Python versions you want to support

On the .github/workflows/wheels.yml there is an action that uses cibuildwheel to compile the wheels for the Python API. The wheels are not uploaded to PyPI, but you can do that with the twine package.

For VScode users

.vscode settings are recommended to be used:

[email protected]:ipqa-research/vscode-fortran.git

There you can find the settings for the Fortran language compatible with fpm