Command Line Tools

The tools can also be invoked using the -m command line option of the Python interpreter. For example, the following two command lines are equivalent:

sip-build -h
python -m sipbuild.tools.build -h

Note that, for the build tools, the command line options described in this section are the standard options. Any of these options could be removed, or new options added, by build system extensions including project-specific project.py files.

sip-build

sip-build builds a project but does not install it. This is useful when developing a set of bindings.

The syntax of the sip-build command line is:

sip-build [options]

The full set of command line options is:

-h, --help: Display a help message.

-V, --version: Display the SIP version number.

--deprecations-are-errors: The use of any deprecated feature is handled as an error rather than a warning.

--quiet: All progress messages are disabled.

--verbose: Verbose progress messages are enabled.

--api-dir DIR: A QScintilla .api file is created in DIR.

--build-dir DIR: DIR is created as a build directory in which all generated files will be created. The build directory is not removed after the build has been completed. The default value is build.

--concatenate N: The generated code is split into N files. By default one file is generated for each C structure or C++ class. Specifying a low value of N can significantly speed up the build of large projects.

--disable NAME: The NAME bindings are disabled and will not be built. This option may be specified multiple times. It is only available if the project contains multiple sets of bindings.

--disabled-feature TAG: The TAG feature tag is disabled. This option may be specified multiple times.

--enable NAME: The NAME bindings are enabled and will be built. Any associated configuration tests that would normally be run to determine if the bindings should be built are suppressed. This option may be specified multiple times. It is only available if the project contains multiple sets of bindings.

--debug: A build with debugging symbols is performed.

--no-compile: The compilation of the generated code is disabled.

--no-docstrings: The generation of docstrings that describe the signature of all functions, methods and constructors is disabled.

--no-version-info: No reference the SIP version number is included in any generated code.

--pep484-pyi: The generation of Python type hints stub files is enabled. These files contain a description of a module’s API that is compliant with PEP 484.

--protected-is-public: SIP can generate code to provide access to protected C++ functions from Python. On non-Windows platforms this code can be avoided if the protected keyword is redefined as public during compilation. This can result in a significant reduction in the size of a generated Python module. This option enables the redefinition of protected and is the default on all platforms except Windows.

--no-protected-is-public: This option disables the redefinition of protected to access protected C++ functions from Python and is the default on Windows.

--scripts-dir DIR: Any project scripts will eventually be installed in DIR. If DIR is relative then it is taken as relative to the target directory. By default the directory containing the Python interpreter is used.

--target-dir DIR: The project will eventually be installed in DIR. By default it is the site-packages directory of the Python installation.

--tracing: Debugging statements that trace the execution of the bindings are automatically generated. By default the statements are not generated.

sip-distinfo

sip-distinfo creates and populates a .dist-info directory of an installation or a wheel. It is provided for build systems that extend the SIP build system and need to create the .dist-info directory from an external tool such as make.

The syntax of the sip-distinfo command line is:

sip-distinfo [options] directory

directory is the full path name of the directory to create.

The full set of command line options is:

-h, --help: Display a help message.

-V, --version: Display the SIP version number.

--console-script ENTRY-POINT: The console entry point ENTRY-POINT is added to the wheel. It is ignored if the --wheel-tag option is not specified. This option may be specified multiple times.

--generator NAME: If the --wheel-tag option is specified then NAME is written as part of the Generator in the WHEEL file in the .dist-info directory. Otherwise NAME is written to the INSTALLER file. By default sipbuild is written.

--generator-version VERSION: VERSION is written as part of the Generator in the WHEEL file in the .dist-info directory. By default the SIP version number is written.

--gui-script ENTRY-POINT: The GUI entry point ENTRY-POINT is added to the wheel. It is ignored if the --wheel-tag option is not specified. This option may be specified multiple times.

--inventory FILE: FILE contains a list of the relative names of the files, one per line, that comprise the installation or wheel contents. This option must be specified.

--metadata NAME[=VALUE]: VALUE is used instead of any value specified for NAME in the [tool.sip.metadata] section of the pyproject.toml file.

--prefix DIR: This option is provided as an aid to Linux package builders. DIR is used to pass the commonly used values of DESTDIR or INSTALL_ROOT. If specified it should have a trailing native path separator.

--project-root DIR: The name of the directory containing the project’s pyproject.toml file is DIR. This option must be specified.

--requires-dist EXPR: EXPR is added to the list of prerequisites written to the METADATA file in the .dist-info directory. It is normally used to specify a particular version of a package project’s sip module. This option may be specified multiple times.

--wheel-tag TAG: TAG is written as the Tag in the WHEEL file in the .dist-info directory.

sip-install

sip-install builds and installs a project.

The syntax of the sip-install command line is:

sip-install [options]

The full set of command line options is:

-h, --help: Display a help message.

-V, --version: Display the SIP version number.

--deprecations-are-errors: The use of any deprecated feature is handled as an error rather than a warning.

--quiet: All progress messages are disabled.

--verbose: Verbose progress messages are enabled.

--api-dir DIR: A QScintilla .api file is created in DIR.

--build-dir DIR: DIR is created as a build directory in which all generated files will be created. This build directory is not removed after the build has been completed. By default a temporary build directory is created which is removed after the build has been completed.

--concatenate N: The generated code is split into N files. By default one file is generated for each C structure or C++ class. Specifying a low value of N can significantly speed up the build of large projects.

--disable NAME: The NAME bindings are disabled and will not be built. This option may be specified multiple times. It is only available if the project contains multiple sets of bindings.

--disabled-feature TAG: The TAG feature tag is disabled. This option may be specified multiple times.

--enable NAME: The NAME bindings are enabled and will be built. Any associated configuration tests that would normally be run to determine if the bindings should be built are suppressed. This option may be specified multiple times. It is only available if the project contains multiple sets of bindings.

--debug: A build with debugging symbols is performed.

--no-docstrings: The generation of docstrings that describe the signature of all functions, methods and constructors is disabled.

--no-distinfo: The creation of the .dist-info directory is disabled.

--pep484-pyi: The generation of Python type hints stub files is enabled. These files contain a description of a module’s API that is compliant with PEP 484.

--protected-is-public: SIP can generate code to provide access to protected C++ functions from Python. On non-Windows platforms this code can be avoided if the protected keyword is redefined as public during compilation. This can result in a significant reduction in the size of a generated Python module. This option enables the redefinition of protected and is the default on all platforms except Windows.

--no-protected-is-public: This option disables the redefinition of protected to access protected C++ functions from Python and is the default on Windows.

--scripts-dir DIR: Any project scripts will be installed in DIR. If DIR is relative then it is taken as relative to the target directory. By default the directory containing the Python interpreter is used.

--target-dir DIR: The project will be installed in DIR. By default it is the site-packages directory of the Python installation.

--tracing: Debugging statements that trace the execution of the bindings are automatically generated. By default the statements are not generated.

sip-module

sip-module builds one of more of the elements of the sip module for a set of package projects.

The syntax of the sip-module command line is:

sip-module [options] name

name is the fully qualified name of the sip module (i.e. including the package name).

The full set of command line options is:

-h, --help: Display a help message.

-V, --version: Display the SIP version number.

--abi-version MAJOR[.MINOR]: The major version number of the ABI implemented by the sip module is MAJOR. If a minor version number is also specified it is interpreted as a minimum minor version rather than the exact minor version to be used. By default the very latest version is used.

--project NAME: The name of the project as it would appear on PyPI is NAME. By default the name is derived from the fully qualified name of the sip module.

--sdist

Create an sdist which can then be installed by pip or uploaded to PyPI.

pip can also be used to create a wheel from the sdist. However, for Linux wheels, auditwheel must be run for the wheel before it can be uploaded to PyPI.

--setup-cfg FILE: FILE is copied to the sdist as setup.cfg instead of the default version. This allows the sdist to be customised. A number of macros may be specified in the setup.cfg file:

@SIP_MODULE_FQ_NAME@ is replaced by the fully qualified name of the sip module.

@SIP_MODULE_PACKAGE_NAME@ is replaced by the module’s project top-level package name.

@SIP_MODULE_PROJECT_NAME@ is replaced by the module’s project name as it would appear on PyPI.

@SIP_MODULE_VERSION@ is replaced by the version number of the module.

--sip-h: Create a sip.h header file that defines the C ABI implemented by the sip module.

--sip-rst: Create a sip.rst file that documents the Python API implemented by the sip module.

--target-dir DIR: Each of the module’s elements will be created in DIR.

sip-sdist

sip-sdist creates an sdist (a source distribution) than be uploaded to PyPI.

The syntax of the sip-sdist command line is:

sip-sdist [options]

The full set of command line options is:

-h, --help: Display a help message.

-V, --version: Display the SIP version number.

--deprecations-are-errors: The use of any deprecated feature is handled as an error rather than a warning.

--name NAME: NAME is used instead of the PyPI project name in the pyproject.toml file in the name of the sdist file.

sip-wheel

sip-wheel creates a wheel (a binary distribution) than be uploaded to PyPI.

The syntax of the sip-wheel command line is:

sip-wheel [options]

The full set of command line options is:

-h, --help: Display a help message.

-V, --version: Display the SIP version number.

--deprecations-are-errors: The use of any deprecated feature is handled as an error rather than a warning.

--quiet: All progress messages are disabled.

--verbose: Verbose progress messages are enabled.

--api-dir DIR: A QScintilla .api file is created in DIR. This must be a name relative to the directory where the wheel will be installed.

--build-dir DIR: DIR is created as a build directory in which all generated files will be created. This build directory is not removed after the build has been completed. By default a temporary build directory is created which is removed after the build has been completed.

--build-tag TAG: TAG is the build tag to be used in the name of the wheel. By default the name of the wheel does not include a build tag.

--concatenate N: The generated code is split into N files. By default one file is generated for each C structure or C++ class. Specifying a low value of N can significantly speed up the build of large projects.

--disable NAME: The NAME bindings are disabled and will not be built. This option may be specified multiple times. It is only available if the project contains multiple sets of bindings.

--disabled-feature TAG: The TAG feature tag is disabled. This option may be specified multiple times.

--enable NAME: The NAME bindings are enabled and will be built. Any associated configuration tests that would normally be run to determine if the bindings should be built are suppressed. This option may be specified multiple times. It is only available if the project contains multiple sets of bindings.

--no-manylinux: Support for manylinux in the platform tag of a name of a wheel is disabled. It should only be used if support for older versions of pip is required.

--minimum-glibc-version M.N: M.N is the minimum GLIBC version required by the project specified as the major and minor version numbers. This is used to determine the correct platform tag to use for Linux wheels. The default version of GLIBC is v2.5 which corresponds to manylinux1. It is ignored if the --no-manylinux option is specified.

--name NAME: NAME is used instead of the PyPI project name in the pyproject.toml file in the name of the wheel file.

--debug: A build with debugging symbols is performed.

--no-docstrings: The generation of docstrings that describe the signature of all functions, methods and constructors is disabled.

--pep484-pyi: The generation of Python type hints stub files is enabled. These files contain a description of a module’s API that is compliant with PEP 484.

--protected-is-public: SIP can generate code to provide access to protected C++ functions from Python. On non-Windows platforms this code can be avoided if the protected keyword is redefined as public during compilation. This can result in a significant reduction in the size of a generated Python module. This option enables the redefinition of protected and is the default on all platforms except Windows.

--no-protected-is-public: This option disables the redefinition of protected to access protected C++ functions from Python and is the default on Windows.

--tracing: Debugging statements that trace the execution of the bindings are automatically generated. By default the statements are not generated.