# hipFile Python Bindings

Python bindings for the [hipFile](https://github.com/ROCm/rocm-systems/tree/develop/projects/hipfile) C library.

> [!CAUTION]
> These bindings in particular are *experimental* and the API will change.

## Building & Installing

1. Setup a Python virtual environment.
    ```bash
    $ python3 -m venv .venv
    ```
2. Activate the Python virtual environment.
    ```bash
    $ source .venv/bin/activate
    ```
3. Build or install the C hipFile library. See [INSTALL.md](../INSTALL.md).
4. Build the hipFile package.\
   and shared library using its configured search paths, including the
   source `../include` location for headers, a CMake build-directory
   hint for the shared library, and the default ROCm install location.
   The search path can be overridden by setting `HIPFILE_INCLUDE_DIR`,
   `HIPFILE_LIBRARY`, or `HIP_INCLUDE_DIR` via the build arg
   `-Ccmake.define.<KEY>=<VALUE>`.
    ```bash
    (.venv) $ cd projects/hipfile/python
    (.venv) $ python -m build --wheel
    ```
    Or to install an editable version of the Python package:
    ```bash
    (.venv) $ cd projects/hipfile/python
    (.venv) $ pip install -e .
    ```

An editable Python package is a development package that allows for
live changes to the <ins>Python</ins> source code to be applied
immediately without needing to rebuild or reinstall the Python
package under development. Any changes to the <ins>Cython</ins>
source code will require a rebuild step.