[Numpy-discussion] Linking to ranlib

[Michiel Jan Laurens de Hoon]

Hi,

I have a C extension module that makes use of the random number 
functions in ranlib. Since numpy's RandomArray also relies on ranlib,
there is a ranlib.so in site-packages/Numeric, and I found the ranlib.h 
header file in the include/python2.3/Numeric directory, containing the 
prototypes for the ranlib routines that I am trying to use. So I was 
hoping to #include this header file and link to numpy's ranlib.so 
instead of including another copy of ranlib as part of my C extension 
module.

However, I haven't been able to get this to work -- on Linux and Mac OS 
X, gcc does not recognize ranlib.so as a library it can link to, whereas 
on Cygwin gcc cannot find the routines I am looking for in ranlib.dll. 
Does anybody know if it is possible to link to ranlib.so? If not, what 
is the function of the ranlib.h include file? Unfortunately the calls to 
the ranlib routines are way down in my C extension module, I wouldn't be 
able to call those routines at the Python level.

Many thanks,

--Michiel.

-- 
Michiel de Hoon, Assistant Professor
University of Tokyo, Institute of Medical Science
Human Genome Center
4-6-1 Shirokane-dai, Minato-ku
Tokyo 108-8639
Japan
http://bonsai.ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~mdehoon