Using C with Python can enhance the performance of Python applications, especially for computationally intensive tasks. This integration allows developers to write performance-critical components in C while leveraging Python’s ease of use for higher-level programming.

To embed Python in C, you can use the Python/C API. This involves including the Python header file and initializing the Python interpreter within your C code. Functions like Py_Initialize() and Py_Finalize() are essential for starting and stopping the Python interpreter, respectively. You can execute Python code from C using functions like PyRun_SimpleString() or PyRun_SimpleFile() to run Python scripts directly from C ³.

Conversely, you can create C extensions for Python, which allows you to write Python modules in C. This is particularly useful for speeding up Python code. You can define methods in C that can be called from Python, and you will need to compile these extensions using a C compiler ⁵.

Overall, combining C and Python can lead to more efficient applications by utilizing the strengths of both languages.