Runtime for embedding Python code and libraries directly into .NET applications without REST, HTTP, or microservices. Supports Python 3.9-3.13, virtual environments, and cross-platform deployment.
Get Started
$ dotnet add package CSnakes.RuntimeReadme
CSnakes - a tool for embedding Python code into .NET projects
CSnakes is a .NET Source Generator and Runtime that you can use to embed Python code and libraries into your C#.NET Solution at a performant, low-level without the need for REST, HTTP, or Microservices.
Check out the getting started guide or check out the demo solution to see more.
Features
- 🤖 Supports .NET 8 and 9
- 🐍 Supports Python 3.9-3.13
- 📦 Supports Virtual Environments and C-Extensions
- 💻 Supports Windows, macOS, and Linux
- 🧮 Tight integration between NumPy ndarrays and Spans, 2D Spans and TensorSpans (.NET 9)
- ⚡ Uses Python's C-API for fast invocation of Python code directly in the .NET process
- 🧠 Uses Python type hinting to generate function signatures with .NET native types
- 🧵 Supports CPython 3.13 "free-threading" mode
- 🧩 Supports nested sequence and mapping types (
tuple,dict,list) - 🏷️ Supports default values
- 🔥 Supports Hot Reload of Python code in Visual Studio and supported IDEs
- 🚀 Supports UV for fast installation of Python packages and dependencies
Benefits
- Uses native Python type hinting standards to produce clean, readable C# code with minimal boiler plate!
- Integration between .NET and Python is done at the C-API, meaning strong compatibility between Python versions 3.8-3.13 and .NET 8-9.
- Integration is low-level and high-performance.
- CSnakes uses the CPython C-API and is compatible with all Python extensions.
- Invocation of Python code and libraries is in the same process as .NET
Click to watch the CSnakes demo video on YouTube
Example
CSnakes will generate a C#.NET class for any Python file in a project that is tagged as CSharp Analyzer Additional File (see Getting Started). All functions in that class with type annotations will be reflected to callable C# methods and an environment builder added to that module.
Given the following Python file called example.py
def hello_world(name: str, age: int) -> str:
return f"Hello {name}, you must be {age} years old!"
CSnakes will generate a static .NET class called Example with the function:
public class Example {
public static string HelloWorld(string name, long age) {
...
}
}
When called, HelloWorld() will invoke the Python function from example.py using Python's C-API and return native .NET types.
FAQ
See the FAQ for more information.