Python API
========================

.. only:: not bindings_python

    .. warning::

        This documentation was built while python bindings were disabled. This part of the documentation is likely either empty or outdated. Please enable :code:`BUILD_BINDINGS_PYTHON` in :code:`cmake` and build the documentation again.

cvc5 offers two separate APIs for Python users.
The :doc:`base Python API <base/python>` is an almost exact copy of the :doc:`C++ API <../cpp/cpp>`.
Alternatively, the :doc:`pythonic API <pythonic/pythonic>` is a more pythonic API that aims to be fully compatible with `Z3s Python API <https://z3prover.github.io/api/html/namespacez3py.html>`_ while adding functionality that Z3 does not support.

.. toctree::
    :maxdepth: 1

    pythonic/pythonic
    base/python


Which Python API should I use?
------------------------------

If you are a new user, or already have an application that uses Z3's python API, use the :doc:`pythonic API <pythonic/pythonic>`.

If you would like a more feature-complete---yet verbose---python API, with the ability to do almost everything that the cpp API allows, use the :doc:`base Python API <base/python>`.

You can compare examples using the two APIs by visiting the :doc:`examples page <../../examples/quickstart>`.


Installation
------------

The base and pythonic Python API can be installed via `pip` as follows:

.. code:: bash

  pip install cvc5