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lammps/doc/src/Python_create.rst
2020-10-15 18:19:57 -04:00

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.. _mpi4py_url: https://mpi4py.readthedocs.io/
.. _python_create_lammps:
Creating or deleting a LAMMPS object
====================================
With the Python interface the creation of a :cpp:class:`LAMMPS
<LAMMPS_NS::LAMMPS>` instance is included in the constructors for the
:py:class:`lammps <lammps.lammps>`, :py:class:`PyLammps <lammps.PyLammps>`,
and :py:class:`IPyLammps <lammps.IPyLammps>` classes.
Internally it will call either :cpp:func:`lammps_open` or :cpp:func:`lammps_open_no_mpi` from the C
library API to create the class instance.
All arguments are optional. The *name* argument allows loading a
LAMMPS shared library that is named ``liblammps_machine.so`` instead of
the default name of ``liblammps.so``. In most cases the latter will be
installed or used. The *ptr* argument is for use of the
:py:mod:`lammps` module from inside a LAMMPS instance, e.g. with the
:doc:`python <python>` command, where a pointer to the already existing
:cpp:class:`LAMMPS <LAMMPS_NS::LAMMPS>` class instance can be passed
to the Python class and used instead of creating a new instance. The
*comm* argument may be used in combination with the `mpi4py <mpi4py_url_>`_
module to pass an MPI communicator to LAMMPS and thus it is possible
to run the Python module like the library interface on a subset of the
MPI ranks after splitting the communicator.
Here are simple examples using all three Python interfaces:
.. tabs::
.. tab:: lammps API
.. code-block:: python
from lammps import lammps
# NOTE: argv[0] is set by the lammps class constructor
args = ["-log", "none"]
# create LAMMPS instance
lmp = lammps(cmdargs=args)
# get and print numerical version code
print("LAMMPS Version: ", lmp.version())
# explicitly close and delete LAMMPS instance (optional)
lmp.close()
.. tab:: PyLammps API
The :py:class:`PyLammps <lammps.PyLammps>` class is a wrapper around the
:py:class:`lammps <lammps.lammps>` class and all of its lower level functions.
By default, it will create a new instance of :py:class:`lammps <lammps.lammps>` passing
along all arguments to the constructor of :py:class:`lammps <lammps.lammps>`.
.. code-block:: python
from lammps import PyLammps
# NOTE: argv[0] is set by the lammps class constructor
args = ["-log", "none"]
# create LAMMPS instance
L = PyLammps(cmdargs=args)
# get and print numerical version code
print("LAMMPS Version: ", L.version())
# explicitly close and delete LAMMPS instance (optional)
L.close()
:py:class:`PyLammps <lammps.PyLammps>` objects can also be created on top of an existing
:py:class:`lammps <lammps.lammps>` object:
.. code-block:: Python
from lammps import lammps, PyLammps
...
# create LAMMPS instance
lmp = lammps(cmdargs=args)
# create PyLammps instance using previously created LAMMPS instance
L = PyLammps(ptr=lmp)
This is useful if you have to create the :py:class:`lammps <lammps.lammps>`
instance is a specific way, but want to take advantage of the
:py:class:`PyLammps <lammps.PyLammps>` interface.
.. tab:: IPyLammps API
The :py:class:`IPyLammps <lammps.IPyLammps>` class is an extension of the
:py:class:`PyLammps <lammps.PyLammps>` class. It has the same construction behavior. By
default, it will create a new instance of :py:class:`lammps` passing
along all arguments to the constructor of :py:class:`lammps`.
.. code-block:: python
from lammps import IPyLammps
# NOTE: argv[0] is set by the lammps class constructor
args = ["-log", "none"]
# create LAMMPS instance
L = IPyLammps(cmdargs=args)
# get and print numerical version code
print("LAMMPS Version: ", L.version())
# explicitly close and delete LAMMPS instance (optional)
L.close()
You can also initialize IPyLammps on top of an existing :py:class:`lammps` or :py:class:`PyLammps` object:
.. code-block:: Python
from lammps import lammps, IPyLammps
...
# create LAMMPS instance
lmp = lammps(cmdargs=args)
# create PyLammps instance using previously created LAMMPS instance
L = PyLammps(ptr=lmp)
This is useful if you have to create the :py:class:`lammps <lammps.lammps>`
instance is a specific way, but want to take advantage of the
:py:class:`IPyLammps <lammps.IPyLammps>` interface.
In all of the above cases, same as with the :ref:`C library API <lammps_c_api>`, this will use the
``MPI_COMM_WORLD`` communicator for the MPI library that LAMMPS was
compiled with.
The :py:func:`lmp.close() <lammps.lammps.close()>` call is
optional since the LAMMPS class instance will also be deleted
automatically during the :py:class:`lammps <lammps.lammps>` class
destructor.
Note that you can create multiple LAMMPS objects in your Python
script, and coordinate and run multiple simulations, e.g.
.. code-block:: Python
from lammps import lammps
lmp1 = lammps()
lmp2 = lammps()
lmp1.file("in.file1")
lmp2.file("in.file2")