574e4067dc
This is the first step for moving the documentation format from *.txt to the *.rst format. In the last years we've been automatically converting txt files from Steve's markup into RST to generate the documentation pages via Sphinx. The decision has now been made to fully migrate to RST and avoid the conversion in the future. This will enable us to fully use RST and Sphinx to improve the documentation. For the intermediate period, while there are still pending PRs with documentation changes, we will keep both source files and update the RST files accordingly.
38 lines
1.7 KiB
ReStructuredText
38 lines
1.7 KiB
ReStructuredText
Run LAMMPS from Python
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======================
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The LAMMPS distribution includes a python directory with all you need
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to run LAMMPS from Python. The python/lammps.py file wraps the LAMMPS
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library interface, with one wrapper function per LAMMPS library
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function. This file makes it is possible to do the following either
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from a Python script, or interactively from a Python prompt: create
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one or more instances of LAMMPS, invoke LAMMPS commands or give it an
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input script, run LAMMPS incrementally, extract LAMMPS results, an
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modify internal LAMMPS variables. From a Python script you can do
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this in serial or parallel. Running Python interactively in parallel
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does not generally work, unless you have a version of Python that
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extends Python to enable multiple instances of Python to read what you
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type.
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To do all of this, you must first build LAMMPS as a shared library,
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then insure that your Python can find the python/lammps.py file and
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the shared library.
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Two advantages of using Python to run LAMMPS are how concise the
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language is, and that it can be run interactively, enabling rapid
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development and debugging. If you use it to mostly invoke costly
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operations within LAMMPS, such as running a simulation for a
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reasonable number of timesteps, then the overhead cost of invoking
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LAMMPS through Python will be negligible.
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The Python wrapper for LAMMPS uses the "ctypes" package in Python,
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which auto-generates the interface code needed between Python and a
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set of C-style library functions. Ctypes is part of standard Python
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for versions 2.5 and later. You can check which version of Python you
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have by simply typing "python" at a shell prompt.
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.. _lws: http://lammps.sandia.gov
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.. _ld: Manual.html
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.. _lc: Commands_all.html
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