README.rst
1pynest folder
2=============
3
4This directory contains the source code of PyNEST, the Python bindings
5to the NEST kernel. A detailed explanation of PyNEST can be found in
6Zaytsev and Morrison (2014) [1]_ and Eppler et al. (2009) [2]_.
7
8PyNEST will be compiled together with NEST by default. If you want to
9disable it, pass
10
11.. code-block::
12
13 -Dwith-python=OFF
14
15as an argument to ``cmake``. By default, ``make install`` will install
16PyNEST to ``$(pyexecdir)``, which is often expanded as follows:
17
18.. code-block::
19
20 $(prefix)/lib{,64}/pythonX.Y/site-packages/nest
21
22.. note::
23
24 Since NEST 3.0, support for Python 2 has been dropped. Please use
25 Python 3 instead.
26
27To make the PyNEST module available to the Python interpreter, source
28``nest_vars.sh`` from the NEST installation directory (``source
29<nest_install_dir>/bin/nest_vars.sh``). This will add the PyNEST installation
30path to the ``PYTHONPATH`` environment variable.
31
32For help on a NEST object OBJ in PyNEST, type ``nest.help(OBJ)``. To find
33out more about NEST, type ``nest.helpdesk()``.
34
35References
36----------
37
38.. [1] Zaytsev YV and Morrison A (2014) CyNEST: a maintainable
39 Cython-based interface for the NEST simulator. Front.
40 Neuroinform. 8:23. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fninf.2014.00023
41
42.. [2] Eppler JM, Helias M, Muller E, Diesmann M and Gewaltig M-O PyNEST
43 (2009) A convenient interface to the NEST simulator. Front.
44 Neuroinform. 2:12. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/neuro.11.012.2008
45