Pizco: Python remoting with ZMQ

Pizco: remoting in Python with ZMQ

Pizco is Python module/package that allows python objects to communicate. Objects can be exposed to other process in the same computer or over the network, allowing clear separation of concerns, resources and permissions.

Pizco supports calling methods from remote objects and also accessing their attributes, dictionary attributes and properties. Most importantly, using a Qt-like (and Qt compatible!) signal and slot mechanism you can easily register notifications.

As ZMQ is used as the transport layer, communication is fast and efficient, and different protocols are supported. It has a complete test coverage. It runs in Python 3.2+ and requires PyZMQ. It is licensed under BSD.

Design principles

  • Reusable Agent class as communicating object for both Proxy and Server.
  • ZMQ REP/REQ to handle sync access to objects.
  • ZMQ PUB/SUB for notifications and async operations.
  • PyQt-like signal and slots callbacks, compatible with PyQt.
  • Transparent handling of methods that return concurrent.Futures.
  • Soon: Asynchronous and batched operation on remote objects.
  • Small codebase: small and easy to maintain codebase with a flat hierarchy. It is a single stand-alone module that can be installed as a package or added side by side to your project.
  • Soon: Python 2 and 3: A single codebase that runs unchanged in Python 2.6+ and Python 3.0+.

Pizco in action

example.py:

from PyQt4 import pyqtSignal as Signal

class MultiplyBy(object):

    factor_changed = Signal()

    def __init__(self, factor):
        self._factor = factor

    def calculate(self, x):
        return x * self.factor

    @property
    def factor(self):
        return self._factor

    @factor.setter
    def factor(self, value):
        if self._factor == value:
            continue
        self.factor_changed.emit(value, self._factor)
        self._factor = value

server.py:

from example import MultiplyBy

from pizco import Server

server = Server(MultiplyBy(2), 'tcp://127.0.0.1:8000')
server.serve_forever()

client.py:

import time

from pizco import Proxy

proxy = Proxy('tcp://127.0.0.1:8000')

print('{} * {} = {}'.format(proxy.factor, 8, proxy.calculate(8)))

def on_factor_changed(new_value, old_value):
    print('The factor was changed from {} to {}'.format(old_value, new_value))
    print('{} * {} = {}'.format(proxy.factor, 8, proxy.calculate(8)))

proxy.factor_changed.connect(on_factor_changed)

for n in (3, 4, 5):
    proxy.factor = n
    time.sleep(.5)

Start the server in a terminal and run the client in another one:

$ python client.py
2 * 8 = 16
The factor was changed from 2 to 3
3 * 8 = 24
The factor was changed from 3 to 4
4 * 8 = 32
The factor was changed from 4 to 5
5 * 8 = 40

Indices and tables