Introduction

The Python interface to Open Babel is perhaps the most popular of the several languages that Open Babel supports. We provide two Python modules that can be used to access the functionality of Open Babel toolkit:

1. The openbabel module:

   This contains the standard Python bindings automatically generated using SWIG from the C++ API. See The openbabel module.

2. The Pybel module:

   This is a light-weight wrapper around the classes and methods in the openbabel module. Pybel provides more convenient and Pythonic ways to access the Open Babel toolkit. See Pybel.

You don’t have to choose between them though - they can be used together.