Foreign Function Interface
A Foreign Function Interface (FFI) is a mechanism that allows code written in one programming language to call functions or use data structures written in another language. It enables interoperability between different programming languages, typically by providing bindings or wrappers that translate between language-specific data types and calling conventions. FFIs are commonly used to leverage existing libraries, optimize performance-critical sections, or integrate with system-level code.
Developers should learn and use FFIs when they need to integrate code from different languages, such as calling C libraries from Python for performance gains or accessing system APIs from a higher-level language. This is particularly useful in scenarios like scientific computing (using optimized C/Fortran libraries), game development (binding to graphics APIs), or embedded systems (interfacing with hardware drivers). FFIs help avoid rewriting existing, well-tested code and can significantly improve execution speed by leveraging lower-level languages.