Python - check if a system is 32 or 64 bit to determine whether to run the function or not? [duplicate]

Question

Possible Duplicate:
How do I determine if my python shell is executing in 32bit or 64bit mode?

I made a question earlier that never got replied to, but I have something more specific now so hopefully you can help.

Basically the SendKeys library only appears to install on my 32 bit system of Windows...

So I was wondering if there is a way of making it so this function I am going to write will only execute on a 32 bit system? I realise there is a platform.architecture() method to check the current system, but it returns the string "('64bit', 'WindowsPE')".

I was wondering if there was a way to read the 64 bit part of this string to make this function work correctly.

For example, pseudo code:

checker = platform.architecture() system = strip or read 64 bit from checker string somehow if system == 64 bit then warn system is 64 bit and won't run function else run function

Along the line of that. Unless there is a simpler way of checking it - maybe against the version of Python used (ie 32 or 64 bit)

Hope I've grasped this correctly - I'm still rather new to programming. :)

Duplicate of stackoverflow.com/questions/1405913/… and stackoverflow.com/questions/1842544/… and stackoverflow.com/questions/2208828/… which is probably the most exact duplicate. — agf
– agf, Commented Apr 1, 2012 at 12:37
Yes sorry just realised this. The answer below seems the simplest way by far though! — Semaj
– Semaj, Commented Apr 1, 2012 at 13:20

Marqo09 · Accepted Answer · 2016-04-23 00:04:39Z

23

Following this documentation, try this code:

is_64bits = sys.maxsize > 2**32

Note: this can return an incorrect result if 32bit Python is running on a 64bit operating system.

edited Apr 23, 2016 at 0:04

Marqo09

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answered Apr 1, 2012 at 12:37

Waynn Lue

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5 Comments

agf Over a year ago

If Python is 32bit and Windows is 64bit, what does this return?

Taymon Over a year ago

It returns False.

Semaj Over a year ago

Thanks! This seems to be the solution.

Tshirtman Over a year ago

If it's a solution, please mark it as the accepted solution :)

Ch.Idea Over a year ago

Also, sys.maxsize > 2**31 works.

jterrace · Accepted Answer · 2012-09-24 15:57:23Z

6

An alternative method. Definitely works on all platforms:

import struct is_64bit = struct.calcsize('P') * 8 == 64

As a note, this is part of its.py.

answered Sep 24, 2012 at 15:57

jterrace

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1 Comment

phobie Over a year ago

its.py is a no-brainer so you should change its license to PD! I think it would be better to include the tests directly into scripts instead of importing this module.

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