# Utilities

The functions in this chapter perform various utility tasks, ranging from helping C code be more portable across platforms, using Python modules from C, and parsing function arguments and constructing Python values from C values.

- Operating System Utilities
- System Functions
- Process Control
- Importing Modules
- Data marshalling support
- Parsing arguments and building values
  - Parsing arguments
    - Strings and buffers
    - Numbers
    - Other objects
    - API Functions
  - Building values
- String conversion and formatting
- Character classification and conversion
- PyHash API
- Reflection
- Codec registry and support functions
  - Codec lookup API
  - Registry API for Unicode encoding error handlers
  - Codec utility variables
- PyTime C API
  - Types
  - Clock Functions
  - Raw Clock Functions
  - Conversion functions
- Support for Perf Maps