py_cpp update

From: David Abrahams (abrahams_at_[hidden])
Date: 2000-10-09 21:06:31

I have just posted a new version of py_cpp to:

http://people.ne.mediaone.net/abrahams/downloads/py_cpp.html
and
http://www.egroups.com/files/boost/py_cpp/

The focus of this release was:

1. enabling all of the special member function names described at:
http://www.pythonlabs.com/pub/www.python.org/doc/current/ref/specialnames.ht
ml except for those used for emulating numeric types.

2. additional special member functions for accessing data members as
readonly or read/write attributes

3. Enabling the wrapping of overloaded member functions and constructors.
This work was a collaboration with Ullrich Koethe. Thanks, Ullrich!

4. Cleanup of various flotsam and jetsam. Renaming of types and functions
where neccessary for clarity

Examples of the new features can be found in extclass_demo.cpp/h (the C++
side of the work) and test_extclass.py (the Python side).

My very next project is to update and expand the documentation. Warning: I
have discovered that the static-allocation idiom for ExtensionClass<>
objects used in the current docs does not work (Python is trying to maintain
reference counts; it doesn't pay to subvert Python's idea of object
lifetimes!) Please follow the idiom examples in extclass_demo.cpp until I
get the documentation updated.

Ullrich has done some excellent work on reflecting C++ inheritance
hierarchies in Python; I hope we'll be able to release it very soon.

The formal review period at boost for this library has begun. I hope that if
you are interested in this library you will join the boost mailing list at
www.egroups.com and participate in the open-source feedback loop.

Thanks,
Dave