Re: [boost] Boost:::python default function arguments

From: David Abrahams (david.abrahams_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-07-16 12:00:22

----- Original Message -----
From: <Peter.Bienstman_at_[hidden]>

> Hi,
>
> Do default function arguments work automatically?

No.

> If I have a function f(int i=1), I have to define it twice in order
> to get the behaviour I want:
>
> def( ( void (*) ()    )f, "f")
> def( ( void (*) (int) )f, "f")

Actually, I'm fairly certain that even the above won't work (or if it does,
you're in undefined behavior land). You really need separate overloaded
versions of f.

> Would be really nice if Boost did this automatically, like SWIG ;-)

That's impossible without parsing the C++ code, since the function pointer
carries with it no information about default arguments.

If someone was interested in adding this feature, it would be possible to
provide a different def() function overload which takes as a parameter the
number of default arguments and generates all of the neccessary Python
function overloads.

-Dave