Add npy_format_descriptor<PyObject *> to enable py::array_t<PyObject *> to/from-python conversions.

include/pybind11/numpy.h

@@ -586,6 +586,16 @@ public:
         return detail::npy_format_descriptor<typename std::remove_cv<T>::type>::dtype();
     }
 
+    /// Return dtype for the given typenum (one of the NPY_TYPES).
+    /// https://numpy.org/devdocs/reference/c-api/array.html#c.PyArray_DescrFromType
+    static dtype from_typenum(int typenum) {
+        auto *ptr = detail::npy_api::get().PyArray_DescrFromType_(typenum);
+        if (!ptr) {
+            throw error_already_set();
+        }
+        return reinterpret_steal<dtype>(ptr);
+    }
+
     /// Size of the data type in bytes.
     ssize_t itemsize() const { return detail::array_descriptor_proxy(m_ptr)->elsize; }
 
@@ -1283,12 +1293,16 @@ private:
 public:
     static constexpr int value = values[detail::is_fmt_numeric<T>::index];
 
-    static pybind11::dtype dtype() {
-        if (auto *ptr = npy_api::get().PyArray_DescrFromType_(value)) {
-            return reinterpret_steal<pybind11::dtype>(ptr);
-        }
-        pybind11_fail("Unsupported buffer format!");
-    }
+    static pybind11::dtype dtype() { return pybind11::dtype::from_typenum(value); }
+};
+
+template <typename T>
+struct npy_format_descriptor<T, enable_if_t<is_same_ignoring_cvref<T, PyObject *>::value>> {
+    static constexpr auto name = const_name("object");
+
+    static constexpr int value = npy_api::NPY_OBJECT_;
+
+    static pybind11::dtype dtype() { return pybind11::dtype::from_typenum(value); }
 };
 
 #define PYBIND11_DECL_CHAR_FMT                                                                    \

tests/test_numpy_array.cpp

@@ -523,4 +523,30 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(numpy_array, sm) {
     sm.def("test_fmt_desc_const_double", [](const py::array_t<const double> &) {});
 
     sm.def("round_trip_float", [](double d) { return d; });
+
+    sm.def("pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_sum_str_values",
+           [](const py::array_t<PyObject *> &objs) {
+               std::string sum_str_values;
+               for (auto &obj : objs) {
+                   sum_str_values += py::str(obj.attr("value"));
+               }
+               return sum_str_values;
+           });
+
+    sm.def("pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_as_list",
+           [](const py::array_t<PyObject *> &objs) -> py::list { return objs; });
+
+    sm.def("return_array_pyobject_ptr_cpp_loop", [](const py::list &objs) {
+        py::size_t arr_size = py::len(objs);
+        py::array_t<PyObject *> arr_from_list(static_cast<py::ssize_t>(arr_size));
+        PyObject **data = arr_from_list.mutable_data();
+        for (py::size_t i = 0; i < arr_size; i++) {
+            assert(data[i] == nullptr);
+            data[i] = py::cast<PyObject *>(objs[i].attr("value"));
+        }
+        return arr_from_list;
+    });
+
+    sm.def("return_array_pyobject_ptr_from_list",
+           [](const py::list &objs) -> py::array_t<PyObject *> { return objs; });
 }

tests/test_numpy_array.py

@@ -595,3 +595,61 @@ def test_round_trip_float():
     arr = np.zeros((), np.float64)
     arr[()] = 37.2
     assert m.round_trip_float(arr) == 37.2
+
+
+# For use as a temporary user-defined object, to maximize sensitivity of the tests below.
+class PyValueHolder:
+    def __init__(self, value):
+        self.value = value
+
+
+def WrapWithPyValueHolder(*values):
+    return [PyValueHolder(v) for v in values]
+
+
+def UnwrapPyValueHolder(vhs):
+    return [vh.value for vh in vhs]
+
+
+def test_pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_sum_str_values_ndarray():
+    # Intentionally all temporaries, do not change.
+    assert (
+        m.pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_sum_str_values(
+            np.array(WrapWithPyValueHolder(-3, "four", 5.0), dtype=object)
+        )
+        == "-3four5.0"
+    )
+
+
+def test_pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_sum_str_values_list():
+    # Intentionally all temporaries, do not change.
+    assert (
+        m.pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_sum_str_values(
+            WrapWithPyValueHolder(2, "three", -4.0)
+        )
+        == "2three-4.0"
+    )
+
+
+def test_pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_as_list():
+    # Intentionally all temporaries, do not change.
+    assert UnwrapPyValueHolder(
+        m.pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_as_list(
+            np.array(WrapWithPyValueHolder(-1, "two", 3.0), dtype=object)
+        )
+    ) == [-1, "two", 3.0]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("return_array_pyobject_ptr", "unwrap"),
+    [
+        (m.return_array_pyobject_ptr_cpp_loop, list),
+        (m.return_array_pyobject_ptr_from_list, UnwrapPyValueHolder),
+    ],
+)
+def test_return_array_pyobject_ptr_cpp_loop(return_array_pyobject_ptr, unwrap):
+    # Intentionally all temporaries, do not change.
+    arr_from_list = return_array_pyobject_ptr(WrapWithPyValueHolder(6, "seven", -8.0))
+    assert isinstance(arr_from_list, np.ndarray)
+    assert arr_from_list.dtype == np.dtype("O")
+    assert unwrap(arr_from_list) == [6, "seven", -8.0]