feat: py::prepend tag (#1131)

* feat: add a priority overload with py::prepend

* doc: fix wording as suggested by rwgk

* feat: add get_pointer

* refactor: is_prepended -> prepend (internal)

* docs: suggestion from @wjakob

* tests: add test covering get_pointer/set_pointer

docs/advanced/functions.rst

@@ -540,11 +540,13 @@ an explicit ``py::arg().noconvert()`` attribute in the function definition).
 If the second pass also fails a ``TypeError`` is raised.
 
 Within each pass, overloads are tried in the order they were registered with
-pybind11.
+pybind11. If the ``py::prepend()`` tag is added to the definition, a function
+can be placed at the beginning of the overload sequence instead, allowing user
+overloads to proceed built in functions.
 
 What this means in practice is that pybind11 will prefer any overload that does
-not require conversion of arguments to an overload that does, but otherwise prefers
-earlier-defined overloads to later-defined ones.
+not require conversion of arguments to an overload that does, but otherwise
+prefers earlier-defined overloads to later-defined ones.
 
 .. note::
 
@@ -553,3 +555,7 @@ earlier-defined overloads to later-defined ones.
     requiring one conversion over one requiring three, but only prioritizes
     overloads requiring no conversion at all to overloads that require
     conversion of at least one argument.
+
+.. versionadded:: 2.6
+
+    The ``py::prepend()`` tag.

docs/changelog.rst

@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ See :ref:`upgrade-guide-2.6` for help upgrading to the new version.
   ``py::type::of(h)``.
   `#2364 <https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/pull/2364>`_
 
+* Added ``py::prepend()``, allowing a function to be placed at the beginning of
+  the overload chain.
+  `#1131 <https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/pull/1131>`_
 
 * Perfect forwarding support for methods.
   `#2048 <https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/pull/2048>`_
@@ -136,6 +139,9 @@ Smaller or developer focused features:
 * ``py::vectorize`` is now supported on functions that return void.
   `#1969 <https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/pull/1969>`_
 
+* ``py::capsule`` supports ``get_pointer`` and ``set_pointer``.
+  `#1131 <https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/pull/1131>`_
+
 * Bugfixes related to more extensive testing.
   `#2321 <https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/pull/2321>`_
 

docs/upgrade.rst

@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ missing.
 The undocumented ``h.get_type()`` method has been deprecated and replaced by
 ``py::type::of(h)``.
 
+Enums now have a ``__str__`` method pre-defined; if you want to override it,
+the simplest fix is to add the new ``py::prepend()`` tag when defining
+``"__str__"``.
+
 If ``__eq__`` defined but not ``__hash__``, ``__hash__`` is now set to
 ``None``, as in normal CPython. You should add ``__hash__`` if you intended the
 class to be hashable, possibly using the new ``py::hash`` shortcut.

include/pybind11/attr.h

@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ struct module_local { const bool value; constexpr module_local(bool v = true) :
 /// Annotation to mark enums as an arithmetic type
 struct arithmetic { };
 
+/// Mark a function for addition at the beginning of the existing overload chain instead of the end
+struct prepend { };
+
 /** \rst
     A call policy which places one or more guard variables (``Ts...``) around the function call.
 
@@ -138,8 +141,8 @@ struct argument_record {
 struct function_record {
     function_record()
         : is_constructor(false), is_new_style_constructor(false), is_stateless(false),
-          is_operator(false), is_method(false),
-          has_args(false), has_kwargs(false), has_kw_only_args(false) { }
+          is_operator(false), is_method(false), has_args(false),
+          has_kwargs(false), has_kw_only_args(false), prepend(false) { }
 
     /// Function name
     char *name = nullptr; /* why no C++ strings? They generate heavier code.. */
@@ -189,6 +192,9 @@ struct function_record {
     /// True once a 'py::kw_only' is encountered (any following args are keyword-only)
     bool has_kw_only_args : 1;
 
+    /// True if this function is to be inserted at the beginning of the overload resolution chain
+    bool prepend : 1;
+
     /// Number of arguments (including py::args and/or py::kwargs, if present)
     std::uint16_t nargs;
 
@@ -477,6 +483,12 @@ struct process_attribute<module_local> : process_attribute_default<module_local>
     static void init(const module_local &l, type_record *r) { r->module_local = l.value; }
 };
 
+/// Process a 'prepend' attribute, putting this at the beginning of the overload chain
+template <>
+struct process_attribute<prepend> : process_attribute_default<prepend> {
+    static void init(const prepend &, function_record *r) { r->prepend = true; }
+};
+
 /// Process an 'arithmetic' attribute for enums (does nothing here)
 template <>
 struct process_attribute<arithmetic> : process_attribute_default<arithmetic> {};

include/pybind11/pybind11.h

@@ -372,10 +372,9 @@ protected:
             if (!m_ptr)
                 pybind11_fail("cpp_function::cpp_function(): Could not allocate function object");
         } else {
-            /* Append at the end of the overload chain */
+            /* Append at the beginning or end of the overload chain */
             m_ptr = rec->sibling.ptr();
             inc_ref();
-            chain_start = chain;
             if (chain->is_method != rec->is_method)
                 pybind11_fail("overloading a method with both static and instance methods is not supported; "
                     #if defined(NDEBUG)
@@ -385,10 +384,23 @@ protected:
                         std::string(pybind11::str(rec->scope.attr("__name__"))) + "." + std::string(rec->name) + signature
                     #endif
                 );
+
+            if (rec->prepend) {
+                // Beginning of chain; we need to replace the capsule's current head-of-the-chain
+                // pointer with this one, then make this one point to the previous head of the
+                // chain.
+                chain_start = rec;
+                rec->next = chain;
+                auto rec_capsule = reinterpret_borrow<capsule>(((PyCFunctionObject *) m_ptr)->m_self);
+                rec_capsule.set_pointer(rec);
+            } else {
+                // Or end of chain (normal behavior)
+                chain_start = chain;
                 while (chain->next)
                     chain = chain->next;
                 chain->next = rec;
             }
+        }
 
         std::string signatures;
         int index = 0;

include/pybind11/pytypes.h

@@ -1236,12 +1236,24 @@ public:
     }
 
     template <typename T> operator T *() const {
+        return get_pointer<T>();
+    }
+
+    /// Get the pointer the capsule holds.
+    template<typename T = void>
+    T* get_pointer() const {
         auto name = this->name();
         T *result = static_cast<T *>(PyCapsule_GetPointer(m_ptr, name));
         if (!result) pybind11_fail("Unable to extract capsule contents!");
         return result;
     }
 
+    /// Replaces a capsule's pointer *without* calling the destructor on the existing one.
+    void set_pointer(const void *value) {
+        if (PyCapsule_SetPointer(m_ptr, const_cast<void *>(value)) != 0)
+            pybind11_fail("Could not set capsule pointer");
+    }
+
     const char *name() const { return PyCapsule_GetName(m_ptr); }
 };
 

tests/test_methods_and_attributes.cpp

@@ -284,6 +284,12 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(methods_and_attributes, m) {
     py::class_<MetaclassOverride>(m, "MetaclassOverride", py::metaclass((PyObject *) &PyType_Type))
         .def_property_readonly_static("readonly", [](py::object) { return 1; });
 
+    // test_overload_ordering
+    m.def("overload_order", [](std::string) { return 1; });
+    m.def("overload_order", [](std::string) { return 2; });
+    m.def("overload_order", [](int) { return 3; });
+    m.def("overload_order", [](int) { return 4; }, py::prepend{});
+
 #if !defined(PYPY_VERSION)
     // test_dynamic_attributes
     class DynamicClass {

tests/test_methods_and_attributes.py

@@ -438,3 +438,25 @@ def test_ref_qualified():
     r.refQualified(17)
     assert r.value == 17
     assert r.constRefQualified(23) == 40
+
+
+def test_overload_ordering():
+    'Check to see if the normal overload order (first defined) and prepend overload order works'
+    assert m.overload_order("string") == 1
+    assert m.overload_order(0) == 4
+
+    # Different for Python 2 vs. 3
+    uni_name = type(u"").__name__
+
+    assert "1. overload_order(arg0: int) -> int" in m.overload_order.__doc__
+    assert "2. overload_order(arg0: {}) -> int".format(uni_name) in m.overload_order.__doc__
+    assert "3. overload_order(arg0: {}) -> int".format(uni_name) in m.overload_order.__doc__
+    assert "4. overload_order(arg0: int) -> int" in m.overload_order.__doc__
+
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError) as err:
+        m.overload_order(1.1)
+
+    assert "1. (arg0: int) -> int" in str(err.value)
+    assert "2. (arg0: {}) -> int".format(uni_name) in str(err.value)
+    assert "3. (arg0: {}) -> int".format(uni_name) in str(err.value)
+    assert "4. (arg0: int) -> int" in str(err.value)

tests/test_pytypes.cpp

@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(pytypes, m) {
     });
 
     m.def("return_capsule_with_name_and_destructor", []() {
-        auto capsule = py::capsule((void *) 1234, "pointer type description", [](PyObject *ptr) {
+        auto capsule = py::capsule((void *) 12345, "pointer type description", [](PyObject *ptr) {
             if (ptr) {
                 auto name = PyCapsule_GetName(ptr);
                 py::print("destructing capsule ({}, '{}')"_s.format(
@@ -116,8 +116,19 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(pytypes, m) {
                 ));
             }
         });
-        void *contents = capsule;
-        py::print("created capsule ({}, '{}')"_s.format((size_t) contents, capsule.name()));
+
+        capsule.set_pointer((void *) 1234);
+
+        // Using get_pointer<T>()
+        void* contents1 = static_cast<void*>(capsule);
+        void* contents2 = capsule.get_pointer();
+        void* contents3 = capsule.get_pointer<void>();
+
+        auto result1 = reinterpret_cast<size_t>(contents1);
+        auto result2 = reinterpret_cast<size_t>(contents2);
+        auto result3 = reinterpret_cast<size_t>(contents3);
+
+        py::print("created capsule ({}, '{}')"_s.format(result1 & result2 & result3, capsule.name()));
         return capsule;
     });