diff --git a/docs/advanced/pycpp/object.rst b/docs/advanced/pycpp/object.rst index c9728e922..117131edc 100644 --- a/docs/advanced/pycpp/object.rst +++ b/docs/advanced/pycpp/object.rst @@ -33,12 +33,50 @@ The reverse direction uses the following syntax: When conversion fails, both directions throw the exception :class:`cast_error`. +.. _python_libs: + +Accessing Python libraries from C++ +=================================== + +It is also possible to import objects defined in the Python standard +library or available in the current Python environment (``sys.path``) and work +with these in C++. + +This example obtains a reference to the Python ``Decimal`` class. + +.. code-block:: cpp + + // Equivalent to "from decimal import Decimal" + py::object Decimal = py::module::import("decimal").attr("Decimal"); + +.. code-block:: cpp + + // Try to import scipy + py::object scipy = py::module::import("scipy"); + return scipy.attr("__version__"); + .. _calling_python_functions: Calling Python functions ======================== -It is also possible to call python functions via ``operator()``. +It is also possible to call Python classes, functions and methods +via ``operator()``. + +.. code-block:: cpp + + // Construct a Python object of class Decimal + py::object pi = Decimal("3.14159"); + +.. code-block:: cpp + + // Use Python to make our directories + py::object os = py::module::import("os"); + py::object makedirs = os.attr("makedirs"); + makedirs("/tmp/path/to/somewhere"); + +One can convert the result obtained from Python to a pure C++ version +if a ``py::class_`` or type conversion is defined. .. code-block:: cpp @@ -46,6 +84,37 @@ It is also possible to call python functions via ``operator()``. py::object result_py = f(1234, "hello", some_instance); MyClass &result = result_py.cast(); +.. _calling_python_methods: + +Calling Python methods +======================== + +To call an object's method, one can again use ``.attr`` to obtain access to the +Python method. + +.. code-block:: cpp + + // Calculate e^π in decimal + py::object exp_pi = pi.attr("exp")(); + py::print(py::str(exp_pi)); + +In the example above ``pi.attr("exp")`` is a *bound method*: it will always call +the method for that same instance of the class. Alternately one can create an +*unbound method* via the Python class (instead of instance) and pass the ``self`` +object explicitly, followed by other arguments. + +.. code-block:: cpp + + py::object decimal_exp = Decimal.attr("exp"); + + // Compute the e^n for n=0..4 + for (int n = 0; n < 5; n++) { + py::print(decimal_exp(Decimal(n)); + } + +Keyword arguments +================= + Keyword arguments are also supported. In Python, there is the usual call syntax: .. code-block:: python @@ -62,6 +131,9 @@ In C++, the same call can be made using: using namespace pybind11::literals; // to bring in the `_a` literal f(1234, "say"_a="hello", "to"_a=some_instance); // keyword call in C++ +Unpacking arguments +=================== + Unpacking of ``*args`` and ``**kwargs`` is also possible and can be mixed with other arguments: