This commit largely rewrites the Eigen dense matrix support to avoid
copying in many cases: Eigen arguments can now reference numpy data, and
numpy objects can now reference Eigen data (given compatible types).
Eigen::Ref<...> arguments now also make use of the new `convert`
argument use (added in PR #634) to avoid conversion, allowing
`py::arg().noconvert()` to be used when binding a function to prohibit
copying when invoking the function. Respecting `convert` also means
Eigen overloads that avoid copying will be preferred during overload
resolution to ones that require copying.
This commit also rewrites the Eigen documentation and test suite to
explain and test the new capabilities.
Currently when we do a conversion between a numpy array and an Eigen
Vector, we allow the conversion only if the Eigen type is a
compile-time vector (i.e. at least one dimension is fixed at 1 at
compile time), or if the type is dynamic on *both* dimensions.
This means we can run into cases where MatrixXd allow things that
conforming, compile-time sizes does not: for example,
`Matrix<double,4,Dynamic>` is currently not allowed, even when assigning
from a 4-element vector, but it *is* allowed for a
`Matrix<double,Dynamic,Dynamic>`.
This commit also reverts the current behaviour of using the matrix's
storage order to determine the structure when the Matrix is fully
dynamic (i.e. in both dimensions). Currently we assign to an eigen row
if the storage order is row-major, and column otherwise: this seems
wrong (the storage order has nothing to do with the shape!). While
numpy doesn't distinguish between a row/column vector, Eigen does, but
it makes more sense to consistently choose one than to produce
something with a different shape based on the intended storage layout.
This adds automatic casting when assigning to python types like dict,
list, and attributes. Instead of:
dict["key"] = py::cast(val);
m.attr("foo") = py::cast(true);
list.append(py::cast(42));
you can now simply write:
dict["key"] = val;
m.attr("foo") = true;
list.append(42);
Casts needing extra parameters (e.g. for a non-default rvp) still
require the py::cast() call. set::add() is also supported.
All usage is channeled through a SFINAE implementation which either just returns or casts.
Combined non-converting handle and autocasting template methods via a
helper method that either just returns (handle) or casts (C++ type).
Adding or removing tests is a little bit cumbersome currently: the test
needs to be added to CMakeLists.txt, the init function needs to be
predeclared in pybind11_tests.cpp, then called in the plugin
initialization. While this isn't a big deal for tests that are being
committed, it's more of a hassle when working on some new feature or
test code for which I temporarily only care about building and linking
the test being worked on rather than the entire test suite.
This commit changes tests to self-register their initialization by
having each test initialize a local object (which stores the
initialization function in a static variable). This makes changing the
set of tests being build easy: one only needs to add or comment out
test names in tests/CMakeLists.txt.
A couple other minor changes that go along with this:
- test_eigen.cpp is now included in the test list, then removed if eigen
isn't available. This lets you disable the eigen tests by commenting
it out, just like all the other tests, but keeps the build working
without eigen eigen isn't available. (Also, if it's commented out, we
don't even bother looking for and reporting the building with/without
eigen status message).
- pytest is now invoked with all the built test names (with .cpp changed
to .py) so that it doesn't try to run tests that weren't built.
Use simple asserts and pytest's powerful introspection to make testing
simpler. This merges the old .py/.ref file pairs into simple .py files
where the expected values are right next to the code being tested.
This commit does not touch the C++ part of the code and replicates the
Python tests exactly like the old .ref-file-based approach.