###  | # Boost.Python ## Header <boost/python/handle.hpp>

## Contents

Introduction
Classes
  Class template `handle`
    Class `handle` synopsis
    Class `handle` constructors and destructor
    Class `handle` modifier functions
    Class `handle` observer functions
Functions
  `borrowed`
  `allow_null`

## Introduction

`<boost/python/handle.hpp>` provides `class template handle`, a smart pointer for managing reference-counted Python objects.

## Classes

### Class template `handle`

`handle` is a smart pointer to a Python object type; it holds a pointer of type `T*`, where T is its template parameter. `T` must be either a type derived from `PyObject` or a POD type whose initial `sizeof(PyObject)` bytes are layout-compatible with `PyObject`. Use `handle<>` at the boundary between tehe Python/'C' API and high-level code; prefer `object` for a generalized interface to Python objects.

In this document, the term "upcast" refers to an operation which converts a pointer `Y*` to a base class pointer `T*` via `static_cast<T*>` if `Y` is derived from `T`, or via C-style cast `(T*)` if it is not. However, in the latter case the "upcast" is ill-formed if the initial `sizeof(PyObject)` bytes of `Y` are not layout-compatible with `PyObject`.

#### Class template handle synopsis

    namespace boost { namespace python
    {
      template <class T>
      class handle
      {
          typedef unspecified-member-function-pointer bool_type;

       public: // types
          typedef T element_type;

       public: // member functions
          ~handle();

          template <class Y>
          explicit handle(detail::borrowed<null_ok<Y> >* p);

          template <class Y>
          explicit handle(null_ok<detail::borrowed<Y> >* p);

          template <class Y>
          explicit handle(detail::borrowed<Y>* p);

          template <class Y>
          explicit handle(null_ok<Y>* p);

          template <class Y>
          explicit handle(Y* p);

          handle();

          handle& operator=(handle const& r);

          template<typename Y>
          handle& operator=(handle<Y> const & r); // never throws

          template <typename Y>
          handle(handle<Y> const& r);

          handle(handle const& r);

          T* operator-> () const;
          T& operator* () const;
          T* get() const;
          T* release();

          operator bool_type() const; // never throws
       private:
          T* m_p;
      };

      template <class T> struct null_ok;
      namespace detail { template <class T> struct borrowed; }
    }}

#### Class `handle` constructors and destructor

    virtual ~handle();

Effects: `Py_XDECREF(m_p)`

    template <class Y>
    explicit handle(detail::borrowed<null_ok<Y> >* p);

Effects: `Py_XDECREF(m_p)`

    template <class Y>
    explicit handle(null_ok<detail::borrowed<Y> >* p);

Effects: `m_p =` upcast`<T*>(p);`

    template <class Y>
    explicit handle(detail::borrowed<Y>* p);

Effects: `m_p =` upcast`<T*>(expect_non_null(p));`

    template <class Y>
    explicit handle(null_ok<Y>* p);

Effects: `Py_XINCREF(p); m_p =` upcast`<T*>(p);`

    template <class Y>
    explicit handle(Y* p);

Effects: `Py_XINCREF(p); m_p =` upcast`<T*>(expect_non_null(p));`

    handle();

Effects: `m_p = 0;`

    template <typename Y>
    handle(handle<Y> const& r);
    handle(handle const& r);

Effects: `m_p = r.m_p; Py_XINCREF(m_p);`

#### Class `handle` modifiers

    handle& operator=(handle const& r);
    template<typename Y>
    handle& operator=(handle<Y> const & r); // never throws

Effects: `Py_XINCREF(r.m_p); Py_XDECREF(m_p); m_p = r.m_p;`

    T* release();

Effects: `T* x = m_p; m_p = 0;return x;`

#### Class `handle` observers

    T* operator-> () const;
    T* get() const;

Returns: `m_p;`

    T& operator* () const;

Returns: `*m_p;`

    operator bool_type() const; // never throws

Returns: 0 if `m_p == 0`, a pointer convertible to `true` otherwise.

## Functions

### `borrowed`

    template
    detail::borrowed* borrowed(T* p)
    {
        return (detail::borrowed*)p;
    }

### `allow_null`

    template
    null_ok* allow_null(T* p)
    {
        return (null_ok*)p;
    }

Revised 03 October, 2002

© Copyright Dave Abrahams 2002. All Rights Reserved.