[Python-Dev] Advanced C Types (original) (raw)

Pete Shinners pete at shinners.org
Fri Jul 2 08:19:35 CEST 2004

Hello Python developers, I have been learning my way through new style type in Python, but it hasn't been exactly easy. I have narrowed my remaining troubles down to two specific questions for this list. Thanks for pointers.

First, I have a base type written in C. Python classes are inheriting from these and those instances are being passed to another C function. This function needs access to data from the original type's PyObject structure. How do I get from the instance PyObject* to my base type's PyObject* data? My workaround is a hackish, the base has a method like this: PyObject *dirtydirty(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) { Py_INCREF(self); return self; } Now my external C code call something like this: PyObject *GetBaseObjectFromInstance(PyObject *o) { PyObject *meth = PyObject_GetAttrString(o, "dirtydirty"); PyObject *baseobj = PyObject_CallObject(meth, NULL); Py_DECREF(meth); return baseobj; } How can I recreate this without requiring the 'dirtydirty' method? Obviously Python is internally keeping this data around, as it is passed to the C methods on my type. I cannot find a more direct route.

Second, I am very uncomfortable with the newstyle type allocation mechanisms. I understand the use of separate tp_init, tp_alloc, and tp_new. I do not understand how to use these from C. This is more a matter of clarification, my question is this; What is the proper way for one of my C functions to create my C type? Especially when my C type is derived from other C type? I feel wrong digging into my PyTypeObject for various tp_ pointers. I was comfortable with the PyObject_New() type functions, but from what I can see those are illegal for newstyle types?

Hmm, it appears my questions have expanded from simple and consise. Thanks again.

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