[WIP] Interoperability with other Python binding frameworks

.clang-tidy

@@ -78,3 +78,4 @@ CheckOptions:
   value:           true
 
 HeaderFilterRegex: 'pybind11/.*h'
+ExcludeHeaderFilterRegex: 'pybind11/contrib/.*h'

.codespell-ignore-lines

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ template <op_id id, op_type ot, typename L = undefined_t, typename R = undefined
     template <typename ThisT>
         auto &this_ = static_cast<ThisT &>(*this);
                 if (load_impl<ThisT>(temp, false)) {
+                return load_impl<ThisT>(src, false);
         ssize_t nd = 0;
         auto trivial = broadcast(buffers, nd, shape);
         auto ndim = (size_t) nd;

.pre-commit-config.yaml

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ ci:
   autoupdate_schedule: monthly
 
 # third-party content
-exclude: ^tools/JoinPaths.cmake$
+exclude: ^(tools/JoinPaths.cmake|include/pybind11/contrib/.*)$
 
 repos:
 

CMakeLists.txt

@@ -180,12 +180,14 @@ if(PYBIND11_MASTER_PROJECT)
 endif()
 
 set(PYBIND11_HEADERS
+    include/pybind11/contrib/pymetabind.h
     include/pybind11/detail/class.h
     include/pybind11/detail/common.h
     include/pybind11/detail/cpp_conduit.h
     include/pybind11/detail/descr.h
     include/pybind11/detail/dynamic_raw_ptr_cast_if_possible.h
     include/pybind11/detail/exception_translation.h
+    include/pybind11/detail/foreign.h
     include/pybind11/detail/function_record_pyobject.h
     include/pybind11/detail/init.h
     include/pybind11/detail/internals.h

docs/advanced/classes.rst

@@ -972,9 +972,14 @@ Module-local class bindings
 ===========================
 
 When creating a binding for a class, pybind11 by default makes that binding
-"global" across modules.  What this means is that a type defined in one module
-can be returned from any module resulting in the same Python type.  For
-example, this allows the following:
+"global" across modules. What this means is that instances whose type is
+defined with a ``py::class_`` statement in one module can be passed to or
+returned from a function defined in any other module that is "ABI compatible"
+with the first, i.e., that was built with sufficiently similar versions of
+pybind11 and of the C++ compiler and C++ standard library. The internal data
+structures that pybind11 uses to keep track of its types and instances are
+shared just as they would be if everything were in the same module.
+For example, this allows the following:
 
 .. code-block:: cpp
 

docs/advanced/interop.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,296 @@
+.. _interop:
+
+Interoperating with foreign bindings
+====================================
+
+When you bind a function with pybind11 that has a parameter of type ``T``,
+its typical behavior (if ``T`` does not use a :ref:`built-in <conversion_table>`
+or :ref:`custom type caster <custom_type_caster>`) is to only accept arguments
+for that parameter that are Python instances of the type created by a
+``py::class_<T>(...)`` binding statement, or that derive from that type,
+or that match a defined :ref:`implicit conversion <implicit_conversions>`
+to that type (``py::implicitly_convertible<Something, T>()``). Moreover,
+if the ``py::class_<T>(...)`` binding statement was written in a different
+pybind11 extension than the function that needs the ``T``, the two extensions
+must be ABI-compatible: they must use similar enough versions of pybind11 that
+it's safe for their respective copies of pybind11 to share their data
+structures with each other.
+
+Sometimes, you might want more flexibility than that:
+
+- Perhaps you have a large codebase containing a number of different pybind11
+  extension modules that share types with each other, and you want to upgrade
+  to a new and ABI-incompatible release of pybind11 in some fashion other than
+  "upgrade every module at the same time".
+
+- Perhaps you need to work with types provided by a third-party extension
+  such as PyTorch, which uses pybind11 but not the version you prefer.
+
+- Perhaps you'd like to port some of the especially performance-sensitive
+  parts of your bindings to a faster but less featureful binding framework,
+  without leaving the comfortable world of pybind11 behind entirely.
+
+To handle such situations, pybind11 can be taught to interoperate with bindings
+that were not created using pybind11, or that were created with an
+ABI-incompatible version of pybind11 (as long as it is new enough to support
+this feature). For example, you can define a class binding for ``Pet`` in one
+extension that is written using pybind11, and then write function bindings for
+``void groom(Pet&)`` and ``Pet clone(const Pet&)`` in a separate extension
+module that is written using `nanobind <https://nanobind.readthedocs.io/>`__, or
+vice versa. The interoperability mechanism described here allows each framework
+to figure out (among other things) how to get a reference to a C++ ``Pet`` out
+of a Python object provided by the other framework that supposedly contains a
+Pet, without knowing anything about how that framework lays out its instances.
+From pybind11's perspective, nanobind and its bindings are considered "foreign".
+
+In order for pybind11 to interoperate with another framework in this way, the
+other framework must support the `pymetabind
+<https://github.com/hudson-trading/pymetabind>`__ standard. See that link for
+a list of frameworks that claim to do so.
+
+Exporting pybind11 bindings for other frameworks to use
+-------------------------------------------------------
+
+In order for a type bound by pybind11 to be usable by other binding frameworks,
+pybind11 must allocate a small data structure describing how others should work
+with that type. While the overhead of this is low, it is not zero, so pybind11
+only does so for types where you request it. Pass the Python type object to
+``py::export_for_interop()``, or use ``py::interoperate_by_default()`` if you
+want all types to be exported automatically as soon as they are bound.
+
+You can use ``py::type::of<T>()`` to get the Python type object for
+a C++ type. For example:
+
+.. code-block:: cpp
+
+   PYBIND11_MODULE(my_ext, m) {
+       auto pet = py::class_<Pet>(m, "Pet")
+           .def(py::init<std::string>())
+           .def("speak", &Pet::speak);
+
+       // These two lines are equivalent:
+       py::export_for_interop(pet);
+       py::export_for_interop(py::type::of<Pet>());
+   }
+
+
+Importing other frameworks' bindings for pybind11 to use
+--------------------------------------------------------
+
+In order for pybind11 to interoperate with a foreign type, the foreign framework
+that bound the type must have created an interoperability record for it.
+Depending on the framework, this might occur automatically or might require
+an operation similar to the ``py::export_for_interop()`` described in the
+previous section. (You can tell if this has happened by checking for the
+presence of an attribute on the type object called ``__pymetabind_binding__``.)
+Consult the other framework's documentation for details.
+
+Once that's done, you can teach pybind11 about the foreign type by passing its
+Python type object to ``py::import_for_interop()``.
+This function takes an optional template argument specifying which C++ type to
+associate the Python type with. If the foreign type was bound using another
+C++ framework, such as nanobind or a different version of pybind11, the template
+argument need not be provided because the C++ ``std::type_info`` structure
+describing the type can be found by looking at the interoperability record.
+On the other hand, if the foreign type is not written in C++ or is bound by
+a non-C++ framework that doesn't know about ``std::type_info``, pybind11 won't
+be able to figure out what the C++ type is, and needs you to specify it via
+a template argument to ``py::import_for_inteorp()``.
+
+If you *don't* supply a template argument (for importing a C++ type), then
+pybind11 will check for you that the binding you're adding was compiled using a
+platform C++ ABI that is consistent with the build options for your pybind11
+extension. This helps to ensure that the exporter and importer mean the same
+thing when they say, for example, ``std::vector<std::string>``.
+The import will throw an exception if an incompatibility is detected.
+
+If you *do* supply a template argument (for importing a
+different-language type and specifying the C++ equivalent), pybind11
+will assume that you have validated compatibility yourself. Getting it
+wrong can cause crashes and other sorts of undefined behavior, so if
+you're working with bindings that were created in another language, make
+doubly sure you're specifying a C++ type that is fully ABI-compatible with
+the one used by the foreign binding.
+
+You can use ``py::interoperate_by_default()`` if you want pybind11 to
+automatically import every compatible C++ type as soon as it has been
+exported by another framework.
+
+.. code-block:: cpp
+
+   // --- pet.h ---
+   #pragma once
+   #include <string>
+
+   struct Pet {
+       std::string name;
+       std::string sound;
+
+       Pet(std::string _name, std::string _sound)
+         : name(std::move(_name)), sound(std::move(_sound)) {}
+
+       std::string speak() const { return name + " goes " + sound + "!"; }
+   };
+
+   // --- pets.cc ---
+   #include <nanobind/nanobind.h>
+   #include <nanobind/stl/string.h>
+   #include "pet.h"
+
+   NB_MODULE(pets, m) {
+       auto pet = nanobind::class_<Pet>(m, "Pet")
+           .def(nanobind::init<std::string, std::string>())
+           .def("speak", &Pet::speak);
+
+       nanobind::export_for_interop(pet);
+   }
+
+   // --- groomer.cc ---
+   #include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
+   #include "pet.h"
+
+   std::string groom(const Pet& pet) {
+       return pet.name + " got a haircut";
+   }
+
+   PYBIND11_MODULE(groomer, m) {
+       auto pet = pybind11::module_::import_("pets").attr("Pet");
+
+       // This could go either before or after the function definition that
+       // relies on it
+       pybind11::import_for_interop(pet);
+
+       // If Pet were bound by a non-C++ framework, you would instead say:
+       // pybind11::import_for_interop<Pet>(pet);
+
+       m.def("groom", &groom);
+   }
+
+
+Automatic communication
+-----------------------
+
+In large binding projects, you might prefer to share *all* types rather than
+only those you nominate. For that, pybind11 provides the
+``py::interoperate_by_default()`` function. It takes two optional bool
+parameters that specify whether you want automatic export and/or automatic
+import; if you don't specify the parameters, then both are enabled.
+
+Automatic export is equivalent to writing a call to ``py::export_for_interop()``
+after every ``py::class_``, ``py::enum_``, or ``py::native_enum`` binding
+statement in any pybind11 module that is ABI-compatible with the one in which
+you wrote the call.
+
+Automatic import is equivalent to writing a call to ``py::import_for_interop()``
+after every export of a type from a different framework. It only import
+bindings written in C++ with a compatible platform ABI (the same ones that
+``py::import_for_interop()`` can import without a template argument);
+bindings written in other languages must always be imported explicitly.
+
+Automatic import and export apply both to types that already exist and
+types that will be bound in the future. They cannot be disabled once enabled.
+
+Here is the above example recast to use automatic communication.
+
+.. code-block:: cpp
+
+   // (pet.h unchanged)
+
+   // --- pets.cc ---
+   #include <nanobind/nanobind.h>
+   #include <nanobind/stl/string.h>
+   #include "pet.h"
+
+   NB_MODULE(pets, m) {
+       nanobind::interoperate_by_default();
+       nanobind::class_<Pet>(m, "Pet")
+           .def(nanobind::init<std::string, std::string>())
+           .def("speak", &Pet::speak);
+   }
+
+   // --- groomer.cc ---
+   #include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
+   #include "pet.h"
+
+   std::string groom(const Pet& pet) {
+       return pet.name + " got a haircut";
+   }
+
+   PYBIND11_MODULE(groomer, m) {
+       pybind11::interoperate_by_default();
+       m.def("groom", &groom);
+   }
+
+
+Conversion semantics and caveats
+--------------------------------
+
+Cross-framework inheritance is not supported: a type bound
+using pybind11 must only have base classes that were bound using
+ABI-compatible versions of pybind11.
+
+A function bound using pybind11 cannot perform a conversion to
+``std::unique_ptr<T>`` using a foreign binding for ``T``, because the
+interoperability mechanism doesn't provide any way to ask a foreign instance
+to relinquish its ownership.
+
+When converting from a foreign instance to ``std::shared_ptr<T>``, pybind11
+generally cannot "see inside" the instance to find an existing ``shared_ptr``
+to share ownership with, so it will create a new ``shared_ptr`` control block
+that owns a reference to the Python object. This is usually not a problem, but
+does mean that ``shared_ptr::use_count()`` won't work like you expect. (If
+``T`` inherits ``std::enable_shared_from_this``, then pybind11 can use that
+to find the existing ``shared_ptr``, and will do so instead.)
+
+Type casters (both :ref:`built-in <conversion_table>` and :ref:`custom
+<custom_type_caster>`) execute before the interoperability mechanism
+has a chance to step in. pybind11 is not able to execute type casters from
+a different framework; you will need to port them to a pybind11 equivalent.
+Interoperability only helps with bindings, as produced by ``py::class_`` and
+similar statements.
+
+:ref:`Implicit conversion <implicit_conversions>` defined using
+``py::implicitly_convertible()`` can convert *from* foreign types.
+Implicit conversions *to* a foreign type should be registered with its
+binding library, not with pybind11.
+
+When a C++-to-foreign-Python conversion is performed in a context that does
+not specify the ``return_value_policy``, the policy to use is inferred using
+pybind11's rules, which may differ from the foreign framework's.
+
+It is possible for multiple foreign bindings to exist for the same C++ type,
+or for a particular C++ type to have both a native pybind11 binding
+and one or more foreign ones. This might occur due to separate Python
+extensions each having their own need to bind a common type, as discussed in
+the section on :ref:`module-local bindings <module_local>`. In such cases,
+pybind11 always tries bindings for a given C++ type ``T`` in the following order:
+
+* the pybind11 binding for ``T`` that was declared with ``py::module_local()``
+  in this extension module, if any; then
+
+* the pybind11 binding for ``T`` that was declared without ``py::module_local()``
+  in either this extension module or another ABI-compatible one (drawing no
+  distinction between the two), if any; then
+
+* if performing a from-Python conversion on an instance of a pybind11 binding
+  for ``T`` that was declared with ``py::module_local()`` in a different
+  but ABI-compatible module, that binding; otherwise
+
+* each known foreign binding, in the order in which they were imported,
+  without making any distinction between other versions of pybind11 and
+  non-pybind11 frameworks. (If automatic import is enabled, then the import
+  order will match the original export order.)
+
+You can use the interoperability mechanism to share :ref:`module-local bindings
+<module_local>` with other modules. Unlike the sharing that happens by default,
+this allows you to return instances of such bindings from outside the module in
+which they were defined.
+
+When performing C++-to-Python conversion of a type for which
+:ref:`automatic downcasting <inheritance>` is applicable,
+the downcast occurs in the binding library that is originally performing the
+conversion, even if the result will then be obtained using a foreign binding.
+That means foreign frameworks returning pybind11 types might not downcast
+them in the same way that pybind11 does; they might only be able to downcast
+from a primary base (with no this-pointer adjustment / no multiple inheritance),
+or not downcast at all.

docs/index.rst

@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
    advanced/smart_ptrs
    advanced/cast/index
    advanced/pycpp/index
+   advanced/interop
    advanced/embedding
    advanced/misc
    advanced/deprecated