[C++-sig] boost.python: implicit type conversion

[Mihail Konstantinov]

> Roman Yakovenko wrote:

> 
> It is not a good idea. Python string is immutable. May be you should
> consider custom converter.
> http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_37_0/libs/python/doc/v2/faq.html#custom_string

I don't see why it is not a good idea. I am nowhere accessing any string derived classes in a mutable fashion, am I?
Also I have no option to change the class hierarchy. The code fragments I am posting are simplified from a large project that I try to pythonify, reduced to what I think is the cause of the problems. I want to avoid modifying the underlying project under all circumstances.

> > Can I modify the declaration inside BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE so that the implicit 
> conversion is recognized and the above call boost_ext.printme(b) succeeds?
> 
> Yes: http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_37_0/libs/python/doc/v2/implicit.html

This looks very helpful. But I don't understand the C++ module definition example on that page. It ends with

>    implicitly_convertible<X,int>();
>    implicitly_convertible<int,X>();
>}
I see that an int can be implicitly converted to X. But how can an X be converted to an int? I can't believe that boost.python searches all implemented functions to find that make_x is capable of converting an int to X?

Thank you
Mihail