[C++-sig] Returning a simple char *

[Simon Pickles]

Hello,

I thought I was trying to do something simple.

While wrapping a 3rd party library, I have a c++ class with two member 
function returning pointers like this:

class videoInput
{
public:
    static char * getDeviceName(int deviceID);
    ....
};

and a module like this:

#include "boost//python.hpp"
#include "videoInput.h"

using namespace boost::python;
BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(pyVideoInput)
{
    class_<videoInput>("videoInput")
        .def("getDeviceName",
            &videoInput::getDeviceName,
            return_value_policy<manage_new_object>())
        .staticmethod("getDeviceName")
        ;
}

Following the guide here 
(http://wiki.python.org/moin/boost.python/PointersAndSmartPointers) I 
thought this was the right way but I get errors:

pyVideoInput.cpp
C:\boost_1_41_0\boost/python/object/make_instance.hpp(24) : error C2027: 
use of undefined type 'boost::STATIC_ASSERTION_FAILURE<x>
'
        with
        [
            x=false
        ]
        C:\boost_1_41_0\boost/python/to_python_indirect.hpp(95) : see 
reference to function template instantiation 'PyObject *boos
t::python::objects::make_instance_impl<T,Holder,Derived>::execute<smart_pointer>(Arg 
&)' being compiled
        with
        [
            T=char,
            Holder=holder_t,
            
Derived=boost::python::objects::make_ptr_instance<char,holder_t>,
            Arg=smart_pointer
        ]

..................

        pyVideoInput.cpp(16) : see reference to function template 
instantiation 'boost::python::class_<W> &boost::python::class_<W
 >::def<char*(__cdecl 
*)(int),boost::python::return_value_policy<ResultConverterGenerator>>(const 
char *,A1,const A2 &)' being comp
iled
        with
        [
            W=videoInput,
            ResultConverterGenerator=boost::python::manage_new_object,
            A1=char *(__cdecl *)(int),
            
A2=boost::python::return_value_policy<boost::python::manage_new_object>
        ]


//////////////////////////

It seems to be attempting to use a smart_ptr?

Can anyone help explain this to me? Many thanks

Simon