Boost + Python C/API: Mixing python return types with boost return types

[Steve Knight]

Hello,

I'm new to Boost & Python and I'm diving straight in by trying to
write an extension module to a third party library.  Foolishness
probably, but I don't have much choice!

My question is how can I write a C++ method that will either return a
boost wrapped C++ class or a Python object type depending on some
internal value?

So I want to do something like:

PyObject* Variant::getValue() {

     switch (type) {
         case INT:
             return Py_BuildValue("i", union.int);
             break;
         case SOMECLASS:
             ??????
     }
}

But I can't work out how to get my switch to construct and return my
boost C++ wrapped object in this scheme.  I'm getting round it by:

SomeClass Variant::getSomeClass() {
     SomeClass s(*reinterpret_cast<SomeClass*>(union.p_void));
     return s;
}

But it seems a bit nasty.  Any ideas?