Using C++ and ctypes together: a vast conspiracy? ;)

[Roy Smith]

In article <78lit5F1mviblU1 at mid.uni-berlin.de>,
 "Diez B. Roggisch" <deets at nospam.web.de> wrote:

> > More seriously -- how difficult is it to use ctypes instead of saying,
> > boost::python, and why isn't this in a FAQ somewhere? ;)
> 
> Because it's much more needed than name-mangling. Name mangling is 
> (amongst other things) one thing to prevent 
> C++-inter-compiler-interoperability which results from differing C++ ABIs.

Indeed.  Name mangling is the most trivial way in which different C++ 
compilers do not interoperate.  Some other thorny issues include exception 
handling, template instantiation, physical layout of struct and class 
elements (i.e. padding/alignment), and how references are returned (i.e. 
Return Value Optimization).  I'm sure I've left out several critical items.

It's an ugly world out there.