[C++-sig] Accessing Python derived-class members from C++ base

[Conan Brink]

Given a C++ base class "Base" and a Python class "Derived" derived from
it, I have a method in Base that needs to access arbitrary attributes of
an instance of Derived.  Is there any way to do this other than
explicitly passing an extra copy of "self" into the method calls to
Base?

A simple example of this clunky interface follows.
(yes, it's a really silly problem to be solving in this manner, but it
illustrates the interface)

C++:

namespace py = boost::python;

struct Base {
    Base() {}
    void DoubleIt(py::object self, std::string name);
};

void Base::DoubleIt(py::object self, std::string name)
{
    self.attr(name.c_str()) = self.attr(name.c_str()) * 2;
};

BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(Utility)
{
    py::def("Dist", &Dist);
    py::class_<Base>("Base", py::init<>())
        .def("DoubleIt", &Base::DoubleIt)
        ;
}


Python:

class Derived(Base):
  pass

d = Derived()
d.i = 1
d.a = 'Foo'
print d.i
print d.a
d.DoubleIt(d, 'i')
d.DoubleIt(d, 'a')
print d.i
print d.a


Output is, naturally:
1
Foo
2
FooFoo


But I'd sure like to get rid of the extra "d" in the calls to DoubleIt.

-Conan



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