[C++-sig] New Major-Release Boost.Python Development

[Jim Bosch]

On 08/26/2011 04:47 PM, Neal Becker wrote:
> The top of my list is improved interface to numpy.  I know there is work going
> on in the form of ndarray, which seems promising.

I'm still hesitant to consider ndarray part of Boost.Python; it's really 
a separate library, and I think providing a full multidimensional array 
class to be outside the scope of what Boost.Python should be.  But I do 
intend to keep developing ndarray in parallel with Boost.Python, and 
some code may well flow from ndarray to Boost.Python.

This summer, Stefan Seefeld has been mentoring Ankit Daftery on a GSOC 
project to clean up the low-level Boost.Python Numpy interface in the 
Boost sandbox (which began life as part of ndarray).  While it may not 
be an official part of Boost.Python or Boost (it may be submitted as a 
separate library) immediately, that will provide an improved interface 
to Numpy on a much shorter timescale than the larger Boost.Python 
upgrades I'm thinking of for v3.

Ultimately I would like to incorporate this low-level Numpy support as 
an optional component in the mainline Boost.Python v3, but I don't want 
to tie Boost.Python users to a particular C++ array class, even my own.

Jim