[C++-sig] Boost.Python: How do I handle object destruction of a Python-created object?

[Adam Preble]

I'm using boost 1.47 on Windows Vista, with Visual Studio 2010.

My situation is something like this:

1. I have a base interface in C++ to which I've exposed a wrapper in Python.
2. In the C++ source, I have a class that contains multiple instantiations
of said interface.  We can call it Foo.  Foo has been wrapped too.
3. In Python, I've implemented this interface.
4. I have an instance of the object floating around that I created in
Python, contained within a Foo instantiate in Python.
5. The code goes out of scope, and Foo's destructor starts.  Foo's
destructor will try to delete its implementations of the interface.
6. Upon running into the Python implementation of the interface, we crash.

Actually, with gcc in Linux I don't see anything bad happen at all.  It
isn't until I try this on Windows that all hell breaks loose.  What I've
found with my code is that this isn't Visual Studio 2010's fault.  It's
calling me out on something stupid that gcc/Linux let slide.  I think the
fundamental question is: how I can get the resource freed through Python
correctly?

If I let the Python class implementation go out of scope on its own, I
don't see any problems.  Furthermore, Foo is content on its own.  It's the
merging of the two that brings me problems.  Particularly, the program
crashes when I try to delete the Python-instantiated object.  I'm not
entirely surprised by this, but I have no real good way to try to tackle
this problem.  I don't even have good, crisp source code to show the
problem yet.  The code where this has happened has been running fine on
Linux for awhile so I don't have an isolated case to post.  I can work
towards that if I've confused everybody.

One last note.  I did put some test print statements in the virtual
destructor I had written for the interface.  I do see that code does run,
so I think it ultimately comes down to the memory freeing negotiated
between Python and my C++ runtime.
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