[SciPy-user] [Nipy-devel] how to wrap C++

[Mark Heslep]

>> ). Before the original C++ package ceased it's
>> evolution (a couple of years ago) one of the developers had gotten about
>> halfway through using Boost to provide a python interface. I did a
>> little bit of work with SWIG a few years ago but for a very small
>> package. So we're not sure whether to try and complete the original
>> effort (using newer versions of python and Boost) or to start over with
>> a currently more appropriate choice. Any thoughts welcome, thanks,
>>     
>
> What I recall from a while ago, as relayed by John Hunter (matplotlib)
> and Prabhu Ramachandran (mayavi) was that while boost was great, the
> compile times and the resulting binary library sizes were completely
> out of control.  All that templating forces instantiation of an
> enormous number of classes, which makes both time and size explode, to
> the point of making both development and distribution seriously
> problematic.  Both John and Prabhu decided to go with other
> alternatives due to this, I think it was SWIG (whose C++ support has
> greatly improved).
>   
A bit of redirect here: If the OP had been talking about an existing C 
lib and not C++, would the recommendation be 'always reach first for 
Ctypes'? It seems too easy and direct to waste time elsewhere.

-Mark