How to set a function returning a C ++ object in Python without copying the object?

Question

In another question, I found out how to expose a function that returns a C ++ object in Python by copying the object. Running a copy is not optimal. How can I return an object without copying it? that is, how can I directly access the peaks returned self.thisptr.getPeaks(data)in PyPeakDetection.getPeaks(defined in peak_detection_.pyx )?

peak_detection.hpp

#ifndef PEAKDETECTION_H
#define PEAKDETECTION_H

#include <string>
#include <map>
#include <vector>

#include "peak.hpp"


class PeakDetection
{
    public:
        PeakDetection(std::map<std::string, std::string> config);
        std::vector<Peak> getPeaks(std::vector<float> &data);

    private:
        float _threshold;               
};

#endif

peak_detection.cpp

#include <iostream>
#include <string>

#include "peak.hpp"
#include "peak_detection.hpp"


using namespace std;


PeakDetection::PeakDetection(map<string, string> config)
{   
    _threshold = stof(config["_threshold"]);
}

vector<Peak> PeakDetection::getPeaks(vector<float> &data){

    Peak peak1 = Peak(10,1);
    Peak peak2 = Peak(20,2);

    vector<Peak> test;
    test.push_back(peak1);
    test.push_back(peak2);

    return test;
}

peak.hpp

#ifndef PEAK_H
#define PEAK_H

class Peak {
    public:
        float freq;
        float mag;

        Peak() : freq(), mag() {}
        Peak(float f, float m) : freq(f), mag(m) {}
};

#endif

peak_detection_.pyx

# distutils: language = c++
# distutils: sources = peak_detection.cpp

from libcpp.vector cimport vector
from libcpp.map cimport map
from libcpp.string cimport string

cdef extern from "peak.hpp":
    cdef cppclass Peak:
        Peak()
        Peak(Peak &)
        float freq, mag


cdef class PyPeak:
    cdef Peak *thisptr

    def __cinit__(self):
        self.thisptr = new Peak()

    def __dealloc__(self):
        del self.thisptr

    cdef copy(self, Peak &other):
        del self.thisptr
        self.thisptr = new Peak(other)

    def __repr__(self):
        return "<Peak: freq={0}, mag={1}>".format(self.freq, self.mag)

    property freq:
        def __get__(self): return self.thisptr.freq
        def __set__(self, freq): self.thisptr.freq = freq

    property mag:
        def __get__(self): return self.thisptr.mag
        def __set__(self, mag): self.thisptr.mag = mag


cdef extern from "peak_detection.hpp":
    cdef cppclass PeakDetection:
        PeakDetection(map[string,string])
        vector[Peak] getPeaks(vector[float])

cdef class PyPeakDetection:
    cdef PeakDetection *thisptr

    def __cinit__(self, map[string,string] config):
        self.thisptr = new PeakDetection(config)

    def __dealloc__(self):
        del self.thisptr

    def getPeaks(self, data):
        cdef Peak peak
        cdef PyPeak new_peak
        cdef vector[Peak] peaks = self.thisptr.getPeaks(data)

        retval = []

        for peak in peaks:
            new_peak = PyPeak()
            new_peak.copy(peak) # how can I avoid that copy?
            retval.append(new_peak)

        return retval

Answer 1

C++ rvalue, std::move . , - Cython , .

peak_detection_.pyx.

std::move. (vector<Peak>), .

cdef extern from "<utility>":
    vector[Peak]&& move(vector[Peak]&&) # just define for peak rather than anything else

-, . Python, , .

cdef class PyPeakVector:
    cdef vector[Peak] vec

    cdef move_from(self, vector[Peak]&& move_this):
        self.vec = move(move_this)

    def __getitem__(self,idx):
        return PyPeak2(self,idx)

    def __len__(self):
        return self.vec.size()

Peak. , Peak, ( ).

cdef class PyPeak2:
    cdef int idx
    cdef PyPeakVector vector # keep this alive, since it owns the peak rather that PyPeak2

    def __cinit__(self,PyPeakVector vec,idx):
        self.vector = vec
        self.idx = idx

    cdef Peak* getthisptr(self):
        # lookup the pointer each time - it isn't generally safe
        # to store pointers incase the vector is resized
        return &self.vector.vec[self.idx]

    # rest of functions as is

    # don't define a destructor since we don't own the Peak

, getPeaks()

cdef class PyPeakDetection:
    # ...    
    def getPeaks(self, data):
        cdef Peak peak
        cdef PyPeak new_peak
        cdef vector[Peak] peaks = self.thisptr.getPeaks(data)

        retval = PyPeakVector()
        retval.move_from(move(peaks))

        return retval

:

Peak , , move Peak, , PyPeak. , , "".

C++ 11, . , C++ getPeaks , ( PyPeakVector) . .

Answer 2

, ++- Python, Boost.Python SWIG. , C/++ python (.so ) python.

, , - , "". , , ++, Cython/Pyrex.