[Python-Dev] Patching builtin_id to allow for C proxy objects?

[Tom Whittock]

Hi Greg thanks for your quick reply.

> Perhaps you could use a WeakValueDictionary to keep a mapping
> from a C++ object address to its Python proxy.

Thank you, I'll implement this and see whether it works out. I'll
certainly be better off if it does. I was avoiding holding weak
references due to perhaps unfounded concerns about increasing the
lifetime and speed/memory impact of certain temporary objects which
are created at very high frequency. I'll test it and see before diving
into messing with id. But now I'm thinking about it again, I can see a
plan for not needing to affect that pathway at all.

Seems I fell into the trap of making things too complicated for myself.

> It also won't solve the problem of keeping the id of the
> proxy for longer than the proxy exists, but that's probably
> not something you should be relying on anyway. The id of
> *any* Python object is only valid while the object lives,
> and if it's still alive you have a real reference somewhere
> that you can use instead of the id for identity testing.

Thanks, yes. I'm actually kind of concerned about the usage of id in
the markers set which the json library uses for circular referencing
checks for exactly this reason. It seems to assume that the objects
lifetime lasts for the duration of the encoding operation. I have no
idea if that's actually the case in my situation, where data members
are property getters producing probably very short lived proxies
generated from C++. I guess I'll find out :)

Thanks again,
Tom.