Attach python lifetime to shared_ptr passed to C++

- Reference cycles are possible as a result, but shared_ptr is already susceptible to this in C++

Author: virtuald

include/pybind11/cast.h

@@ -1563,6 +1563,9 @@ struct copyable_holder_caster : public type_caster_base<type> {
             throw cast_error("Unable to load a custom holder type from a default-holder instance");
     }
 
+    // holders that are not std::shared_ptr
+    template <typename T = holder_type,
+              detail::enable_if_t<!is_shared_ptr<T>::value, int> = 0>
     bool load_value(value_and_holder &&v_h) {
         if (v_h.holder_constructed()) {
             value = v_h.value_ptr();
@@ -1578,6 +1581,34 @@ struct copyable_holder_caster : public type_caster_base<type> {
         }
     }
 
+    // holders that are std::shared_ptr
+    template <typename T = holder_type,
+              detail::enable_if_t<is_shared_ptr<T>::value, int> = 0>
+    bool load_value(value_and_holder &&v_h) {
+        if (v_h.holder_constructed()) {
+            value = v_h.value_ptr();
+
+            // The shared_ptr is always given to C++ code, so we construct a new shared_ptr
+            // that is given a custom deleter. The custom deleter increments the python
+            // reference count to bind the python instance lifetime with the lifetime
+            // of the shared_ptr.
+            //
+            // This enables things like passing the last python reference of a subclass to a
+            // C++ function without the python reference dying.
+            //
+            // Reference cycles will cause a leak, but this is a limitation of shared_ptr
+            holder = holder_type((type*)value, [unused = reinterpret_borrow<object>((PyObject*)v_h.inst)](type*){});
+            return true;
+        } else {
+            throw cast_error("Unable to cast from non-held to held instance (T& to Holder<T>) "
+#if defined(NDEBUG)
+                             "(compile in debug mode for type information)");
+#else
+                             "of type '" + type_id<holder_type>() + "''");
+#endif
+        }
+    }
+
     template <typename T = holder_type, detail::enable_if_t<!std::is_constructible<T, const T &, type*>::value, int> = 0>
     bool try_implicit_casts(handle, bool) { return false; }
 

tests/test_smart_ptr.cpp

@@ -397,4 +397,33 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(smart_ptr, m) {
                 list.append(py::cast(e));
             return list;
         });
+
+    // For testing whether a python subclass of a C++ object dies when the
+    // last python reference is lost
+    struct SpBase {
+        // returns true if the base virtual function is called
+        virtual bool is_base_used() { return true; }
+        virtual ~SpBase() = default;
+    };
+
+    struct PySpBase : SpBase {
+        bool is_base_used() override { PYBIND11_OVERRIDE(bool, SpBase, is_base_used); }
+    };
+
+    struct SpBaseTester {
+        std::shared_ptr<SpBase> get_object() { return m_obj; }
+        void set_object(std::shared_ptr<SpBase> obj) { m_obj = obj; }
+        bool is_base_used() { return m_obj->is_base_used(); }
+        std::shared_ptr<SpBase> m_obj;
+    };
+
+    py::class_<SpBase, std::shared_ptr<SpBase>, PySpBase>(m, "SpBase")
+        .def(py::init<>())
+        .def("is_base_used", &SpBase::is_base_used);
+
+    py::class_<SpBaseTester>(m, "SpBaseTester")
+        .def(py::init<>())
+        .def("get_object", &SpBaseTester::get_object)
+        .def("set_object", &SpBaseTester::set_object)
+        .def("is_base_used", &SpBaseTester::is_base_used);
 }

tests/test_smart_ptr.py

@@ -316,3 +316,47 @@ def test_shared_ptr_gc():
     pytest.gc_collect()
     for i, v in enumerate(el.get()):
         assert i == v.value()
+
+
+def test_shared_ptr_cpp_arg():
+    import weakref
+
+    class PyChild(m.SpBase):
+        def is_base_used(self):
+            return False
+
+    tester = m.SpBaseTester()
+
+    obj = PyChild()
+    objref = weakref.ref(obj)
+
+    tester.set_object(obj)
+    del obj
+    pytest.gc_collect()
+
+    # python reference is still around since C++ has it now
+    assert objref() is not None
+    assert tester.is_base_used() == False
+    assert tester.get_object() is objref()
+
+
+def test_shared_ptr_arg_identity():
+    import weakref
+
+    tester = m.SpBaseTester()
+
+    obj = m.SpBase()
+    objref = weakref.ref(obj)
+
+    tester.set_object(obj)
+    del obj
+    pytest.gc_collect()
+
+    # python reference is still around since C++ has it
+    assert objref() is not None
+    assert tester.get_object() is objref()
+
+    # python reference disappears once the C++ object releases it
+    tester.set_object(None)
+    pytest.gc_collect()
+    assert objref() is None