[section boost/python/handle.hpp]
[section Introduction]
<boost/python/handle.hpp> provides class template `handle`, a smart pointer for managing reference-counted Python objects.
[endsect]
[section Class template `handle`]
`handle` is a smart pointer to a Python object type; it holds a pointer of type `T*`, where `T` is its template parameter. T must be either a type derived from `PyObject` or a [link pod POD] type whose initial `sizeof(PyObject)` bytes are layout-compatible with `PyObject`. Use `handle<>` at the boundary between the Python/'C' API and high-level code; prefer object for a generalized interface to Python objects.

In this document, the term "upcast" refers to an operation which converts a pointer `Y*` to a base class `pointer T*` via `static_cast<T*>` if `Y` is derived from `T`, or via C-style cast (`T*`) if it is not. However, in the latter case the "upcast" is ill-formed if the initial `sizeof(PyObject)` bytes of `Y` are not layout-compatible with `PyObject`.

``
namespace boost { namespace python
{
  template <class T>
  class handle
  {
      typedef unspecified-member-function-pointer bool_type;

   public: // types
      typedef T element_type;

   public: // member functions
      ~handle();

      template <class Y>
      explicit handle(detail::borrowed<null_ok<Y> >* p);

      template <class Y>
      explicit handle(null_ok<detail::borrowed<Y> >* p);

      template <class Y>
      explicit handle(detail::borrowed<Y>* p);

      template <class Y>
      explicit handle(null_ok<Y>* p);

      template <class Y>
      explicit handle(Y* p);

      handle();

      handle& operator=(handle const& r);

      template<typename Y>
      handle& operator=(handle<Y> const & r); // never throws


      template <typename Y>
      handle(handle<Y> const& r);

      handle(handle const& r);

      T* operator-> () const;
      T& operator* () const;
      T* get() const;
      void reset();
      T* release();

      operator bool_type() const; // never throws
   private:
      T* m_p;
  };
  
  template <class T> struct null_ok;
  namespace detail { template <class T> struct borrowed; }
}}
``
[section Class template `handle` constructors and destructor]
``virtual ~handle();``
[variablelist
[[Effects][`Py_XDECREF(upcast<PyObject*>(m_p))`]]
]
``template <class Y>
explicit handle(detail::borrowed<null_ok<Y> >* p);
``
[variablelist
[[Effects][
``Py_XINCREF(upcast<PyObject*>(p));
m_p = upcast<T*>(p);
``
]]
]
``template <class Y>
explicit handle(null_ok<detail::borrowed<Y> >* p);``
[variablelist
[[Effects][
``Py_XINCREF(upcast<PyObject*>(p));
      m_p = upcast<T*>(p);
``
]]
]
``template <class Y>
explicit handle(detail::borrowed<Y>* p);``
[variablelist
[[Effects][
``Py_XINCREF(upcast<PyObject*>(p));
      m_p = upcast<T*>(expect_non_null(p));
``
]]
]
``template <class Y>
explicit handle(null_ok<Y>* p);
``
[variablelist
[[Effects][`m_p = upcast<T*>(p);`]]
]
``
template <class Y>
explicit handle(Y* p);
``
[variablelist
[[Effects][`m_p = upcast<T*>(expect_non_null(p));`]]
]
``
handle();
``
[variablelist
[[Effects][`m_p = 0;`]]
]
``
template <typename Y>
handle(handle<Y> const& r);
handle(handle const& r);
``
[variablelist
[[Effects][m_p = r.m_p; Py_XINCREF(upcast<PyObject*>(m_p));]]
]
[endsect]
[section Class template `handle` modifiers]
``
handle& operator=(handle const& r);
template<typename Y>
handle& operator=(handle<Y> const & r); // never throws
``
[variablelist
[[Effects][`Py_XINCREF(upcast<PyObject*>(r.m_p)); Py_XDECREF( upcast<PyObject*>(m_p)); m_p = r.m_p;`]]
]
``
T* release();
``
[variablelist
[[Effects][`T* x = m_p; m_p = 0; return x;`]]
]
``
void reset();
``
[variablelist
[[Effects][`*this = handle<T>();`]]
]
[endsect]
[section Class template `handle` observers]
``
T* operator-> () const;
T* get() const;
``
[variablelist
[[Returns][`m_p;`]]
]
``
T& operator* () const;
``
[variablelist
[[Returns][`*m_p;`]]
]
``
operator bool_type() const; // never throws
``
[variablelist
[[Returns][`0` if `m_p == 0`, a pointer convertible to true otherwise.]]
]
[endsect]
[endsect]
[section Function `borrowed`]
``
template <class T>
detail::borrowed<T>* borrowed(T* p)
{
    return (detail::borrowed<T>*)p;
}
``
[endsect]
[section Function `allow_null`]
``
template <class T>
null_ok<T>* allow_null(T* p)
{
    return (null_ok<T>*)p;
}
``
[endsect]
[endsect]