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Embedded Python still looking for debug symbols even with _DEBUG undefined

I'm trying to embed Python in a C++ application, and I need it to run as a release build, as I am only interested in debugging the C++ code. Also, I do not have the _d debug versions of all libraries I need. I am using Python 3.7.0, in MSVC 2017 with C++11, the library I don't have debug symbols for is VTK, which I installed through a wheel file supplied by my employer. If I try to build the Python wrapper myself I get another load of issues, so I am unable to build the debug files. If I run in Debug mode, I am unable to import the library, whereas if I run in Release, I get further issues:
Exception thrown at 0x00007FF90841DBC9 (python37_d.dll) in PythonEmbedding.exe: 0xC0000005: Access violation reading location 0x0000000000000025.
The C++ code:
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
PyObject *pIntrospector = NULL;
if (PyVtk_InitIntrospector(pIntrospector) == OK)
{
printf("Initialization succeeded\n");
}
vtkObjectBase *pConeSource = NULL;
if (PyVtk_CreateVtkObject(pIntrospector, "vtkConeSource", pConeSource) == OK)
{
printf("Object creation succeeded\n");
}
return 0;
}
int PyVtk_InitIntrospector(
PyObject *pIntrospector)
{
/* Activating virtual environment */
#ifdef _DEBUG
// For Visual Studio debug builds
const wchar_t *sPyHome = L"venv-dbg";
#else
// For release builds
const wchar_t *sPyHome = L"venv";
#endif
Py_SetPythonHome(sPyHome);
/* Initializing Python environment and setting PYTHONPATH. */
Py_Initialize();
PyRun_SimpleString("import sys\nimport os");
PyRun_SimpleString("sys.path.append( os.path.dirname(os.getcwd()) )");
PyRun_SimpleString("sys.path.append(\".\")");
PyRun_SimpleString("import importlib.machinery as m");
PyRun_SimpleString("print(m.all_suffixes())");
/* Decode module from its name. Returns error if the name is not decodable. */
PyObject *pIntrospectorModuleName = PyUnicode_DecodeFSDefault("Introspector");
if (pIntrospectorModuleName == NULL)
{
fprintf(stderr, "Fatal error: cannot decode module name\n");
return PYTHON_INTROSPECTION_STRING_DECODE_ERROR;
}
/* Imports the module previously decoded. Returns error if the module is not found. */
PyObject *pIntrospectorModule = PyImport_Import(pIntrospectorModuleName);
if (pIntrospectorModule == NULL)
{
if (PyErr_Occurred())
{
PyErr_Print();
}
fprintf(stderr, "Failed to load \"Introspector\"\n");
Py_DECREF(pIntrospectorModuleName);
return PYTHON_INTROSPECTION_MODULE_LOAD_ERROR;
}
/* Looks for the Introspector class in the module. If it does not find it, returns and error. */
PyObject* pIntrospectorClass = PyObject_GetAttrString(pIntrospectorModule, "Introspector");
if (pIntrospectorClass == NULL || !PyCallable_Check(pIntrospectorClass))
{
if (PyErr_Occurred())
{
PyErr_Print();
}
fprintf(stderr, "Cannot find class \"Introspector\"\n");
if (pIntrospectorClass != NULL)
{
Py_DECREF(pIntrospectorClass);
}
Py_DECREF(pIntrospectorModuleName);
Py_DECREF(pIntrospectorModule);
return PYTHON_INTROSPECTION_CLASS_NOT_FOUND_ERROR;
}
/* Instantiates an Introspector object. If the call returns NULL there was an error
creating the object, and thus it returns error. */
pIntrospector = PyObject_CallObject(pIntrospectorClass, NULL);
if (pIntrospector == NULL)
{
if (PyErr_Occurred())
{
PyErr_Print();
}
fprintf(stderr, "Introspector instantiation failed\n");
Py_DECREF(pIntrospectorModuleName);
Py_DECREF(pIntrospectorModule);
Py_DECREF(pIntrospectorClass);
return PYTHON_INTROSPECTION_OBJECT_CREATION_ERROR;
}
/* Decreasing reference to local data. */
Py_DECREF(pIntrospectorModuleName);
Py_DECREF(pIntrospectorModule);
Py_DECREF(pIntrospectorClass);
return OK;
}
I have not added the code to the PyVtk_CreateVtkObject function as it won't enter it, but if I do not add the calls after PyVtk_InitIntroepsctor it won't give the aforementioned error. Finally, if I import Introspector in the Python interpreter myself, it works fine.
Is there a solution to either run it in Debug or Release? I cannot wrap my head around it...
P.S.: I already tried to use Boost::Python, I have two issues open on it as it is giving me problems as well.
Update 1: In particular, the excpetion is thrown when I do this:
PyObject *pIntrospectorModule = PyImport_Import(pIntrospectorModuleName);
Update 2: I have further scoped down the issue to this: whenever I import the vtk package from within the embedded interpreter, it throws the Access Violation on this code:
// Add special attribute __vtkname__
PyObject *s = PyString_FromString(classname);
PyDict_SetItemString(pytype->tp_dict, "__vtkname__", s);
Py_DECREF(s); // <-- In particular on this Py_DECREF
If I try to import anything else, there is no issue, it seems.

Embedding Python into C - can't import method from python module

I'm building C application which will be using Python plugins. When trying to call the method from another Python module, the function PyImport_ImportModule() seems to imports the module properly, then i try to get the function from this module using PyObject_GetAttrString() and all that I get is null.
I already tried using PyModule_GetDict() and PyDict_GetItemString() to get the method from the module, but the effect was the same.
main.c:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <python3.6/Python.h>
int main()
{
PyObject *arg, *pModule, *ret, *pFunc, *pValue, *pMethod, *pDict;
Py_Initialize();
PyObject *sys = PyImport_ImportModule("sys");
PyObject *path = PyObject_GetAttrString(sys, "path");
PyList_Append(path, PyUnicode_FromString("."));
pModule = PyImport_ImportModule("test");
if(pModule == NULL)
{
perror("Can't open module");
}
pMethod = PyObject_GetAttrString(pModule, "myfun");
if(pMethod == NULL)
{
perror("Can't find method");
}
ret = PyEval_CallObject(pMethod, NULL);
if(ret == NULL)
{
perror("Couldn't call method");
}
PyArg_Parse(ret, "&d", pValue);
printf("&d \n", pValue);
Py_Finalize();
return 0;
}
test.py:
def myfun():
c = 123 + 123
print('the result is: ', c)
myfun()
The result i got is:
Can't find method: Success
Segmentation fault (core dumped)
When I used the gdb debugger the output was:
pModule = (PyObject *) 0x7ffff5a96f48
pMethod = (PyObject *) 0x0

Your program is not wroking because the module being imported is the test built-in module, rather than your test.py script. This is because you are appending the current directory to sys.path, so it is checked after every other already existing path in the list. You should insert it at the beginning of the list instead, so that it is checked first.
This will work:
PyObject *sys = PyImport_ImportModule("sys");
PyObject *path = PyObject_GetAttrString(sys, "path");
PyList_Insert(path, 0, PyUnicode_FromString("."));
By the way, you should #include the Python header before anything else, as stated in the documentation:
Note: Since Python may define some pre-processor definitions which affect the standard headers on some systems, you must include Python.h before any standard headers are included.

Calling python object's method from c++

I am trying to achieve the following: passing a python object to a c++ callback chain (which are typical in many popular c++ libraries). In the c++ code, callbacks pass on objects that have necessary information for consecutive callbacks in the cascade/chain.
Here is a small test code I wrote: we pass a python object to a c routine (case 1) and call it's method. That works ok. But when I pass the python object to a c++ object and try to call it "inside" the c++ object, I get segfault.. :(
Here it goes:
c++ module ("some.cpp"):
#include <stdint.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <Python.h>
/* objective:
* create c++ objects / routines that accept python objects
* then call methods of the python objects inside c++
*
* python objects (including its variables and methods) could be passed along, for example in c++ callback chains ..
* .. and in the end we could call a python callback
*
* Compile and test as follows:
* python setup.py build_ext
* [copy/link some.so where test.py is]
* python test.py
*
*/
class testclass {
public:
testclass(int* i, PyObject* po) {
std::cerr << "testclass constructor! \n";
i=i; po=po;
}
~testclass() {}
void runpo() {
PyObject* name;
const char* mname="testmethod";
name=PyString_FromString(mname);
std::cerr << "about to run the python method .. \n";
PyObject_CallMethodObjArgs(po, name, NULL);
std::cerr << ".. you did it - i will buy you a beer!\n";
}
public:
int* i;
PyObject* po;
};
/* Docstrings */
static char module_docstring[] = "hand-made python module";
/* Available functions */
static PyObject* regi_wrapper(PyObject * self, PyObject * args);
void regi(int* i, PyObject* po);
/* Module specification */
static PyMethodDef module_methods[] = {
{"regi_wrapper",regi_wrapper, METH_VARARGS, "lets see if we can wrap this sucker"},
{NULL, NULL, 0, NULL}
};
/* Initialize the module */
PyMODINIT_FUNC initsome(void)
{
PyObject *m = Py_InitModule3("some", module_methods, module_docstring);
if (m == NULL)
return;
// import_array(); // numpy not required here ..
}
static PyObject* regi_wrapper(PyObject * self, PyObject * args)
{
int* input_i; // whatever input variable
PyObject* input_po; // python object
PyObject* ret; // return variable
// parse arguments
if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "iO", &input_i, &input_po)) {
return NULL;
}
// https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16606872/calling-python-method-from-c-or-c-callback
// Py_INCREF(input_po); // need this, right? .. makes no difference
/* // seems not to make any difference ..
PyGILState_STATE gstate;
gstate = PyGILState_Ensure();
*/
regi(input_i, input_po);
// PyGILState_Release(gstate); // .. makes no difference
// Py_DECREF(input_po); // .. makes no difference
Py_RETURN_TRUE;
}
void regi(int* i, PyObject* po) {
// search variable and methods from PyObject "po" and call its methods?
PyObject* name;
const char* mname="testmethod";
testclass* testobj;
testobj=new testclass(i,po);
/* [insert // in front of this line to test case 1]
// ***** this one works! *********
name=PyString_FromString(mname);
PyObject_CallMethodObjArgs(po, name, NULL);
*/ // [insert // in front of this line to test case 1]
// *** I WOULD LIKE THIS TO WORK *** but it gives segfault.. :(
testobj->runpo(); // [uncomment to test case 2]
}
setup.py:
from distutils.core import setup, Extension
# the c++ extension module
extension_mod = Extension("some", ["some.cpp"])
setup(name = "some", ext_modules=[extension_mod])
test.py:
import some
class sentinel:
def __init__(self):
pass
def testmethod(self):
print "hello from sentinel.testmethod"
pass
se=sentinel()
some.regi_wrapper(1,se)
This question seems relevant:
Calling python method from C++ (or C) callback
.. however the answer did not help me.
What am I missing/misunderstanding here (my c++ sucks big time, so I might have missed something obvious) .. ?
Also, some bonus questions:
a) I am familiar with swig and swig "directors".. however, I would like to use swig for general wrapping of the code, but my custom wrapping for the sort of things described in this question (i.e. without directors). Is there any way to achieve this?
b) Any other suggestions to achieve what I am trying to achieve here, are highly appreciated.. is this possible or just pure insanity?

Using in the constructor
po=this->po
solves the "issue". Sorry for the spam! I will leave here this thing as an example.. maybe someone finds it useful.

Calling a C function through Python - after compilation

In an attempt to call a c function from Python, (in a previous post Calling a C function from a Python file. Getting error when using Setup.py file), I have compiled the code into a .pyd file and am testing the program.
However, I am coming across the error
AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'addTwo'
My test file is as so:
import callingPy
a = 3
b = 4
s = callingPy.addTwo(a, b)
print("S", s)
Where callingPy is the following .c file (turned into a .pyd) through compilation:
#include <Python.h>
#include "adder.h"
static PyObject* adder(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
{
int a;
int b;
int s;
if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args,"ii",&a,&b))
return NULL;
s = addTwo(a,b);
return Py_BuildValue("i",s);
}
/* DECLARATION OF METHODS*/
static PyMethodDef ModMethods[] = {
{"modsum", adder, METH_VARARGS, "Descirption"},
{NULL,NULL,0,NULL}
};
// Module Definition Structure
static struct PyModuleDef summodule = {
PyModuleDef_HEAD_INIT,"modsum", NULL, -1, ModMethods
};
/* INITIALIZATION FUNCTION*/
PyMODINIT_FUNC PyInit_callingPy(void)
{
PyObject *m;
m = PyModule_Create(&summodule);
return m;
}
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you.

The only function in the extension module is exported to Python under the name modsum. You called addTwo. This seems self-explanatory.
It looks like at the C layer, there is a raw C function named addTwo that does the work for the C function adder, which is then exported to Python under the name modsum. So you should either rename the export, or call it with the correct name:
s = callingPy.modsum(a, b)
It looks like you copy-pasted a skeleton extension module, switched one tiny internal, and didn't fix up any of the exports or names.

why python c extension lost pointer trace after realloc?

#include <Python.h>
int isCodeValid() {
char *base = calloc(512, 1);
// free(base);
// base = calloc(512,1);
base = realloc(512, 1);
free(base);
return 1;
}
static PyMethodDef CodecMethods[] = {
{ NULL, NULL, 0, NULL } };
PyMODINIT_FUNC inittest(void) {
//check for the machine code
//Py_FatalError
if (isCodeValid() != 0)
printf("nothing\n");
else {
printf("starting ... \n");
}
(void) Py_InitModule("test", CodecMethods);
}
above is a simple c extension using realloc
here is the setup.py
# coding=utf-8
from distutils.core import setup, Extension
import os
cfd = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
module1 = Extension('test', sources=["test.c"])
setup(name='test', version='0.2', description='codec for test',
ext_modules=[module1],)
import test
after compile with:
python2.7 setup.py build_ext --inplace --force
I get the error :
Python(30439) malloc: *** error for object 0x200: pointer being realloc'd was not allocated
*** set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break to debug
but using
free(base);
base = calloc(512,1);
works fine without error
Anything I messed up here?

The first argument to realloc() must be a pointer, not an int literal, to a previously allocated memory (or NULL). The 512 is being cast to a pointer and the complaint is correct that the memory was not previously allocated.
To correct:
/* Don't do this:
base = realloc(base, 512);
because if realloc() fails it returns NULL
and does not free(base), resulting in memory
remaining allocated and the code having no way
to free it: a memory leak.
*/
char* tmp = realloc(base, 512);
if (tmp)
{
base = tmp;
}
Compile with warning level at maximum as the compiler will emit a warning makes pointer from integer or similar. And don't ignore the warnings, preferably treat as errors.