boost python - python buffer to C++ std::string

Question

I have a C++ function that takes one std::string as an argument and a python object that is a buffer. I thought that I could pass the buffer directly and that Boost Python would convert it to a string automatically, but it does not:

Boost.Python.ArgumentError: Python argument types in
    mod.decrypt(buffer)
did not match C++ signature:
    decrypt(std::string string_to_decrypt)

Is it necessary to write converters for this? I thought it would implicitly convert. Thanks for any advice.

Answer 1

The error message says it all - your signature is a string, but you're passing it a buffer.

It's not going to introspect the object to determine how to convert it - buffer could be anything.

You need to convert it.