IncludeCPP 2.9.12

Professional C++ Python bindings with type-generic templates, pystubs and native threading

IncludeCPP

Write C++ code, use it in Python. Auto-generates pybind11 bindings.

pip install IncludeCPP

Setup

includecpp init

Creates cpp.proj, include/, plugins/.

Write C++ Code

Put your code in namespace includecpp:

// include/fast_list.cpp
#include <vector>

namespace includecpp {

class FastList {
public:
    void append(int val) { data.push_back(val); }
    int get(int i) { return data[i]; }
private:
    std::vector<int> data;
};

int add(int a, int b) { return a + b; }

}  // namespace includecpp

Without namespace includecpp, your code won't be found.

Generate Plugin

includecpp plugin fast_list include/fast_list.cpp

Creates plugins/fast_list.cp with detected classes, methods, functions.

Build

includecpp rebuild

Or includecpp build (same thing).

Use in Python

from includecpp import fast_list

my_list = fast_list.FastList()
my_list.append(42)
print(fast_list.add(1, 2))  # 3

Or classic style:

from includecpp import CppApi

api = CppApi()
fast_list = api.include("fast_list")

Commands

Command	What it does
init	Create project structure
plugin <name> <files>	Generate .cp from C++
auto <plugin>	Regenerate .cp + build in one step
rebuild / build	Compile modules
get <module>	Show module API
install <name>	Install community module
update	Update IncludeCPP
bug	Report issue
--doc	Show docs

Build Options

rebuild

includecpp rebuild                  # Standard build with caching
includecpp rebuild --clean          # Full rebuild, clear all caches
includecpp rebuild --fast           # Fast incremental (0.4s if unchanged)
includecpp rebuild --verbose        # See compiler output
includecpp rebuild -m crypto        # Rebuild specific module
includecpp rebuild -j 8             # 8 parallel jobs
includecpp rebuild --keep           # Keep generator between builds
includecpp rebuild --no-incremental # Force full recompilation

auto

Regenerate plugin .cp file and build in one step:

includecpp auto fast_list           # Regenerate .cp + default build
includecpp auto fast_list --fast    # Regenerate .cp + fast build
includecpp auto fast_list -v        # Verbose output

Fast Mode

--fast uses object file caching for near-instant rebuilds:

Scenario	Time
No changes	~0.4s
Source changed	~5-10s (only changed files)
Full rebuild	~30s

includecpp rebuild --fast

Caches:

• Object files (.o) - only recompile changed sources
• CMake generator detection - check once, reuse
• Compiler detection - check once, reuse

Clear all caches with --clean.

Incompatible Flags

These flag combinations will show a clear error:

Combination	Why
--fast + --no-incremental	--fast requires incremental compilation
--fast + --clean	--fast uses caches, --clean deletes them
--fast + --this	--this rebuilds current dir, incompatible with --fast
--incremental + --no-incremental	Contradictory flags

Plugin Syntax (.cp files)

SOURCE(fast_list.cpp) fast_list

PUBLIC:

fast_list CLASS(FastList) {
    CONSTRUCTOR()
    METHOD(append)
    METHOD(get)
}

fast_list FUNC(add)

Overloaded Methods

MODULE CLASS(Circle) {
    METHOD_CONST(intersects, const Circle&)
    METHOD_CONST(intersects, const Rect&)
}

Templates

MODULE TEMPLATE_FUNC(maximum) TYPES(int, float, double)

MODULE STRUCT(Point) TYPES(int, float) {
    FIELD(T, x)
    FIELD(T, y)
}

Dependencies

DEPENDS(math_utils, geometry)

VSCode Support

Generates .pyi stubs automatically. Full autocomplete works.

Enable in cpp.proj:

{
  "CPI-IntelliSense": true
}

cpp.proj

{
  "project": "MyProject",
  "include": "/include",
  "plugins": "/plugins",
  "compiler": {
    "standard": "c++17",
    "optimization": "O3"
  }
}

Requirements

• Python 3.8+
• C++ compiler (g++, clang++, MSVC)
• pybind11 (installed automatically)

Performance

• Object caching: Only recompile changed .cpp → .o files
• Generator caching: CMake/compiler detection runs once
• Parallel compilation: Uses all CPU cores by default
• SHA256 change detection: Skip unchanged modules
• Builds in AppData: Source directory stays clean

Changelog

v2.9.10

• New auto command: regenerate .cp + build in one step
• --fast mode: 30s → 0.4s for unchanged builds
• Object file caching (.o files)
• CMake generator caching (detect once)
• Incompatible flag validation with clear errors
• Fixed --info pyd path detection

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MIT License | v2.9.12 | GitHub