Rewrite documentation for FromPy and PyObject changes

guide/src/conversions.md

@@ -44,10 +44,10 @@ The table below contains the Python type and the corresponding function argument
 There are also a few special types related to the GIL and Rust-defined `#[pyclass]`es which may come in useful:
 
 | What          | Description |
-| ------------- | ------------------------------- |
+| ------------- | ------------------------------------- |
 | `Python`      | A GIL token, used to pass to PyO3 constructors to prove ownership of the GIL |
-| `PyObject`    | A Python object isolated from the GIL lifetime. This can be sent to other threads. To call Python APIs using this object, it must be used with `AsPyRef::as_ref` to get a `&PyAny` reference. |
-| `Py<T>`       | Same as above, for a specific Python type or `#[pyclass]` T. |
+| `Py<T>`       | A Python object isolated from the GIL lifetime. This can be sent to other threads. To call Python APIs using this object, it must be used with `AsPyRef::as_ref` to get an `&T` reference bound to the GIL. |
+| `PyObject`    | An alias for `Py<PyAny>`              |
 | `&PyCell<T>`  | A `#[pyclass]` value owned by Python. |
 | `PyRef<T>`    | A `#[pyclass]` borrowed immutably.    |
 | `PyRefMut<T>` | A `#[pyclass]` borrowed mutably.      |
@@ -119,6 +119,28 @@ mutable references, you have to extract the PyO3 reference wrappers [`PyRef`]
 and [`PyRefMut`].  They work like the reference wrappers of
 `std::cell::RefCell` and ensure (at runtime) that Rust borrows are allowed.
 
+### `IntoPy<T>`
+
+This trait defines the to-python conversion for a Rust type. It is usually implemented as
+`IntoPy<PyObject>`, which is the trait needed for returning a value from `#[pyfunction]` and
+`#[pymethods]`.
+
+All types in PyO3 implement this trait, as does a `#[pyclass]` which doesn't use `extends`.
+
+Occasionally you may choose to implement this for custom types which are mapped to Python types
+_without_ having a unique python type.
+
+```
+use pyo3::prelude::*;
+
+struct MyPyObjectWrapper(PyObject);
+
+impl IntoPy<PyObject> for MyPyObjectWrapper {
+    fn into_py(self, py: Python) -> PyObject {
+        self.0
+    }
+}
+```
 
 ### The `ToPyObject` trait
 
@@ -216,22 +238,10 @@ fn main() {
 }
 ```
 
-### `FromPy<T>` and `IntoPy<T>`
-
-Many conversions in PyO3 can't use `std::convert::From` because they need a GIL token.
-The [`FromPy`] trait offers an `from_py` method that works just like `from`, except for taking a `Python<'_>` argument.
-I.e. `FromPy<T>` could be converting a Rust object into a Python object even though it is called [`FromPy`] - it doesn't say anything about which side of the conversion is a Python object.
-
-Just like `From<T>`, if you implement `FromPy<T>` you gain a blanket implementation of [`IntoPy`] for free.
-
-Eventually, traits such as [`ToPyObject`] will be replaced by this trait and a [`FromPy`] trait will be added that will implement
-[`IntoPy`], just like with `From` and `Into`.
-
 [`IntoPy`]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/conversion/trait.IntoPy.html
-[`FromPy`]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/conversion/trait.FromPy.html
 [`FromPyObject`]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/conversion/trait.FromPyObject.html
 [`ToPyObject`]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/conversion/trait.ToPyObject.html
-[`PyObject`]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/struct.PyObject.html
+[`PyObject`]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/type.PyObject.html
 [`PyTuple`]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/types/struct.PyTuple.html
 [`PyAny`]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/struct.PyAny.html
 [`IntoPyDict`]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/types/trait.IntoPyDict.html

guide/src/exception.md

@@ -192,15 +192,12 @@ mod io {
     pyo3::import_exception!(io, UnsupportedOperation);
 }
 
-fn tell(file: PyObject) -> PyResult<u64> {
+fn tell(file: &PyAny) -> PyResult<u64> {
     use pyo3::exceptions::*;
 
-    let gil = Python::acquire_gil();
-    let py = gil.python();
-
-    match file.call_method0(py, "tell") {
+    match file.call_method0("tell") {
         Err(_) => Err(io::UnsupportedOperation::py_err("not supported: tell")),
-        Ok(x) => x.extract::<u64>(py),
+        Ok(x) => x.extract::<u64>(),
     }
 }
 

guide/src/function.md

@@ -187,5 +187,5 @@ If you have a static function, you can expose it with `#[pyfunction]` and use [`
 [`PyAny::call`]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/struct.PyAny.html#tymethod.call
 [`PyAny::call0`]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/struct.PyAny.html#tymethod.call0
 [`PyAny::call1`]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/struct.PyAny.html#tymethod.call1
-[`PyObject`]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/struct.PyObject.html
+[`PyObject`]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/type.PyObject.html
 [`wrap_pyfunction!`]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/macro.wrap_pyfunction.html

guide/src/migration.md

@@ -3,6 +3,65 @@
 This guide can help you upgrade code through breaking changes from one PyO3 version to the next.
 For a detailed list of all changes, see [CHANGELOG.md](https://github.com/PyO3/pyo3/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md)
 
+## from 0.11.* to 0.12
+
+### `FromPy` has been removed
+To simplify the PyO3 public conversion trait hierarchy, the `FromPy` has been removed. In PyO3
+`0.11` there were two ways to define the to-Python conversion for a type: `FromPy<T> for PyObject`,
+and `IntoPy<PyObject> for T`.
+
+Now, the canonical implementation is always `IntoPy`, so downstream crates may need to adjust
+accordingly.
+
+Before:
+
+```rust,ignore
+# use pyo3::prelude::*;
+struct MyPyObjectWrapper(PyObject);
+
+impl FromPy<MyPyObjectWrapper> for PyObject {
+    fn from_py(other: MyPyObjectWrapper, _py: Python) -> Self {
+        other.0
+    }
+}
+```
+
+After
+
+```rust
+# use pyo3::prelude::*;
+struct MyPyObjectWrapper(PyObject);
+
+impl IntoPy<PyObject> for MyPyObjectWrapper {
+    fn into_py(self, _py: Python) -> PyObject {
+        self.0
+    }
+}
+```
+
+Similarly, code which was using the `FromPy` trait can be trivially rewritten to use `IntoPy`.
+
+Before:
+
+```rust,ignore
+# use pyo3::prelude::*;
+# Python::with_gil(|py| {
+let obj = PyObject::from_py(1.234, py);
+# })
+```
+
+After:
+```rust
+# use pyo3::prelude::*;
+# Python::with_gil(|py| {
+let obj: PyObject = 1.234.into_py(py);
+# })
+```
+
+### `PyObject` is now a type alias of `Py<PyAny>`
+This should change very little from a usage perspective. If you implemented traits for both
+`PyObject` and `Py<T>`, you may find you can just remove the `PyObject` implementation.
+
 ## from 0.10.* to 0.11
 
 ### Stable Rust

guide/src/types.md

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ In PyO3, holding the GIL is modeled by acquiring a token of the type
 * It provides some global API for the Python interpreter, such as
   [`eval`][eval].
 * It can be passed to functions that require a proof of holding the GIL,
-  such as [`PyObject::clone_ref`][clone_ref].
+  such as [`Py::clone_ref`][clone_ref].
 * Its lifetime can be used to create Rust references that implicitly guarantee
   holding the GIL, such as [`&'py PyAny`][PyAny].
 
@@ -71,10 +71,7 @@ let obj: &PyAny = PyList::empty(py);
 // Convert to &ConcreteType using PyAny::downcast
 let _: &PyList = obj.downcast().unwrap();
 
-// Convert to PyObject using .into() or .to_object(py)
-let _: PyObject = obj.into();
-
-// Convert to Py<PyAny> using .into() or Py::from
+// Convert to Py<PyAny> (aka PyObject) using .into()
 let _: Py<PyAny> = obj.into();
 
 // Convert to Py<ConcreteType> using PyAny::extract
@@ -115,51 +112,24 @@ let _: &PyAny = list;
 // For more explicit &PyAny conversion, use .as_ref()
 let _: &PyAny = list.as_ref();
 
-// To convert to PyObject use .into() or .to_object(py)
-let _: PyObject = list.into();
-
 // To convert to Py<T> use .into() or Py::from()
 let _: Py<PyList> = list.into();
+
+// To convert to PyObject use .into() or .to_object(py)
+let _: PyObject = list.into();
 ```
 
-### `PyObject`
+### `Py<T>`
 
-**Represents:** a GIL independent reference to a Python object of unspecified
-type.
+**Represents:** a GIL independent reference to a Python object. This can be a Python native type
+(like `PyTuple`), or a `pyclass` type implemented in Rust. The most commonly-used variant,
+`Py<PyAny>`, is also known as `PyObject`.
 
-**Used:** Whenever you want to carry around references to "some" Python object,
-without caring about a GIL lifetime.  For example, storing Python object
-references in a Rust struct that outlives the Python-Rust FFI boundary,
-or returning objects from functions implemented in Rust back to Python.
+**Used:** Whenever you want to carry around references to a Python object without caring about a
+GIL lifetime.  For example, storing Python object references in a Rust struct that outlives the
+Python-Rust FFI boundary, or returning objects from functions implemented in Rust back to Python.
 
-Can be cloned using Python reference counts with `.clone_ref()`.
-
-**Conversions:**
-
-```rust
-# use pyo3::prelude::*;
-# use pyo3::types::PyList;
-# let gil = Python::acquire_gil();
-# let py = gil.python();
-let obj: PyObject = PyList::empty(py).into();
-
-// Convert to &PyAny using AsPyRef::as_ref
-let _: &PyAny = obj.as_ref(py);
-
-// Convert to &ConcreteType using PyObject::cast_as
-let _: &PyList = obj.cast_as(py).unwrap();
-
-// Convert to Py<ConcreteType> using PyObject::extract
-let _: Py<PyList> = obj.extract(py).unwrap();
-```
-
-### `Py<SomeType>`
-
-**Represents:** a GIL independent reference to a Python object of known type.
-This can be a Python native type (like `PyTuple`), or a `pyclass` type
-implemented in Rust.
-
-**Used:** Like `PyObject`, but with a known inner type.
+Can be cloned using Python reference counts with `.clone()`.
 
 **Conversions:**
 
@@ -178,10 +148,6 @@ let _: &PyList = list.as_ref(py);
 let _: PyObject = list.into();
 ```
 
-**Note:** `PyObject` is semantically equivalent to `Py<PyAny>` and might be
-merged with it in the future.
-
-
 ### `PyCell<SomeType>`
 
 **Represents:** a reference to a Rust object (instance of `PyClass`) which is
@@ -248,7 +214,7 @@ This trait marks structs that mirror native Python types, such as `PyList`.
 
 
 [eval]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/struct.Python.html#method.eval
-[clone_ref]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/struct.PyObject.html#method.clone_ref
+[clone_ref]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/struct.Py.html#method.clone_ref
 [pyo3::types]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/types/index.html
 [PyAny]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/types/struct.PyAny.html
 [PyList_append]: https://docs.rs/pyo3/latest/pyo3/types/struct.PyList.html#method.append

src/conversion.rs

@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
 
 //! Conversions between various states of Rust and Python types and their wrappers.
 use crate::err::{self, PyDowncastError, PyResult};
-use crate::instance::PyObject;
 use crate::type_object::PyTypeInfo;
 use crate::types::PyTuple;
-use crate::{ffi, gil, Py, PyAny, PyCell, PyClass, PyNativeType, PyRef, PyRefMut, Python};
+use crate::{
+    ffi, gil, Py, PyAny, PyCell, PyClass, PyNativeType, PyObject, PyRef, PyRefMut, Python,
+};
 use std::ptr::NonNull;
 
 /// This trait represents that **we can do zero-cost conversion from the object
@@ -133,6 +134,9 @@ where
 }
 
 /// Similar to [std::convert::Into], just that it requires a gil token.
+///
+/// `IntoPy<PyObject>` (aka `IntoPy<Py<PyAny>>`) should be implemented to define a conversion from
+/// Rust to Python which can be used by most of PyO3's methods.
 pub trait IntoPy<T>: Sized {
     /// Performs the conversion.
     fn into_py(self, py: Python) -> T;
@@ -141,10 +145,10 @@ pub trait IntoPy<T>: Sized {
 /// `FromPyObject` is implemented by various types that can be extracted from
 /// a Python object reference.
 ///
-/// Normal usage is through the helper methods `PyObject::extract` or
-/// `PyAny::extract`:
+/// Normal usage is through the helper methods `Py::extract` or `PyAny::extract`:
 ///
-/// ```let obj: PyObject = ...;
+/// ```rust,ignore
+/// let obj: Py<PyAny> = ...;
 /// let value: &TargetType = obj.extract(py)?;
 ///
 /// let any: &PyAny = ...;
@@ -161,9 +165,6 @@ pub trait IntoPy<T>: Sized {
 /// Since which case applies depends on the runtime type of the Python object,
 /// both the `obj` and `prepared` variables must outlive the resulting string slice.
 ///
-/// In cases where the result does not depend on the `'prepared` lifetime,
-/// the inherent method `PyObject::extract()` can be used.
-///
 /// The trait's conversion method takes a `&PyAny` argument but is called
 /// `FromPyObject` for historical reasons.
 pub trait FromPyObject<'source>: Sized {

src/instance.rs

@@ -558,6 +558,12 @@ impl<T> std::fmt::Debug for Py<T> {
     }
 }
 
+/// A commonly-used alias for `Py<PyAny>`.
+///
+/// This is an owned reference a Python object without any type information. This value can also be
+/// safely sent between threads.
+///
+/// See the documentation for [`Py`](struct.Py.html).
 pub type PyObject = Py<PyAny>;
 
 #[cfg(test)]

src/prelude.rs

@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@
 
 pub use crate::err::{PyErr, PyResult};
 pub use crate::gil::GILGuard;
-pub use crate::instance::PyObject;
-pub use crate::instance::{AsPyRef, Py};
+pub use crate::instance::{AsPyRef, Py, PyObject};
 pub use crate::pycell::{PyCell, PyRef, PyRefMut};
 pub use crate::pyclass_init::PyClassInitializer;
 pub use crate::python::Python;

src/types/bytearray.rs

@@ -166,9 +166,8 @@ impl PyByteArray {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
     use crate::exceptions;
-    use crate::instance::PyObject;
     use crate::types::PyByteArray;
-    use crate::Python;
+    use crate::{PyObject, Python};
 
     #[test]
     fn test_len() {

src/types/datetime.rs

@@ -25,9 +25,8 @@ use crate::ffi::{
     PyDateTime_TIME_GET_HOUR, PyDateTime_TIME_GET_MICROSECOND, PyDateTime_TIME_GET_MINUTE,
     PyDateTime_TIME_GET_SECOND,
 };
-use crate::instance::PyObject;
 use crate::types::PyTuple;
-use crate::{AsPyPointer, PyAny, Python, ToPyObject};
+use crate::{AsPyPointer, PyAny, PyObject, Python, ToPyObject};
 use std::os::raw::c_int;
 #[cfg(not(PyPy))]
 use std::ptr;

src/types/dict.rs

@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 // Copyright (c) 2017-present PyO3 Project and Contributors
 
 use crate::err::{self, PyErr, PyResult};
-use crate::instance::PyNativeType;
-use crate::instance::PyObject;
 use crate::types::{PyAny, PyList};
 #[cfg(not(PyPy))]
 use crate::IntoPyPointer;
 use crate::{
-    ffi, AsPyPointer, FromPyObject, IntoPy, PyTryFrom, Python, ToBorrowedObject, ToPyObject,
+    ffi, AsPyPointer, FromPyObject, IntoPy, PyNativeType, PyObject, PyTryFrom, Python,
+    ToBorrowedObject, ToPyObject,
 };
 use std::collections::{BTreeMap, HashMap};
 use std::ptr::NonNull;

src/types/floatob.rs

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use std::os::raw::c_double;
 ///
 /// You can usually avoid directly working with this type
 /// by using [`ToPyObject`](trait.ToPyObject.html)
-/// and [extract](struct.PyObject.html#method.extract)
+/// and [extract](struct.PyAny.html#method.extract)
 /// with `f32`/`f64`.
 #[repr(transparent)]
 pub struct PyFloat(PyAny);

src/types/module.rs

@@ -6,12 +6,11 @@ use crate::err::{PyErr, PyResult};
 use crate::exceptions;
 use crate::ffi;
 use crate::instance::PyNativeType;
-use crate::instance::PyObject;
 use crate::pyclass::PyClass;
 use crate::type_object::PyTypeObject;
 use crate::types::PyTuple;
 use crate::types::{PyAny, PyDict, PyList};
-use crate::{AsPyPointer, IntoPy, Py, Python, ToPyObject};
+use crate::{AsPyPointer, IntoPy, Py, PyObject, Python, ToPyObject};
 use std::ffi::{CStr, CString};
 use std::os::raw::c_char;
 use std::str;

src/types/num.rs

@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ macro_rules! int_fits_larger_int {
 ///
 /// You can usually avoid directly working with this type
 /// by using [`ToPyObject`](trait.ToPyObject.html)
-/// and [extract](struct.PyObject.html#method.extract)
+/// and [extract](struct.PyAny.html#method.extract)
 /// with the primitive Rust integer types.
 #[repr(transparent)]
 pub struct PyLong(PyAny);

src/types/sequence.rs

@@ -397,11 +397,10 @@ impl<'v> PyTryFrom<'v> for PySequence {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
     use crate::instance::AsPyRef;
-    use crate::instance::PyObject;
     use crate::types::PySequence;
     use crate::AsPyPointer;
     use crate::Python;
-    use crate::{PyTryFrom, ToPyObject};
+    use crate::{PyObject, PyTryFrom, ToPyObject};
 
     fn get_object() -> PyObject {
         // Convenience function for getting a single unique object

src/types/string.rs

@@ -147,9 +147,8 @@ impl<'source> FromPyObject<'source> for String {
 mod test {
     use super::PyString;
     use crate::instance::AsPyRef;
-    use crate::instance::PyObject;
     use crate::Python;
-    use crate::{FromPyObject, PyTryFrom, ToPyObject};
+    use crate::{FromPyObject, PyObject, PyTryFrom, ToPyObject};
 
     #[test]
     fn test_non_bmp() {