API

To parse a header file and retrieve the resulting data structure, you’ll want to use the CppHeader object:

import CppHeaderParser

header = CppHeaderParser.CppHeader("path/to/header.h")

Below is some documentation of the various object types that CppHeaderParser will generated after parsing a header file. The documentation is not yet currently comprehensive, so the best way to see what gets generated is by printing out the JSON representation:

python -m CppHeaderParser.tojson /path/to/header.h

Warning

CppHeaderParser is not safe to use from multiple threads

Note

CppHeaderParser only does some very minimal interpretation of preprocessor directives – and we’re looking at removing some of that from this library. If you need anything complex, you should preprocess the code yourself. You can use the excellent pure python preprocessor pcpp, or the preprocessing facilities provided by your favorite compiler.

CppHeaderParser

class CppHeaderParser.CppHeaderParser.CppBaseDecl(default_access)

Bases: dict

Dictionary that contains the following

• access - Anything in supportedAccessSpecifier
• class - Name of the type, along with template specializations
• decl_name - Name of the type only
• decl_params - Only present if a template specialization (Foo<int>). Is a list of CppTemplateParam.
• decltype - True/False indicates a decltype, the contents are in decl_name
• virtual - True/False indicates virtual inheritance
• ... - True/False indicates a parameter pack

class CppHeaderParser.CppHeaderParser.CppClass(nameStack, curTemplate, doxygen, location, defaultAccess)

Bases: dict

Dictionary that contains at least the following keys:

• name - Name of the class
• doxygen - Doxygen comments associated with the class if they exist
• inherits - List of Classes that this one inherits. Values are CppBaseDecl
• methods - Dictionary where keys are from supportedAccessSpecifier and values are a lists of CppMethod
• namespace - Namespace of class
• properties - Dictionary where keys are from supportedAccessSpecifier and values are lists of CppVariable
• enums - Dictionary where keys are from supportedAccessSpecifier and values are lists of CppEnum
• nested_classes - Classes and structs defined within this class
• final - True if final
• abstract - True if abstract
• using - Using directives in this class scope: key is name for lookup, value is CppVariable
• parent - If not None, the class that this class is nested in

An example of how this could look is as follows:

{
    'name': ""
    'inherits':[]
    'methods':
    {
        'public':[],
        'protected':[],
        'private':[]
    },
    'properties':
    {
        'public':[],
        'protected':[],
        'private':[]
    },
    'enums':
    {
        'public':[],
        'protected':[],
        'private':[]
    }
}

get_all_method_names()

get_all_methods()

get_all_pure_virtual_methods()

get_method_names(type='public')

get_pure_virtual_methods(type='public')

show()

Convert class to a string

class CppHeaderParser.CppHeaderParser.CppEnum(name, doxygen, location)

Bases: CppHeaderParser.CppHeaderParser._CppEnum

Contains the following keys:

• name - Name of the enum (ex. “ItemState”)
• namespace - Namespace containing the enum
• isclass - True if created via ‘enum class’ or ‘enum struct’
• values - List of values. The values are a dictionary with the following key/values:
  • name - name of the key (ex. “PARSING_HEADER”),
  • value - Specified value of the enum, this key will only exist if a value for a given enum value was defined

class CppHeaderParser.CppHeaderParser.CppHeader(headerFileName, argType='file', encoding=None, **kwargs)

Bases: CppHeaderParser.CppHeaderParser._CppHeader

Parsed C++ class header

IGNORE_NAMES = ['__extension__']

classes = None

Dictionary of classes found in the header file. The key is the name of the class, value is CppClass

defines = None

List of #define directives found

defines_detail = None

List of #define directives found, with location information

enums = None

List of enums in this header as CppEnum

functions = None

List of free functions as CppMethod

headerFileNames = None

Filenames encountered in #line directives while parsing

includes = None

List of #include directives found

includes_detail = None

List of #include directives found with location information

nameSpaces = None

Namespaces in this header

pragmas = None

List of #pragma directives found as strings

pragmas_detail = None

List of pragmas with location information

show()

toJSON(indent=4, separators=None)

Converts a parsed structure to JSON

using = None

Using directives in this header outside of class scope: key is full name for lookup, value is CppVariable

variables = None

List of variables in this header as CppVariable

class CppHeaderParser.CppHeaderParser.CppMethod(nameStack, curClass, methinfo, curTemplate, doxygen, location)

Bases: CppHeaderParser.CppHeaderParser._CppMethod

Dictionary that contains at least the following keys:

• rtnType - Return type of the method (ex. “int”)
• name - Name of the method
• doxygen - Doxygen comments associated with the method if they exist
• parameters - List of CppVariable
• parent - If not None, the class this method belongs to

show()

exception CppHeaderParser.CppHeaderParser.CppParseError(msg, tok=None)

Bases: Exception

class CppHeaderParser.CppHeaderParser.CppTemplateParam

Bases: dict

Dictionary that contains the following:

• decltype - If True, this is a decltype
• param - Parameter value or typename

• params - Only present if a template specialization. Is a list of

  CppTemplateParam

• ... - If True, indicates a parameter pack

class CppHeaderParser.CppHeaderParser.CppUnion(nameStack, doxygen, location)

Bases: CppHeaderParser.CppHeaderParser.CppClass

Dictionary that contains at least the following keys:

• name - Name of the union
• doxygen - Doxygen comments associated with the union if they exist
• members - List of members of the union

show()

Convert class to a string

transform_to_union_keys()

class CppHeaderParser.CppHeaderParser.CppVariable(nameStack, doxygen, location, **kwargs)

Bases: CppHeaderParser.CppHeaderParser._CppVariable

Dictionary that contains at least the following keys:

• type - Type for the variable (ex. “const string &”)
• name - Name of the variable (ex. “numItems”)
• namespace - Namespace
• desc - If a method/function parameter, doxygen description for this parameter (optional)
• doxygen - If a normal property/variable, doxygen description for this
• default - Default value of the variable, this key will only exist if there is a default value
• extern - True if its an extern, False if not
• parent - If not None, either the class this is a property of, or the method this variable is a parameter in

Vars = []

class CppHeaderParser.CppHeaderParser.TagStr

Bases: str

Wrapper for a string that allows us to store the line number associated with it

CppHeaderParser.CppHeaderParser.ignoreSymbols = ['Q_OBJECT']

Symbols to ignore, usually special macros