C++ API

[jminor]

The Python API is fine for many studio use cases, but for embedding OTIO into a 3rd party application, a C API is preferred.

We should use a library like libgit2 as a model for how the C API should work (e.g. minimal dependencies, re-entrant, cross-platform, standard error codes, clear memory allocation rules, etc.)

[jminor]

Based on feedback from some vendors, we might want C++ instead of C. Let us know if you have opinions about this.

[quelsolaar]

My personal opinion, is that C is the right language to implement the core since it is fast and can be called by almost all languages, however i think the interface on top should be in whatever languages there users feel most comfortable with. If the feedback is that a C++ interface is useful then we should get on that. I have a few things I want to clean up in the core, but i can take a stab at a C++ interface right after.

[ssteinbach]

For wrapping the C/C++ API, some notes on various options:
https://github.com/PixarAnimationStudios/OpenTimelineIO/wiki/Wrapping-OTIO-C-C---In-Python

[quelsolaar]

If there is a C++ wrapper around the C implementation, and you want to wrap it in to a higher level language (and possibly use a tool to do so) you can obviously choose to wrap either the C implementation or the C++ wraper. I don't even think its a terrible idea to have multiple people write wrappers for different and even the same language and then see what turns out to be popular.

[ssteinbach]

Yeah, thats a great suggestion. Another suggestion was to provide both Boost::Python and PyBind11 bindings since they're fairly similar - that way applications that have boost bindings can use those and those that don't can go with pybind11. We're still mulling it over, so its great to get more feedback on this!

[MartinDelille]

Is this issue still in the roadmap?

I need C++ support and could dedicate some time to contribute to the project.

If you can point me where I can be some help for test, development and bug report it would save everybody's time.

[MartinDelille]

@ssteinbach Ok I found your work here: #319