4 files changed, 74 insertions, 11 deletions

diff --git a/include/gras/detail/element.hpp b/include/gras/detail/element.hpp
index 35033e1..22a63a0 100644
--- a/include/gras/detail/element.hpp
+++ b/include/gras/detail/element.hpp
@@ -5,6 +5,19 @@
 
 namespace gras
 {
+    struct WeakElementSharedPtr : WeakElement
+    {
+        WeakElementSharedPtr(boost::weak_ptr<Element> weak_self)
+        {
+            _weak_self = weak_self;
+        }
+        boost::shared_ptr<void> lock(void)
+        {
+            return _weak_self.lock();
+        }
+        boost::weak_ptr<Element> _weak_self;
+    };
+
     template <typename T>
     inline Element::Element(const boost::shared_ptr<T> &elem)
     {
@@ -16,7 +29,8 @@ namespace gras
     {
         try
         {
-            this->weak_self = this->shared_from_this();
+            if (not this->weak_self)
+                this->weak_self.reset(new WeakElementSharedPtr(this->shared_from_this()));
         }
         catch(...){}
         return *this;
diff --git a/include/gras/element.hpp b/include/gras/element.hpp
index 40a24cf..f9a223d 100644
--- a/include/gras/element.hpp
+++ b/include/gras/element.hpp
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ struct ElementImpl;
 
 typedef boost::shared_ptr<ElementImpl> ElementBase;
 
+struct WeakElement
+{
+    virtual boost::shared_ptr<void> lock(void) = 0;
+};
+
 struct Block;
 
 struct GRAS_API Element : ElementBase, boost::enable_shared_from_this<Element>
@@ -87,13 +92,13 @@ struct GRAS_API Element : ElementBase, boost::enable_shared_from_this<Element>
      * Good for that factory function/shared ptr paradigm.
      */
     template <typename T>
-    inline Element(const boost::shared_ptr<T> &elem);
+    Element(const boost::shared_ptr<T> &elem);
 
     //! Convert a shared ptr of a derived class to an Element
-    inline Element &shared_to_element(void);
+    Element &shared_to_element(void);
 
     //! for internal use only
-    boost::weak_ptr<Element> weak_self;
+    boost::shared_ptr<WeakElement> weak_self;
 
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/hier_block.cpp b/lib/hier_block.cpp
index 4c0aef3..ab474c5 100644
--- a/lib/hier_block.cpp
+++ b/lib/hier_block.cpp
@@ -40,8 +40,11 @@ void HierBlock::disconnect(const Element &elem)
 
 static Apology::Wax get_ref(const Element &elem)
 {
-    boost::shared_ptr<Element> shared_self = elem.weak_self.lock();
-    if (shared_self) return shared_self;
+    if (elem.weak_self)
+    {
+        boost::shared_ptr<void> shared_self = elem.weak_self->lock();
+        if (shared_self) return shared_self;
+    }
     return elem;
 }
 
diff --git a/python/gras/GRAS_Block.i b/python/gras/GRAS_Block.i
index 82c5d78..e18476a 100644
--- a/python/gras/GRAS_Block.i
+++ b/python/gras/GRAS_Block.i
@@ -56,15 +56,53 @@
 %{
 #include <gras/block.hpp>
 #include <iostream>
+#include <boost/make_shared.hpp>
 %}
 
 %include <gras/element.i>
 %include <gras/block.i>
 
+%include "GRAS_Utils.i"
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// Create a reference holder for python objects
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+%inline %{
+
+struct PyObjectRefHolder
+{
+    PyObjectRefHolder(PyObject *o):
+        o(o)
+    {
+        Py_INCREF(o);
+    }
+    ~PyObjectRefHolder(void)
+    {
+        PyGILPhondler phil;
+        Py_DECREF(o);
+    }
+    PyObject *o;
+};
+
+struct WeakElementPyObject : gras::WeakElement
+{
+    WeakElementPyObject(PyObject *o):
+        o(o)
+    {
+        //NOP
+    }
+    boost::shared_ptr<void> lock(void)
+    {
+        return boost::make_shared<PyObjectRefHolder>(o);
+    }
+    PyObject *o;
+};
+
+%}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // Make a special block with safe overloads
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-%include "GRAS_Utils.i"
 %inline %{
 
 namespace gras
@@ -84,6 +122,12 @@ struct BlockPython : Block
         this->reset();
     }
 
+    void _Py_set_ref(PyObject *o)
+     {
+         std::cout << o->ob_refcnt <<std::endl;
+         this->weak_self.reset(new WeakElementPyObject(o));
+     }
+
     void notify_active(void)
     {
         PyGILPhondler phil;
@@ -195,16 +239,13 @@ def sig_to_dtype_sig(sig):
     if sig is None: sig = ()
     return map(numpy.dtype, sig)
 
-#FIXME major kludge for ref holding
-blocks_ref_container = list()
-
 class Block(BlockPython):
     def __init__(self, name='Block', in_sig=None, out_sig=None):
         BlockPython.__init__(self, name)
         self.set_input_signature(in_sig)
         self.set_output_signature(out_sig)
-        blocks_ref_container.append(self)
         self.__prop_registry = dict();
+        self._Py_set_ref(self)
 
     def set_input_signature(self, sig):
         self.__in_sig = sig_to_dtype_sig(sig)