pybind11 Redirect python sys.stdout to c++ from print()

Question

I have a c++ program with a pybind11 embedded python interpreter, executing the following python file, it prints directly to std::cout

# test.py
print("text")

The c++ program executing the file:

#include <pybind11/embed.h>

namespace py = pybind11;

int main() {
    py::scoped_interpreter guard{};
    py::eval_file("test.py");
}

Other solutions I found required modifying the python file - how can I redirect python sys.stdout to c++ as a std::string without modifying the python code using only the print() statement?

Answer 1

This github issue describes a way: https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/issues/1622

Copying the code from that issue verbatim. The following bit was recommended to make it work:

#include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
namespace py = pybind11;

From the issue:

class PyStdErrOutStreamRedirect {
    py::object _stdout;
    py::object _stderr;
    py::object _stdout_buffer;
    py::object _stderr_buffer;
public:
    PyStdErrOutStreamRedirect() {
        auto sysm = py::module::import("sys");
        _stdout = sysm.attr("stdout");
        _stderr = sysm.attr("stderr");
        auto stringio = py::module::import("io").attr("StringIO");
        _stdout_buffer = stringio();  // Other filelike object can be used here as well, such as objects created by pybind11
        _stderr_buffer = stringio();
        sysm.attr("stdout") = _stdout_buffer;
        sysm.attr("stderr") = _stderr_buffer;
    }
    std::string stdoutString() {
        _stdout_buffer.attr("seek")(0);
        return py::str(_stdout_buffer.attr("read")());
    }
    std::string stderrString() {
        _stderr_buffer.attr("seek")(0);
        return py::str(_stderr_buffer.attr("read")());
    }
    ~PyStdErrOutStreamRedirect() {
        auto sysm = py::module::import("sys");
        sysm.attr("stdout") = _stdout;
        sysm.attr("stderr") = _stderr;
    }
};

Usage:

{
    PyStdErrOutStreamRedirect pyOutputRedirect{};
    py::print("hello world");
    // Other noisy python functions can be put here
    assert(pyOutputRedirect.stdoutString() == "hello world\n")
}
// sys.stdout is back to its original state