C++ library for exposing C++ functions to Golang.

Build using the following (installs to /usr/local/):

cmake -S . -B build/ -DGOBIND_EXAMPLES=TRUE
cmake --build build/ --parallel 4
sudo cmake --install build --prefix /usr/local

Then install a helper CLI program for interpreting shared libraries generated using gobind:

go install github.com/soerlemans/gobind@latest

First you need to compile a shared library that uses the gobind library:

// STL Includes:
#include <iostream>

// Library Includes:
#include <gobind/gobind.hpp>

auto hello_world() -> void
{
  std::cout << "Hello World!\n";
}

// Define  the simple module for the add function.
GOBIND_MODULE(hello_world, m)
{
  m.def("HelloWorld", &hello_world);
}

Then add the following go generate.

// gobind -i <path to C++ library>

Add documentation for the go generate to do before we generate the module definition. Using Gobind cli.

So how does the inner workings of the library work? So the library has the following process:

First in your C++ project you define a module by including gobind.hpp. And then using the GOBIND_MODULE() macro to create bindings for functions that you want to expose to Golang. Then you need to compile your C++ code into a shared library.

Golang cannot import C++ functions directly. So we need a compatibility layer. Golang can interface with C code via cgo. So what we do is store function pointers to all exported functions inside a C struct. Called GolangModule which is defined in gobind.h.

Then in order to call the C++ functions seamlessly we have the gobind cli tool. Which opens the shared library containing your C++ code. Obtains any GolangModule struct's. And based on this generates a Golang module with wrapper functions that call function pointers. Inside the GolangModule.

Once this module is generated just include like regular. Then call C++ code directly.