Feature or enhancement

Proposal:

In python every time a context is switched, two c-api are called.

PyContext_Enter(PyObject *);
PyContext_Exit(PyObject *);

I need a way to know when those api's are called on a context. The purpose is that at Meta we have a similar system to contextvars in C++ called folly::requestcontext. When the python context switches we need to inform C++ to swap its active context. Right now we have been carry forward patches to Asyncio.Task to do this on the _step() since way back in py3.6 which is generally the wrong place to do it.

There is prior art in #91054 which provides watching creation/destruction of Code objects. The proposed solution would mirror that functionality closely.

Has this already been discussed elsewhere?

I have already discussed this feature proposal on Discourse

Links to previous discussion of this feature:

https://discuss.python.org/t/request-can-we-get-a-c-api-hook-into-pycontext-enter-and-pycontext-exit/51730

There was an in person meeting between @gvanrossum, @itamaro and myself where we discussed the plausibility of this feature request.

Linked PRs

• gh-119333: Add c-api to have contextvar enter/exit callbacks #119335
• gh-119333: PyContext watchers notify get interp from tstate #124444
• gh-124872: Change PyContext_WatchCallback to take PyObject #124737
• gh-124872: Back up exception before calling PyContext_WatchCallback #124741
• gh-124872: Refine contextvars documentation #124773
• gh-124872: Move PyThreadState to first argument for consistency #124774
• gh-124872: Replace enter/exit events with "switched" #124776