Add Python dict support using VUnit dict_t

[ru551n]

Requires VUnit 5.0.0.dev15 (vunit_hdl>=5.0.0.dev15), the first release with get_key and get_value_type of dict_pkg (VUnit/vunit#1229).

Motivation

Python code naturally exchanges configuration and results as dicts. VUnit's dict_t (string keys, mixed-type values) is the VHDL counterpart, but the bridge could not pass one in either direction.

API

• eval_dict / call_dict return a new dict_t (aliased as eval / call; no ambiguity with the existing eval/call overloads). The caller owns and deallocates it. Values: int -> integer, float -> real, str -> string, bool -> boolean, list of int -> integer_vector_ptr_t ref, NumPy array of integers -> integer_array_t ref (bit width and signedness as for eval_integer_array: from the dtype, or kept from an array VHDL passed in), nested dict -> nested dict_t ref. None, out-of-range ints, non-str keys and other values are errors; after a reported failure an empty dict is returned. Python converts and checks the whole dict, then VHDL fetches each value over the typed results of the bridge (binary integers, reals and arrays; a nested dict by its handle), so there is no text parsing.
• arg(dict_t) / kwarg(kw, dict_t) write a Python literal {"key": value, ...} using only the public dict_pkg API (num_keys, get_key, get_value_type, getters). Values: integer, real, string, boolean, std_ulogic, integer_vector, real_vector, integer_vector_ptr_t, integer_array_t (becomes a NumPy array), nested dict. Other types fail like other unconvertible arguments. An integer_array_t value is transferred like an integer_array_t argument.

Python side: KIND_DICT and _dict_result in runtime.py serialise the dict into the existing byte-result path (no native changes). The generated python_pkg.vhd is regenerated from the template.

Tests

New cases in tests/tb_python_pkg_bridge.vhd: every value type and nested dicts, exact reals, error cases, arg/kwarg, a round trip VHDL dict -> Python -> VHDL, an unconvertible value, and a group & with a dict kwarg. Full suite: 113 of 113 pass on NVC and on GHDL, pytest tests/test_python_bridge.py 85 passed.

Notes: tests do not deallocate multi-key dicts because new_dict after deallocate of a grown dict fails in VUnit's dict_pkg (recycled pool arrays are longer than requested).

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[ru551n]

Added a test that deallocates returned multi-key dicts. It needs the new_dict fix now included in VUnit/vunit#1229.