Shiboken requires an XML-based typesystem file that defines the relationship between C++ and Python types. It declares the two aforementioned classes. One of them as an “object-type” and the other as a “value-type”. The main difference is that object-types are passed around in generated code as pointers, whereas value-types are copied (value semantics). By specifying the names of these classes in the typesystem file, Shiboken automatically tries to generate bindings for all methods of those classes. You need not mention all the methods manually in the XML file, unless you want to modify them. **Object ownership rules** Shiboken doesn't know if Python or C++ are responsible for freeing the C++ objects that were allocated in the Python code, and assuming this might lead to errors. There can be cases where Python should release the C++ memory when the reference count of the Python object becomes zero, but it should never delete the underlying C++ object just from assuming that it will not be deleted by underlying C++ library, or if it's maybe parented to another object (like QWidgets). In our case, the :code:`clone()` method is only called inside the C++ library, and we assume that the C++ code takes care of releasing the cloned object. As for :code:`addIcecreamFlavor()`, we know that a :code:`Truck` owns the :code:`Icecream` object, and will remove it once the :code:`Truck` is destroyed. That's why the ownership is set to “c++” in the typesystem file, so that the C++ objects are not deleted when the corresponding Python names go out of scope.