This is essential to be able to implement dynamic relinking of elements
without breaking the dataflow.
- - be notified when data or events are pushed or sent on a pad. It should also
- be possible to inspect and modify the data.
+ - be notified when data, events or queries are pushed or sent on a pad. It
+ should also be possible to inspect and modify the data.
- be able to drop, pass and block on data based on the result of the callback.
probe type mask and a callback.
gulong gst_pad_add_probe (GstPad *pad,
- GstProbeType mask,
+ GstPadProbeType mask,
GstPadProbeCallback callback,
gpointer user_data,
GDestroyNotify destroy_data);
typedef enum
{
- GST_PROBE_TYPE_INVALID = 0,
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_TYPE_INVALID = 0,
/* flags to control blocking */
- GST_PROBE_TYPE_IDLE = (1 << 0),
- GST_PROBE_TYPE_BLOCK = (1 << 1),
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_TYPE_IDLE = (1 << 0),
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_TYPE_BLOCK = (1 << 1),
/* flags to select datatypes */
- GST_PROBE_TYPE_BUFFER = (1 << 2),
- GST_PROBE_TYPE_BUFFER_LIST = (1 << 3),
- GST_PROBE_TYPE_EVENT = (1 << 4),
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_TYPE_BUFFER = (1 << 4),
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_TYPE_BUFFER_LIST = (1 << 5),
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_TYPE_EVENT_DOWNSTREAM = (1 << 6),
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_TYPE_EVENT_UPSTREAM = (1 << 7),
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_TYPE_EVENT_FLUSH = (1 << 8),
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_TYPE_QUERY_DOWNSTREAM = (1 << 9),
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_TYPE_QUERY_UPSTREAM = (1 << 10),
/* flags to select scheduling mode */
- GST_PROBE_TYPE_PUSH = (1 << 5),
- GST_PROBE_TYPE_PULL = (1 << 6),
- } GstProbeType;
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_TYPE_PUSH = (1 << 12),
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_TYPE_PULL = (1 << 13),
+
+ } GstPadProbeType;
When adding a probe with the IDLE or BLOCK flag, the probe will become a
blocking probe (see below). Otherwise the probe will be a DATA probe.
The probe callback is defined as:
- GstProbeReturn (*GstPadProbeCallback) (GstPad *pad, GstProbeType type,
- gpointer type_data,
+ GstPadProbeReturn (*GstPadProbeCallback) (GstPad *pad, GstPadProbeInfo *info,
gpointer user_data);
- The executing probe type is passed as an argument and is guaranteed to match
- the mask that was used to register the callback. type_data contains type
- specific data, which is usually the data item that is blocked or NULL when
- no data item is present.
+ A probe info structure is passed as an argument and its type is guaranteed
+ to match the mask that was used to register the callback. The data item in the
+ info contains type specific data, which is usually the data item that is blocked
+ or NULL when no data item is present.
The probe can return any of the following return values:
typedef enum
{
- GST_PROBE_DROP,
- GST_PROBE_OK,
- GST_PROBE_REMOVE,
- GST_PROBE_PASS,
- } GstProbeReturn;
-
- GST_PROBE_OK is the normal return value. DROP will drop the item that is
- currently being probed. GST_PROBE_REMOVE the currently executing probe from the
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_DROP,
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_OK,
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_REMOVE,
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_PASS,
+ } GstPadProbeReturn;
+
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_OK is the normal return value. DROP will drop the item that is
+ currently being probed. GST_PAD_PROBE_REMOVE the currently executing probe from the
list of probes.
- GST_PROBE_PASS is relevant for blocking probes and will temporarily unblock the
+ GST_PAD_PROBE_PASS is relevant for blocking probes and will temporarily unblock the
pad and let the item trough, it will then block again on the next item.
the callback will be called as soon as the pad becomes idle in the streaming
thread.
- The IDLE probe in useful to perform dynamic linking, it allows to wait for for
- a safe moment when an unlink/link operation can be done. Since the event is a
- blocking event, it will also make sure that the pad stays idle until the probe
+ The IDLE probe is useful to perform dynamic linking, it allows to wait for for
+ a safe moment when an unlink/link operation can be done. Since the probe is a
+ blocking probe, it will also make sure that the pad stays idle until the probe
is removed.
When the BLOCK flag is set, the probe callback will be called when new data
callback is thus only called when there is new data on the pad.
The blocking probe is removed with gst_pad_remove_probe() or when the probe
- callback return GST_PROBE_REMOVE. In both cases, and if this was the last
+ callback return GST_PAD_PROBE_REMOVE. In both cases, and if this was the last
blocking probe on the pad, the pad is unblocked and dataflow can continue.
Push dataflow
-------------
-All probes have the GST_PROBE_TYPE_PUSH flag set in the callbacks.
+Push probes have the GST_PAD_PROBE_TYPE_PUSH flag set in the callbacks.
In push based scheduling, the blocking probe is called first with the data item.
Then the data probes are called before the peer pad chain or event function is
The data probes are called before the peer pad is checked. This allows for
linking the pad in either the BLOCK or DATA probes on the pad.
-Before the peerpad chain or event function is called, the peer pad data probes
-are called.
+Before the peerpad chain or event function is called, the peer pad block and
+data probes are called.
Finally, the IDLE probe is called on the pad after the data was sent to the
peer pad.
-The push dataflow probe behavior is the same for buffers and biderectional events.
+The push dataflow probe behavior is the same for buffers and bidirectional events.
pad peerpad
-------------------->O |
O |
flushing? O |
- WRONG_STATE O |
+ FLUSHING O |
< - - - - - - O |
O-> do BLOCK probes |
O |
O gst_pad_send_event() |
O------------------------------>O
O flushing? O
- O WRONG_STATE O
+ O FLUSHING O
O< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -O
+ O O-> do BLOCK probes
+ O O
O O-> do DATA probes
O O
O O---> chainfunc /
Pull dataflow
-------------
-All probes have the GST_PROBE_TYPE_PULL flag set in the callbacks.
+Pull probes have the GST_PAD_PROBE_TYPE_PULL flag set in the callbacks.
The gst_pad_pull_range() call will first trigger the BLOCK probes without a DATA
-item. This allows the pad to be linked before the peer pad is resolved.
+item. This allows the pad to be linked before the peer pad is resolved. It also
+allows the callback to set a data item in the probe info.
-After the getrange function is called on the peer pad and there is a data item,
-the DATA probes are called.
+After the blocking probe and the getrange function is called on the peer pad
+and there is a data item, the DATA probes are called.
When control returns to the sinkpad, the IDLE callbacks are called. The IDLE
callback is called without a data item so that it will also be called when there
was an error.
-It there is a valid DATA item, the DATA probes are called for the item.
-
-
- srcpad sinkpad
- | |
- | | gst_pad_pull_range()
- | O<---------------------
- | O
- | O flushing?
- | O WRONG_STATE
- | O - - - - - - - - - - >
- | do BLOCK probes <-O
- | O no peer?
- | O NOT_LINKED
- | O - - - - - - - - - - >
- | gst_pad_get_range() O
- O<------------------------------O
- O O
- O flushing? O
- O WRONG_STATE O
- O- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >O
- getrangefunc <---O O
- O flow error? O
- O- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >O
- O O
- do DATA probes <-O O
- O- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >O
- | O
- | do IDLE probes <-O
- | O flow error?
- | O - - - - - - - - - - >
- | O
- | do DATA probes <-O
- | O - - - - - - - - - - >
- | |
+If there is a valid DATA item, the DATA probes are called for the item.
+
+
+ srcpad sinkpad
+ | |
+ | | gst_pad_pull_range()
+ | O<---------------------
+ | O
+ | O flushing?
+ | O FLUSHING
+ | O - - - - - - - - - - >
+ | do BLOCK probes <-O
+ | O no peer?
+ | O NOT_LINKED
+ | O - - - - - - - - - - >
+ | gst_pad_get_range() O
+ O<------------------------------O
+ O O
+ O flushing? O
+ O FLUSHING O
+ O- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >O
+ do BLOCK probes <-O O
+ O O
+ getrangefunc <---O O
+ O flow error? O
+ O- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >O
+ O O
+ do DATA probes <-O O
+ O- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >O
+ | O
+ | do IDLE probes <-O
+ | O flow error?
+ | O - - - - - - - - - - >
+ | O
+ | do DATA probes <-O
+ | O - - - - - - - - - - >
+ | |
+
+
+Queries
+-------
+
+Query probes have the GST_PAD_PROBE_TYPE_QUERY_* flag set in the callbacks.
+
+
+ pad peerpad
+ | |
+ gst_pad_peer_query() | |
+ -------------------->O |
+ O |
+ O-> do BLOCK probes |
+ O |
+ O-> do QUERY | PUSH probes |
+ no peer? O |
+ FALSE O |
+ < - - - - - - O |
+ O gst_pad_query() |
+ O------------------------------>O
+ O O-> do BLOCK probes
+ O O
+ O O-> do QUERY | PUSH probes
+ O O
+ O O---> queryfunc
+ O error O
+ <- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -O
+ O O
+ O O-> do QUERY | PULL probes
+ O< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -O
+ O |
+ O-> do QUERY | PULL probes |
+ O |
+ < - - - - - - O |
+ | |
+For queries, the PUSH ProbeType is set when the query is traveling to the object
+that will answer the query and the PULL type is set when the query contains the
+answer.
+
+Use-cases
+---------
+
+Prerolling a partial pipeline
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+ .---------. .---------. .----------.
+ | filesrc | | demuxer | .-----. | decoder1 |
+ | src -> sink src1 ->|queue|-> sink src
+ '---------' | | '-----' '----------' X
+ | | .----------.
+ | | .-----. | decoder2 |
+ | src2 ->|queue|-> sink src
+ '---------' '-----' '----------' X
+
+
+The purpose is to create the pipeline dynamically up to the
+decoders but not yet connect them to a sink and without losing
+any data.
+
+To do this, the source pads of the decoders is blocked so that no
+events or buffers can escape and we don't interrupt the stream.
+
+When all of the dynamic pad are created (no-more-pads emitted by the
+branching point, ie, the demuxer or the queues filled) and the pads
+are blocked (blocked callback received) the pipeline is completely
+prerolled.
+
+It should then be possible to perform the following actions on the
+prerolled pipeline:
+
+- query duration/position
+- perform a flushing seek to preroll a new position
+- connect other elements and unblock the blocked pads.
+
+
+dynamically switching an element in a PLAYING pipeline
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+
+ .----------. .----------. .----------.
+ | element1 | | element2 | | element3 |
+ ... src -> sink src -> sink ...
+ '----------' '----------' '----------'
+ .----------.
+ | element4 |
+ sink src
+ '----------'
+
+The purpose is to replace element2 with element4 in the PLAYING
+pipeline.
+
+ 1) block element1 src pad.
+ 2) inside the block callback nothing is flowing between
+ element1 and element2 and nothing will flow until unblocked.
+ 3) unlink element1 and element2
+ 4) optional step: make sure data is flushed out of element2:
+ 4a) pad event probe on element2 src
+ 4b) send EOS to element2, this makes sure that element2 flushes
+ out the last bits of data it holds.
+ 4c) wait for EOS to appear in the probe, drop the EOS.
+ 4d) remove the EOS pad event probe.
+ 5) unlink element2 and element3
+ 5a) optionally element2 can now be set to NULL and/or removed from the
+ pipeline.
+ 6) link element4 and element3
+ 7) link element1 and element4
+ 8) make sure element4 is in the same state as the rest of the elements. The
+ element should at least be PAUSED.
+ 9) unblock element1 src
+
+The same flow can be used to replace an element in a PAUSED pipeline. Of
+course in a PAUSED pipeline there might not be dataflow so the block might
+not immediately happen.