GStreamer Plugin Writer's Guide (0.8.5) | ||
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To help you navigate through this guide, it is divided into several large parts. Each part addresses a particular broad topic concerning GStreamer plugin development. The parts of this guide are laid out in the following order:
Building a Plugin - Introduction to the structure of a plugin, using an example audio filter for illustration.
This part covers all the basic steps you generally need to perform to build a plugin. The discussion begins by giving examples of generating the basic structures with Constructing the Boilerplate. Then you will learn how to write the code to get a basic filter plugin working: These steps include chapters on the chapter called Types and Properties, the chapter called Specifying the pads, the chapter called The chain function, and (WRITEME: building state).
After you have finished the first steps, you will be able to create a working plugin, but your new plugin might not have all the functionality you need. To provide some standard functionality, you will learn how to add more features to a new plugin. These features are described in the chapters on (WRITEME) and the chapter called Signals. Finally, you will see in (WRITEME) how to write a short test application to try out your new plugin.
Advanced Filter Concepts - Information on advanced features of GStreamer plugin development.
After learning about the basic steps, you should be able to create a functional audio or video filter plugin with some nice features. However, GStreamer offers more for plugin writers. This part of the guide includes chapters on more advanced topics, such as the chapter called Request and Sometimes pads, . Since these features are more advanced, the chapters can basically be read in any order, as you find that your plugins require these features.
Other Element Types - Explanation of writing other plugin types.
Because the first two parts of the guide use an audio filter as an example, the concepts introduced apply to filter plugins. But many of the concepts apply equally to other plugin types, including sources, sinks, and autopluggers. This part of the guide presents the issues that arise when working on these more specialized plugin types. The part includes chapters on Writing a Source, Writing a Sink, and Writing an Autoplugger.
Appendices - Further information for plugin developers.
The appendices contain some information that stubbornly refuses to fit cleanly in other sections of the guide. This information includes (WRITEME) and FIXME: organize better.
The remainder of this introductory part of the guide presents a short overview of the basic concepts involved in GStreamer plugin development. Topics covered include Elements and Plugins, Pads, Data, Buffers and Events and Types and Properties. If you are already familiar with this information, you can use this short overview to refresh your memory, or you can skip to Building a Plugin.
As you can see, there a lot to learn, so let's get started!
Creating compound and complex elements by extending from a GstBin. This will allow you to create plugins that have other plugins embedded in them.
Adding new mime-types to the registry along with typedetect functions. This will allow your plugin to operate on a completely new media type.
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