gstreamer/docs/design/part-states.txt
Wim Taymans 5b4e6c33c8 docs/design/: Many doc updates.
Original commit message from CVS:
* docs/design/part-TODO.txt:
* docs/design/part-clocks.txt:
* docs/design/part-events.txt:
* docs/design/part-gstbin.txt:
* docs/design/part-gstelement.txt:
* docs/design/part-gstpipeline.txt:
* docs/design/part-live-source.txt:
* docs/design/part-messages.txt:
* docs/design/part-overview.txt:
* docs/design/part-states.txt:
Many doc updates.
2005-10-08 16:49:15 +00:00

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States
======
Both elements and pads can be in different states. The states of the pads are
linked to the state of the element so the design of the states is mainly
focused around the element states.
An element can be in 4 states. NULL, READY, PAUSED and PLAYING. When an element
is initially instantiated, it is in the NULL state.
State definitions
-----------------
- NULL: This is the initial state of an element.
- READY: The element should be prepared to go to PAUSED.
- PAUSED: The element should be ready to accept and process data. Sink
elements however only accept one buffer and then block.
- PLAYING: The same as PAUSED except for sinks, who are now accepting
and rendering data.
We call the sequence NULL->PLAYING an upwards state change and PLAYING->NULL
a downwards state change.
State transitions
-----------------
the following state changes are possible:
NULL -> READY
- The element must check if the resources it needs are available.
Audiosinks typically try to probe the device.
READY -> PAUSED
- The element opens the device and prepares itself for PLAYING.
- the element pads are activated in order to receive data in PAUSED.
streaming threads are started.
- some elements might need to return ASYNC and complete the state change
when they have enough information. It is a requirement for sinks to
return ASYNC and complete the state change when they receive the first
buffer or EOS event (prerol). Sinks also block the dataflow when in PAUSED.
- a pipeline resets the stream time to 0.
- live sources return NO_PREROLL and don't generate data.
PAUSED -> PLAYING
- most elements ignore this state change.
- The pipeline selects a clock and distributes this to all the children
before setting them to PLAYING. This means that it is only alowed to
synchronize on the clock in the PLAYING state.
- The pipeline uses the clock and the stream time to calculate the base time.
The base time is distributed to all children when performing the state
change.
- sink elements stop blocking on the preroll buffer or event and start
rendering the data.
- sinks can post the EOS message in the PLAYING state. It is not allowed to
post EOS when not in the PLAYING state.
- while streaming in PAUSED or PLAYING elements can create and remove
dynamic pads.
- live sources start generating data and return SUCCESS.
PLAYING -> PAUSED
- most elements ignore this state change.
- The pipeline calculates the stream time based on the last selected clock
and the base time. It stores this information to continue playback when
going back to the PLAYING state.
- sinks unblock any clock wait calls.
- sinks return ASYNC from this state change and complete the state change
when they receive a buffer or an EOS event.
- any queued EOS messages are removed since they will be reposted when going
back to the PLAYING state.
- live sources stop generating data and return NO_PREROLL.
PAUSED -> READY
- sinks unblock any waits in the preroll.
- elements unblock any waits on devices
- the element pads are deactivated so that streaming becomes impossible and
all streaming threads are stopped.
READY -> NULL
- element removes any dynamically created pads
State variables
---------------
An element has a special lock to manage the state changes. This lock is called
the STATE_LOCK.
The STATE_LOCK protects 3 element variables:
- STATE
- STATE_NEXT
- STATE_PENDING
- STATE_RETURN
The STATE always reflects the current state of the element.
The STATE_NEXT reflects the next state the element will go to.
The STATE_PENDING always reflects the required state of the element.
The STATE_RETURN reflects the last return value of a state change.
The STATE_NEXT and STATE_PENDING can be VOID_PENDING if the element is in
the right state.
Setting state on elements
-------------------------
The state of an element can be changed with _element_set_state(). When chaning
the state of an element all intermediate states will also be set on the element
until the final desired state is set.
The _set_state() function can return 3 possible values:
GST_STATE_FAILURE: The state change failed for some reason. The plugin should
have posted an error message on the bus with information.
GST_STATE_SUCCESS: The state change is completed successfully.
GST_STATE_ASYNC: The state change will complete later on. This can happen
When the element needs a long time to perform the state
change or for sinks that need to receive the first buffer
before they can complete the state change (preroll).
GST_STATE_NO_PREROLL: The state change is completed successfully but the element
will not be able to produce data in the PAUSED state.
In the case of an async state change, it is possible to proceed to the next
state before the current state change completed, however, the element will only
get to this next state before completing the previous ASYNC state change.
After receiving an ASYNC return value, you can use _element_get_state() to poll
the status of the element. If the polling returns SUCCESS, the element completed
the state change to the last requested state with _set_state().
When setting the state of an element, the STATE_PENDING is set to the required
state. Then the state change function of the element is called and the result of
that function is used to update the STATE and STATE_RETURN fields, STATE_NEXT,
STATE_PENDING and STATE_RETURN fields. If the function returned ASYNC, this result
is immediatly returned to the caller.
Getting state of elements
-------------------------
The _get_state() function takes 3 arguments, two pointers that will hold the
current and pending state and one GTimeVal that holds a timeout value. The
function returns a GstElementStateReturn.
- If the element returned SUCCESS to the previous _set_state() function, this
function will return the last state set on the element and VOID_PENDING in
the pending state value. The function returns GST_STATE_SUCCESS.
- If the element returned NO_PREROLL to the previous _set_state() function, this
function will return the last state set on the element and VOID_PENDING in
the pending state value. The function returns GST_STATE_NO_PREROLL.
- If the element returned FAILURE to the previous _set_state() call, this
funciton will return FAILURE with the state set to the current state of
the element and the pending state set to the value used in the last call
of _set_state().
- If the element returned ASYNC to the previous _set_state() call, this function
will wait for the element to complete its state change up to the amount of time
specified in the GTimeVal.
* If the element does not complete the state change in the specified amount of
time, this function will return ASYNC with the state set to the current state
and the pending state set to the pending state.
* If the element completes the state change within the specified timeout, this
function returns the updated state and VOID_PENDING as the pending state.
* If the element aborts the ASYNC state change due to an error within the
specified timeout, this function returns FAILURE with the state set to last
successfull state and pending set to the last attempt. The element should
also post an error message on the bus with more information about the problem.
States in GstBin
----------------
A GstBin manages the state of its children. It does this by propagating the state
changes performed on it to all of its children. The _set_state() function on a
bin will call the _set_state() function on all of its children.
The children are iterated from the sink elements to the source elements. This makes
sure that when changing the state of an element, the downstream elements are in
the correct state to process the eventual buffers. In the case of a downwards
state change, the sink elements will shut down first which makes the upstream
elements shut down as well since the _push() function returns a GST_FLOW_WRONG_STATE
error.
If all the children return SUCCESS, the function returns SUCCESS as well.
If one of the children returns FAILURE, the function returns FAILURE as well. In
this state it is possible that some elements successfuly changed state. The
application can check which elements have a changed state, which were in error
and which were not affected by iterating the elements and calling _get_state()
on the elements.
If after calling the state function on all children, one of the children returned
ASYNC, the function returns ASYNC as well.
If after calling the state function on all children, one of the children returned
NO_PREROLL, the function returns NO_PREROLL as well.
The current state of the bin can be retrieved with _get_state().
If the bin is performing an ASYNC state change, it will automatically update its
current state fields when it receives state messages from the children.
Implementing states in elements
-------------------------------
READY
-----
upward state change
-------------------
Upward state changes always return ASYNC either if the STATE_PENDING is
reached or not.
Element:
A -> B => SUCCESS
- commit state
A -> B => ASYNC
- no commit state
- element commits state ASYNC
A -> B while ASYNC
- update STATE_PENDING state
- no commit state
- no change_state called on element
Bin:
A->B: all elements SUCCESS
- commit state
A->B: some elements ASYNC
- no commit state
- listen for commit messages on bus
- for each commit message, poll elements
- if no ASYNC elements, commit state, continue state change
to STATE_PENDING
downward state change
----------------------
Downward state changes only return ASYNC if the final state is ASYNC.
This is to make sure that it's not needed to wait for an element to
complete the preroll or other ASYNC state changes when one only wants to
shut down an element.
Element:
A -> B => SUCCESS
- commit state
A -> B => ASYNC not final state
- commit state on behalf of element
A -> B => ASYNC final state
- element will commit ASYNC
Bin:
A -> B -> SUCCESS
- commit state
A -> B -> ASYNC not final state
- commit state on behalf of element, continue state change
A -> B => ASYNC final state
- no commit state
- listen for commit messages on bus
- for each commit message, poll elements
- if no ASYNC elements, commit state
Locking overview (element)
--------------------------
set_state(element) change_state (element) stream_thread commit_state (element)
| | | |
| | | |
STATE_LOCK | | |
| | | |
|------------------------>| | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | (start_task) | |
| | | |
| | STREAM_LOCK |
| | | |
|<------------------------| | |
| ASYNC | |
STATE_UNLOCK | |
| .....sync........ STATE_LOCK |
ASYNC |----------------->|
| |
| |---> post_message(ASYNC)
| |---> if (!final) change_state (next)
| | else SIGNAL
|<-----------------|
STATE_UNLOCK
|
STREAM_UNLOCK