gstreamer/docs/manual/threads.sgml

<chapter id="cha-threads">
  <title>Threads</title>
  <para> 
    GStreamer has support for multithreading throught the use of
    the <classname>GstThread</classname> object. This object is in fact
    a special <classname>GstBin</classname> that will become a thread when started.
  </para>

  <para> 
    To construct a new thread you will perform something like:
  </para>

  <programlisting>
  GstElement *my_thread;

  // create the thread object
  my_thread = gst_thread_new ("my_thread");
  g_return_if_fail (audio_thread != NULL);

  // add some plugins
  gst_bin_add (GST_BIN (my_thread), GST_ELEMENT (funky_src));
  gst_bin_add (GST_BIN (my_thread), GST_ELEMENT (cool_effect));

  // connect the elements here...
  ...
  
  // start playing
  gst_element_set_state (GST_ELEMENT (my_thread), GST_STATE_PLAYING);

  </programlisting>

  <para> 
    The above program will create a thread with two elements in it. As soon
    as it is set to the PLAYING state, the thread will start to iterate.
  </para>
  
  <note> 
    <para> 
      A thread should normally contain a source element. Most often, the thread
      is fed with data from a queue.
    </para> 
  </note>
  
  <para> 
    A thread will be visualised as below
  </para>
  <figure float="1" id="sec-threads-img">
    <title>a thread</title>
    <graphic fileref="images/thread" format="png"></graphic>
  </figure>

  <para> 
    As an example we show the helloworld program using a thread.
  </para>
  
  <programlisting>
#include &lt;gst/gst.h&gt;

/* eos will be called when the src element has an end of stream */
void 
eos (GstSrc *src, gpointer data) 
{
  GstThread *thread = GST_THREAD (data);
  g_print ("have eos, quitting\n");

  /* stop the bin */
  gst_element_set_state (GST_ELEMENT (thread), GST_STATE_NULL);

  gst_main_quit ();
}

int 
main (int argc, char *argv[]) 
{
  GstElement *disksrc, *audiosink;
  GstElement *pipeline;
  GstElement *thread;

  if (argc != 2) {
    g_print ("usage: %s &lt;filename&gt;\n", argv[0]);
    exit (-1);
  }

  gst_init (&amp;argc, &amp;argv);

  /* create a new thread to hold the elements */
  thread = gst_thread_new ("thread");
  g_assert (thread != NULL);

  /* create a new bin to hold the elements */
  pipeline = gst_pipeline_new ("pipeline");
  g_assert (pipeline != NULL);

  /* create a disk reader */
  disksrc = gst_elementfactory_make ("disksrc", "disk_source");
  g_assert (disksrc != NULL);
  gtk_object_set (GTK_OBJECT (disksrc), "location", argv[1], NULL);
  gtk_signal_connect (GTK_OBJECT (disksrc), "eos",
                      GTK_SIGNAL_FUNC (eos), thread);

  /* and an audio sink */
  audiosink = gst_elementfactory_make ("audiosink", "play_audio");
  g_assert (audiosink != NULL);

  /* add objects to the main pipeline */
  gst_bin_add (GST_BIN (pipeline), disksrc);
  gst_bin_add (GST_BIN (pipeline), audiosink);

  /* automatically setup the pipeline */
  if (!gst_pipeline_autoplug (GST_PIPELINE (pipeline))) {
    g_print ("unable to handle stream\n");
    exit (-1);
  }

  /* remove the source element from the pipeline */
  gst_bin_remove (GST_BIN (pipeline), disksrc);

  /* insert the source element in the thread, remember a thread needs at
     least one source or connection element */
  gst_bin_add (GST_BIN (thread), disksrc);
  
  /* add the pipeline to the thread too */
  gst_bin_add (GST_BIN (thread), GST_ELEMENT (pipeline));

  /* start playing */
  gst_element_set_state (GST_ELEMENT (thread), GST_STATE_PLAYING);

  /* do whatever you want here, the thread will be playing */
  ...
  
  gst_main ();

  gst_pipeline_destroy (thread);

  exit (0);
}
  </programlisting>

</chapter>