## GstPipeline

GstPipeline — Top-level bin with clocking and bus management functionality.

## Synopsis

    #include <gst/gst.h>

    struct              GstPipeline;
    enum                GstPipelineFlags;
    GstElement *        gst_pipeline_new                    (const gchar *name);
    GstBus *            gst_pipeline_get_bus                (GstPipeline *pipeline);
    gboolean            gst_pipeline_set_clock              (GstPipeline *pipeline,
                                                             GstClock *clock);
    GstClock *          gst_pipeline_get_clock              (GstPipeline *pipeline);
    void                gst_pipeline_use_clock              (GstPipeline *pipeline,
                                                             GstClock *clock);
    void                gst_pipeline_auto_clock             (GstPipeline *pipeline);
    void                gst_pipeline_set_new_stream_time    (GstPipeline *pipeline,
                                                             GstClockTime time);
    GstClockTime        gst_pipeline_get_last_stream_time   (GstPipeline *pipeline);
    void                gst_pipeline_set_auto_flush_bus     (GstPipeline *pipeline,
                                                             gboolean auto_flush);
    gboolean            gst_pipeline_get_auto_flush_bus     (GstPipeline *pipeline);
    void                gst_pipeline_set_delay              (GstPipeline *pipeline,
                                                             GstClockTime delay);
    GstClockTime        gst_pipeline_get_delay              (GstPipeline *pipeline);

## Object Hierarchy

      GObject
       +----GstObject
             +----GstElement
                   +----GstBin
                         +----GstPipeline

## Implemented Interfaces

GstPipeline implements GstChildProxy.

## Properties

      "auto-flush-bus"           gboolean              : Read / Write
      "delay"                    guint64               : Read / Write

## Description

A GstPipeline is a special GstBin used as the toplevel container for the filter graph. The GstPipeline will manage the selection and distribution of a global GstClock as well as provide a GstBus to the application. It will also implement a default behaviour for managing seek events (see `gst_element_seek()`).

`gst_pipeline_new()` is used to create a pipeline. when you are done with the pipeline, use `gst_object_unref()` to free its resources including all added GstElement objects (if not otherwise referenced).

Elements are added and removed from the pipeline using the GstBin methods like `gst_bin_add()` and `gst_bin_remove()` (see GstBin).

Before changing the state of the GstPipeline (see GstElement) a GstBus can be retrieved with `gst_pipeline_get_bus()`. This bus can then be used to receive GstMessage from the elements in the pipeline.

By default, a GstPipeline will automatically flush the pending GstBus messages when going to the NULL state to ensure that no circular references exist when no messages are read from the GstBus. This behaviour can be changed with `gst_pipeline_set_auto_flush_bus()`.

When the GstPipeline performs the PAUSED to PLAYING state change it will select a clock for the elements. The clock selection algorithm will by default select a clock provided by an element that is most upstream (closest to the source). For live pipelines (ones that return GST_STATE_CHANGE_NO_PREROLL from the `gst_element_set_state()` call) this will select the clock provided by the live source. For normal pipelines this will select a clock provided by the sinks (most likely the audio sink). If no element provides a clock, a default GstSystemClock is used.

The clock selection can be controlled with the `gst_pipeline_use_clock()` method, which will enforce a given clock on the pipeline. With `gst_pipeline_auto_clock()` the default clock selection algorithm can be restored.

A GstPipeline maintains a running time for the elements. The running time is defined as the difference between the current clock time and the base time. When the pipeline goes to READY or a flushing seek is performed on it, the running time is reset to 0. When the pipeline is set from PLAYING to PAUSED, the current clock time is sampled and used to configure the base time for the elements when the pipeline is set to PLAYING again. The effect is that the running time (as the difference between the clock time and the base time) will count how much time was spent in the PLAYING state. This default behaviour can be changed with the `gst_element_set_start_time()` method.

When sending a flushing seek event to a GstPipeline (see `gst_element_seek()`), it will make sure that the pipeline is properly PAUSED and resumed as well as set the new running time to 0 when the seek succeeded.

Last reviewed on 2009-05-29 (0.10.24)

## Details

### struct GstPipeline

    struct GstPipeline {
      GstClock      *fixed_clock;

      GstClockTime   stream_time;
      GstClockTime   delay;
    };

The GstPipeline structure.

GstClock *`fixed_clock`; | The fixed clock of the pipeline, used when GST_PIPELINE_FLAG_FIXED_CLOCK is set.
GstClockTime `stream_time`; | The stream time of the pipeline. A better name for this property would be the running_time, the total time spent in the PLAYING state without being flushed. (deprecated, use the start_time on GstElement).
GstClockTime `delay`; | Extra delay added to base_time to compensate for computing delays when setting elements to PLAYING.

### enum GstPipelineFlags

    typedef enum {
      GST_PIPELINE_FLAG_FIXED_CLOCK        = (GST_BIN_FLAG_LAST << 0),
      /* padding */
      GST_PIPELINE_FLAG_LAST               = (GST_BIN_FLAG_LAST << 4)
    } GstPipelineFlags;

Pipeline flags

`GST_PIPELINE_FLAG_FIXED_CLOCK` | this pipeline works with a fixed clock
`GST_PIPELINE_FLAG_LAST` | offset to define more flags

### gst_pipeline_new ()

    GstElement *        gst_pipeline_new                    (const gchar *name);

Create a new pipeline with the given name.

`name` : | name of new pipeline
Returns : | newly created GstPipeline MT safe. [transfer full]

### gst_pipeline_get_bus ()

    GstBus *            gst_pipeline_get_bus                (GstPipeline *pipeline);

Gets the GstBus of `pipeline`. The bus allows applications to receive GstMessage packets.

`pipeline` : | a GstPipeline
Returns : | a GstBus, unref after usage. MT safe. [transfer full]

### gst_pipeline_set_clock ()

    gboolean            gst_pipeline_set_clock              (GstPipeline *pipeline,
                                                             GstClock *clock);

Set the clock for `pipeline`. The clock will be distributed to all the elements managed by the pipeline.

`pipeline` : | a GstPipeline
`clock` : | the clock to set. [transfer none]
Returns : | TRUE if the clock could be set on the pipeline. FALSE if some element did not accept the clock. MT safe.

### gst_pipeline_get_clock ()

    GstClock *          gst_pipeline_get_clock              (GstPipeline *pipeline);

Gets the current clock used by `pipeline`.

`pipeline` : | a GstPipeline
Returns : | a GstClock, unref after usage. [transfer full]

### gst_pipeline_use_clock ()

    void                gst_pipeline_use_clock              (GstPipeline *pipeline,
                                                             GstClock *clock);

Force `pipeline` to use the given `clock`. The pipeline will always use the given clock even if new clock providers are added to this pipeline.

If `clock` is NULL all clocking will be disabled which will make the pipeline run as fast as possible.

MT safe.

`pipeline` : | a GstPipeline
`clock` : | the clock to use. [transfer none]

### gst_pipeline_auto_clock ()

    void                gst_pipeline_auto_clock             (GstPipeline *pipeline);

Let `pipeline` select a clock automatically. This is the default behaviour.

Use this function if you previous forced a fixed clock with `gst_pipeline_use_clock()` and want to restore the default pipeline clock selection algorithm.

MT safe.

`pipeline` : | a GstPipeline

### gst_pipeline_set_new_stream_time ()

    void                gst_pipeline_set_new_stream_time    (GstPipeline *pipeline,
                                                             GstClockTime time);

### Warning

`gst_pipeline_set_new_stream_time` is deprecated and should not be used in newly-written code. This function has the wrong name and is equivalent to `gst_element_set_start_time()`.

Set the new start time of `pipeline` to `time`. The start time is used to set the base time on the elements (see `gst_element_set_base_time()`) in the PAUSED->PLAYING state transition.

Setting `time` to GST_CLOCK_TIME_NONE will disable the pipeline's management of element base time. The application will then be responsible for performing base time distribution. This is sometimes useful if you want to synchronize capture from multiple pipelines, and you can also ensure that the pipelines have the same clock.

MT safe.

`pipeline` : | a GstPipeline
`time` : | the new running time to set

### gst_pipeline_get_last_stream_time ()

    GstClockTime        gst_pipeline_get_last_stream_time   (GstPipeline *pipeline);

### Warning

`gst_pipeline_get_last_stream_time` is deprecated and should not be used in newly-written code. This function has the wrong name and is equivalent to `gst_element_get_start_time()`.

Gets the last running time of `pipeline`. If the pipeline is PLAYING, the returned time is the running time used to configure the element's base time in the PAUSED->PLAYING state. If the pipeline is PAUSED, the returned time is the running time when the pipeline was paused.

This function returns GST_CLOCK_TIME_NONE if the pipeline was configured to not handle the management of the element's base time (see `gst_pipeline_set_new_stream_time()`).

MT safe.

`pipeline` : | a GstPipeline
Returns : | a GstClockTime.

### gst_pipeline_set_auto_flush_bus ()

    void                gst_pipeline_set_auto_flush_bus     (GstPipeline *pipeline,
                                                             gboolean auto_flush);

Usually, when a pipeline goes from READY to NULL state, it automatically flushes all pending messages on the bus, which is done for refcounting purposes, to break circular references.

This means that applications that update state using (async) bus messages (e.g. do certain things when a pipeline goes from PAUSED to READY) might not get to see messages when the pipeline is shut down, because they might be flushed before they can be dispatched in the main thread. This behaviour can be disabled using this function.

It is important that all messages on the bus are handled when the automatic flushing is disabled else memory leaks will be introduced.

MT safe.

`pipeline` : | a GstPipeline
`auto_flush` : | whether or not to automatically flush the bus when the pipeline goes from READY to NULL state

Since 0.10.4

### gst_pipeline_get_auto_flush_bus ()

    gboolean            gst_pipeline_get_auto_flush_bus     (GstPipeline *pipeline);

Check if `pipeline` will automatically flush messages when going to the NULL state.

`pipeline` : | a GstPipeline
Returns : | whether the pipeline will automatically flush its bus when going from READY to NULL state or not. MT safe.

Since 0.10.4

### gst_pipeline_set_delay ()

    void                gst_pipeline_set_delay              (GstPipeline *pipeline,
                                                             GstClockTime delay);

Set the expected delay needed for all elements to perform the PAUSED to PLAYING state change. `delay` will be added to the base time of the elements so that they wait an additional `delay` amount of time before starting to process buffers and cannot be GST_CLOCK_TIME_NONE.

This option is used for tuning purposes and should normally not be used.

MT safe.

`pipeline` : | a GstPipeline
`delay` : | the delay

Since 0.10.5

### gst_pipeline_get_delay ()

    GstClockTime        gst_pipeline_get_delay              (GstPipeline *pipeline);

Get the configured delay (see `gst_pipeline_set_delay()`).

`pipeline` : | a GstPipeline
Returns : | The configured delay. MT safe.

Since 0.10.5

## Property Details

### The `"auto-flush-bus"` property

      "auto-flush-bus"           gboolean              : Read / Write

Whether or not to automatically flush all messages on the pipeline's bus when going from READY to NULL state. Please see `gst_pipeline_set_auto_flush_bus()` for more information on this option.

Default value: TRUE

Since 0.10.4

### The `"delay"` property

      "delay"                    guint64               : Read / Write

The expected delay needed for elements to spin up to the PLAYING state expressed in nanoseconds. see `gst_pipeline_set_delay()` for more information on this option.

Default value: 0

Since 0.10.5

## See Also

GstElement, GstBin, GstClock, GstBus