path: root/doc/dbus-binding-tool.1

'\" te
.TH dbus-binding-tool 1 "26 Feb 2009" "SunOS 5.11" "User Commands"
.SH "NAME"
dbus-binding-tool \- C language GLib bindings generation utility\&.
.SH "SYNOPSIS"
.PP
\fBdbus-binding-tool\fR [-\fB-force\fR] [-\fB-help\fR] [-\fB-ignore-unsupported\fR] [-\fB-mode=\fIpretty|glib-client|glib-server\fR\fR] [-\fB-output=\fIfile\fR\fR] [-\fB-prefix=\fIsymbol-prefix\fR\fR] [-\fB-version\fR] [\fB\fIfile\fR\fR\&...]
.SH "DESCRIPTION"
.PP
\fBdbus-binding-tool\fR is used to expose a GObject via D\-Bus\&.  As input, 
\fBdbus-binding-tool\fR uses a D\-Bus Introspection XML file\&.  As output,
the client-side or server-side bindings is generated\&.  This output is a header
file which eases the use of a remote D\-Bus object\&.  Output is sent to standard
out or to the filename specified with the -\fB-output\fR argument\&.
.SH "EXTENDED DESCRIPTION"
.SS ""
.PP
The following is a sample D\-Bus Introspection XML file which describes an
object that exposes one method, named ManyArgs:
.PP
.nf
<?xml version="1\&.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<node name="/com/example/MyObject">
  <interface name="com\&.example\&.MyObject">
    <method name="ManyArgs">
      <arg type="u" name="x" direction="in" />
      <arg type="s" name="str" direction="in" />
      <arg type="d" name="trouble" direction="in" />
      <arg type="d" name="d_ret" direction="out" />
      <arg type="s" name="str_ret" direction="out" />
    </method>
  </interface>
</node>
.fi
.PP
\fBdbus-binding-tool\fR supports annotations in the XML format to further
control how the bindings are generated\&.
.SS "client-side bindings"
.PP
When building client-side bindings, the -\fB-mode=glib-client\fR
argument is used\&.  The client-side bindings support the
"org\&.freedesktop\&.DBus\&.Glib\&.NoReply" annotation\&.  This is specified
within the <method> tag to indicate that the client is not expecting
a reply to the method call, so a reply should not be sent\&.  This is
often used to speed up rapid method calls where there are no "out"
arguments, and not knowing if the method succeeded is an acceptable compromise
to halve the traffic on the bus\&.  For example:
.PP
.nf
<method name "FooMethod">
  [\&.\&.\&.]
  <annotation name="org\&.freedesktop\&.DBus\&.GLib\&.NoReply" value="yes"/>
  [\&.\&.\&.]
</method>
.fi
.SS "server-side bindings"
.PP
When building server-side bindings, the -\fB-mode=glib-server\fR
argument is used\&.  Also the -\fB-prefix\fR argument must be used when
building server-side bindings so that functions in the generated output are
prefexed with the specified value\&.  The server-side bindings support the
following annotations:
.PP
"org\&.freedesktop\&.DBus\&.GLib\&.CSymbol"
.PP
This annotation is used to specify the C symbol names for the various types
(interface, method, etc\&.), if it differs from the name D\-Bus generates\&. 
.PP
.PP
.nf
<interface name="com\&.example\&.MyObject">
  <annotation name="org\&.freedesktop\&.DBus\&.GLib\&.CSymbol" value="my_object"/>
  [\&.\&.\&.]
  <method name "ManyArgs">
    <annotation name="org\&.freedesktop\&.DBus\&.GLib\&.CSymbol" value="my_object_many_args"/>
    [\&.\&.\&.]
  </method>
</interface>
.fi
.PP
"org\&.freedesktop\&.DBus\&.GLib\&.Async"
.PP
This annotation marks the method implementation as an asynchronous function,
which does not return a response straight away but will send the response at
some later point to complete the call\&. This is used to implement non-blocking
services where method calls can take time\&.
.PP
When a method is asynchronous, the function prototype is different\&. It is
required that the function conform to the following rules:
.sp
.in +2
\(bu
.mk
.in +3
.rt
The function must return a value of type gboolean; TRUE on success,
and FALSE otherwise\&.
.in -3
\(bu
.mk
.in +3
.rt
The first parameter is a pointer to an instance of the object\&.
.in -3
\(bu
.mk
.in +3
.rt
Following the object instance pointer are the method input values\&.
.in -3
\(bu
.mk
.in +3
.rt
The final parameter must be a (DBusGMethodInvocation *)\&. This is used
when sending the response message back to the client, by calling
dbus_g_method_return or dbus_g_method_return_error\&.
.in -3
.in -2
.PP
For example:
.PP
.nf
<method name "FooMethod">
  [\&.\&.\&.]
  <annotation name="org\&.freedesktop\&.DBus\&.GLib\&.Async" value="yes"/>
  [\&.\&.\&.]
</method>
.fi
.PP
"org\&.freedesktop\&.DBus\&.GLib\&.Const"
.PP
This attribute can only be applied to "out" <arg> nodes, and
specifies that the parameter is not being copied when returned\&. For example,
this turns a \&'s\&' argument from a (char **) to a (const char **), and results in
the argument not being freed by D\-Bus after the message is sent\&.  For example:
.PP
.nf
  <arg type="u" name="x" direction="out">
    <annotation name="org\&.freedesktop\&.DBus\&.GLib\&.Const" value=""/>
  </arg>
.fi
.PP
"org\&.freedesktop\&.DBus\&.GLib\&.ReturnVal"
.PP
This attribute can only be applied to "out" <arg> nodes, and
alters the expected function signature\&. It currently can be set to two values:
"" or "error"\&. The argument marked with this attribute is
not returned via a pointer argument, but by the function\&'s return value\&. If the
attribute\&'s value is the empty string, the (GError *) argument is also omitted
so there is no standard way to return an error value\&. This is very useful for
interfacing with existing code, as it is possible to match existing APIs\&. If
the attribute\&'s value is "error", then the final argument is a
(GError *) as usual\&.  For example:
.PP
.nf
  <arg type="u" name="x" direction="out">
    <annotation name="org\&.freedesktop\&.DBus\&.GLib\&.ReturnVal" value=""/>
  </arg>
.fi
.SH "OPTIONS"
.PP
The following options are supported:
.sp
.ne 2
.mk
\fB-\fB-force\fR\fR
.sp .6
.in +4
Overwrite the output file if it already exists with a newer timestamp than the
source files\&.
.sp
.sp 1
.in -4
.sp
.ne 2
.mk
\fB-\fB-help\fR\fR
.sp .6
.in +4
Display usage information\&.
.sp
.sp 1
.in -4
.sp
.ne 2
.mk
\fB-\fB-ignore-unsupported\fR\fR
.sp .6
.in +4
If set, then unsupported signatures for <method> parameters are
ignored\&.
.sp
.sp 1
.in -4
.sp
.ne 2
.mk
\fB-\fB-mode=\fIpretty|glib-client|glib-server\fR\fR\fR
.sp .6
.in +4
If the value is "glib-client", then client bindings are generated\&.
If the value is "glib-server", then server bindings are generated\&.
If the value is "pretty", then the output is in a more human readable
format\&.
.sp
.sp 1
.in -4
.sp
.ne 2
.mk
\fB-\fB-output=\fIfile\fR\fR\fR
.sp .6
.in +4
Specify the output \fIfile\fR\&.
.sp
.sp 1
.in -4
.sp
.ne 2
.mk
\fB-\fB-prefix=\fIsymbol-prefix\fR\fR\fR
.sp .6
.in +4
Functions in the generated output are prefixed with the
\fIsymbol-prefix\fR value\&.
.sp
.sp 1
.in -4
.sp
.ne 2
.mk
\fB-\fB-version\fR\fR
.sp .6
.in +4
Display the version number of the \fBdbus-binding-tool\fR command\&.
.sp
.sp 1
.in -4
.SH "OPERANDS"
.PP
The following operands are supported:
.sp
.ne 2
.mk
\fB\fB\fIfile\fR\fR\fR
.in +16n
.rt
A list of one or more input D\-Bus Introspection XML files to include in the
generated output\&.
.sp
.sp 1
.in -16n
.SH "FILES"
.PP
The following files are used by this application:
.sp
.ne 2
.mk
\fB\fB/usr/bin/dbus-binding-tool\fR \fR
.in +32n
.rt
Executable for the D\-Bus Binding Tool application\&.
.sp
.sp 1
.in -32n
.SH "ATTRIBUTES"
.PP
See \fBattributes\fR(5)
for descriptions of the following attributes:
.sp
.TS
tab() allbox;
cw(2.750000i)| cw(2.750000i)
lw(2.750000i)| lw(2.750000i).
ATTRIBUTE TYPEATTRIBUTE VALUE
AvailabilitySUNWdbus-bindings
Interface stabilityVolatile
.TE
.sp
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.PP
\fBdbus-cleanup-sockets\fR(1),
\fBdbus-daemon\fR(1),
\fBdbus-monitor\fR(1),
\fBdbus-send\fR(1),
\fBdbus-uuidgen\fR(1),
\fBlibdbus-glib-1\fR(3),
\fBattributes\fR(5)
.SH "NOTES"
.PP
Written by Brian Cameron, Sun Microsystems Inc\&., 2009\&.
...\" created by instant / solbook-to-man, Thu 26 Feb 2009, 19:15
...\" LSARC 2006/368 D-BUS Message Bus System