GSettingsSchema, GSettingsSchemaSource

GSettingsSchema, GSettingsSchemaSource — Introspecting and controlling the loading of GSettings schemas

Functions

Types and Values

Object Hierarchy

    GBoxed
    ├── GSettingsSchema
    ├── GSettingsSchemaKey
    ╰── GSettingsSchemaSource

Includes

#include <gio/gio.h>

Description

The GSettingsSchemaSource and GSettingsSchema APIs provide a mechanism for advanced control over the loading of schemas and a mechanism for introspecting their content.

Plugin loading systems that wish to provide plugins a way to access settings face the problem of how to make the schemas for these settings visible to GSettings. Typically, a plugin will want to ship the schema along with itself and it won't be installed into the standard system directories for schemas.

GSettingsSchemaSource provides a mechanism for dealing with this by allowing the creation of a new 'schema source' from which schemas can be acquired. This schema source can then become part of the metadata associated with the plugin and queried whenever the plugin requires access to some settings.

Consider the following example:

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typedef struct
{
   ...
   GSettingsSchemaSource *schema_source;
   ...
} Plugin;

Plugin *
initialise_plugin (const gchar *dir)
{
  Plugin *plugin;

  ...

  plugin->schema_source =
    g_settings_new_schema_source_from_directory (dir,
      g_settings_schema_source_get_default (), FALSE, NULL);

  ...

  return plugin;
}

...

GSettings *
plugin_get_settings (Plugin      *plugin,
                     const gchar *schema_id)
{
  GSettingsSchema *schema;

  if (schema_id == NULL)
    schema_id = plugin->identifier;

  schema = g_settings_schema_source_lookup (plugin->schema_source,
                                            schema_id, FALSE);

  if (schema == NULL)
    {
      ... disable the plugin or abort, etc ...
    }

  return g_settings_new_full (schema, NULL, NULL);
}

The code above shows how hooks should be added to the code that initialises (or enables) the plugin to create the schema source and how an API can be added to the plugin system to provide a convenient way for the plugin to access its settings, using the schemas that it ships.

From the standpoint of the plugin, it would need to ensure that it ships a gschemas.compiled file as part of itself, and then simply do the following:

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{
  GSettings *settings;
  gint some_value;

  settings = plugin_get_settings (self, NULL);
  some_value = g_settings_get_int (settings, "some-value");
  ...
}

It's also possible that the plugin system expects the schema source files (ie: .gschema.xml files) instead of a gschemas.compiled file. In that case, the plugin loading system must compile the schemas for itself before attempting to create the settings source.

Functions

g_settings_schema_source_get_default ()

GSettingsSchemaSource *
g_settings_schema_source_get_default (void);

Gets the default system schema source.

This function is not required for normal uses of GSettings but it may be useful to authors of plugin management systems or to those who want to introspect the content of schemas.

If no schemas are installed, NULL will be returned.

The returned source may actually consist of multiple schema sources from different directories, depending on which directories were given in XDG_DATA_DIRS and GSETTINGS_SCHEMA_DIR. For this reason, all lookups performed against the default source should probably be done recursively.

Returns

the default schema source.

[transfer none]

Since: 2.32


g_settings_schema_source_ref ()

GSettingsSchemaSource *
g_settings_schema_source_ref (GSettingsSchemaSource *source);

Increase the reference count of source , returning a new reference.

Parameters

source

a GSettingsSchemaSource

 

Returns

a new reference to source

Since: 2.32


g_settings_schema_source_unref ()

void
g_settings_schema_source_unref (GSettingsSchemaSource *source);

Decrease the reference count of source , possibly freeing it.

Parameters

source

a GSettingsSchemaSource

 

Since: 2.32


g_settings_schema_source_new_from_directory ()

GSettingsSchemaSource *
g_settings_schema_source_new_from_directory
                               (const gchar *directory,
                                GSettingsSchemaSource *parent,
                                gboolean trusted,
                                GError **error);

Attempts to create a new schema source corresponding to the contents of the given directory.

This function is not required for normal uses of GSettings but it may be useful to authors of plugin management systems.

The directory should contain a file called gschemas.compiled as produced by the glib-compile-schemas tool.

If trusted is TRUE then gschemas.compiled is trusted not to be corrupted. This assumption has a performance advantage, but can result in crashes or inconsistent behaviour in the case of a corrupted file. Generally, you should set trusted to TRUE for files installed by the system and to FALSE for files in the home directory.

If parent is non-NULL then there are two effects.

First, if g_settings_schema_source_lookup() is called with the recursive flag set to TRUE and the schema can not be found in the source, the lookup will recurse to the parent.

Second, any references to other schemas specified within this source (ie: child or extends) references may be resolved from the parent .

For this second reason, except in very unusual situations, the parent should probably be given as the default schema source, as returned by g_settings_schema_source_get_default().

Parameters

directory

the filename of a directory

 

parent

a GSettingsSchemaSource, or NULL.

[allow-none]

trusted

TRUE, if the directory is trusted

 

error

a pointer to a GError pointer set to NULL, or NULL

 

Since: 2.32


g_settings_schema_source_list_schemas ()

void
g_settings_schema_source_list_schemas (GSettingsSchemaSource *source,
                                       gboolean recursive,
                                       gchar ***non_relocatable,
                                       gchar ***relocatable);

Lists the schemas in a given source.

If recursive is TRUE then include parent sources. If FALSE then only include the schemas from one source (ie: one directory). You probably want TRUE.

Non-relocatable schemas are those for which you can call g_settings_new(). Relocatable schemas are those for which you must use g_settings_new_with_path().

Do not call this function from normal programs. This is designed for use by database editors, commandline tools, etc.

Parameters

source

a GSettingsSchemaSource

 

recursive

if we should recurse

 

non_relocatable

the list of non-relocatable schemas.

[out][transfer full][array zero-terminated=1]

relocatable

the list of relocatable schemas.

[out][transfer full][array zero-terminated=1]

Since: 2.40


g_settings_schema_source_lookup ()

GSettingsSchema *
g_settings_schema_source_lookup (GSettingsSchemaSource *source,
                                 const gchar *schema_id,
                                 gboolean recursive);

Looks up a schema with the identifier schema_id in source .

This function is not required for normal uses of GSettings but it may be useful to authors of plugin management systems or to those who want to introspect the content of schemas.

If the schema isn't found directly in source and recursive is TRUE then the parent sources will also be checked.

If the schema isn't found, NULL is returned.

Parameters

source

a GSettingsSchemaSource

 

schema_id

a schema ID

 

recursive

TRUE if the lookup should be recursive

 

Returns

a new GSettingsSchema.

[nullable][transfer full]

Since: 2.32


g_settings_schema_ref ()

GSettingsSchema *
g_settings_schema_ref (GSettingsSchema *schema);

Increase the reference count of schema , returning a new reference.

Parameters

schema

a GSettingsSchema

 

Returns

a new reference to schema

Since: 2.32


g_settings_schema_unref ()

void
g_settings_schema_unref (GSettingsSchema *schema);

Decrease the reference count of schema , possibly freeing it.

Parameters

schema

a GSettingsSchema

 

Since: 2.32


g_settings_schema_get_id ()

const gchar *
g_settings_schema_get_id (GSettingsSchema *schema);

Get the ID of schema .

Parameters

schema

a GSettingsSchema

 

Returns

the ID.

[transfer none]


g_settings_schema_get_path ()

const gchar *
g_settings_schema_get_path (GSettingsSchema *schema);

Gets the path associated with schema , or NULL.

Schemas may be single-instance or relocatable. Single-instance schemas correspond to exactly one set of keys in the backend database: those located at the path returned by this function.

Relocatable schemas can be referenced by other schemas and can threfore describe multiple sets of keys at different locations. For relocatable schemas, this function will return NULL.

Parameters

schema

a GSettingsSchema

 

Returns

the path of the schema, or NULL.

[transfer none]

Since: 2.32


g_settings_schema_has_key ()

gboolean
g_settings_schema_has_key (GSettingsSchema *schema,
                           const gchar *name);

Checks if schema has a key named name .

Parameters

schema

a GSettingsSchema

 

name

the name of a key

 

Returns

TRUE if such a key exists

Since: 2.40


g_settings_schema_get_key ()

GSettingsSchemaKey *
g_settings_schema_get_key (GSettingsSchema *schema,
                           const gchar *name);

Gets the key named name from schema .

It is a programmer error to request a key that does not exist. See g_settings_schema_list_keys().

Parameters

schema

a GSettingsSchema

 

name

the name of a key

 

Returns

the GSettingsSchemaKey for name .

[transfer full]

Since: 2.40


g_settings_schema_key_ref ()

GSettingsSchemaKey *
g_settings_schema_key_ref (GSettingsSchemaKey *key);

Increase the reference count of key , returning a new reference.

Parameters

Returns

a new reference to key

Since: 2.40


g_settings_schema_key_unref ()

void
g_settings_schema_key_unref (GSettingsSchemaKey *key);

Decrease the reference count of key , possibly freeing it.

Parameters

Since: 2.40


g_settings_schema_list_children ()

gchar **
g_settings_schema_list_children (GSettingsSchema *schema);

Gets the list of children in schema .

You should free the return value with g_strfreev() when you are done with it.

Parameters

schema

a GSettingsSchema

 

Returns

a list of the children on settings .

[transfer full][element-type utf8]

Since: 2.44


g_settings_schema_list_keys ()

gchar **
g_settings_schema_list_keys (GSettingsSchema *schema);

Introspects the list of keys on schema .

You should probably not be calling this function from "normal" code (since you should already know what keys are in your schema). This function is intended for introspection reasons.

Parameters

schema

a GSettingsSchema

 

Returns

a list of the keys on schema .

[transfer full][element-type utf8]

Since: 2.46


g_settings_schema_key_get_value_type ()

const GVariantType *
g_settings_schema_key_get_value_type (GSettingsSchemaKey *key);

Gets the GVariantType of key .

Parameters

Returns

the type of key .

[transfer none]

Since: 2.40


g_settings_schema_key_get_default_value ()

GVariant *
g_settings_schema_key_get_default_value
                               (GSettingsSchemaKey *key);

Gets the default value for key .

Note that this is the default value according to the schema. System administrator defaults and lockdown are not visible via this API.

Parameters

Returns

the default value for the key.

[transfer full]

Since: 2.40


g_settings_schema_key_get_range ()

GVariant *
g_settings_schema_key_get_range (GSettingsSchemaKey *key);

Queries the range of a key.

This function will return a GVariant that fully describes the range of values that are valid for key .

The type of GVariant returned is (sv). The string describes the type of range restriction in effect. The type and meaning of the value contained in the variant depends on the string.

If the string is 'type' then the variant contains an empty array. The element type of that empty array is the expected type of value and all values of that type are valid.

If the string is 'enum' then the variant contains an array enumerating the possible values. Each item in the array is a possible valid value and no other values are valid.

If the string is 'flags' then the variant contains an array. Each item in the array is a value that may appear zero or one times in an array to be used as the value for this key. For example, if the variant contained the array ['x', 'y'] then the valid values for the key would be [], ['x'], ['y'], ['x', 'y'] and ['y', 'x'].

Finally, if the string is 'range' then the variant contains a pair of like-typed values -- the minimum and maximum permissible values for this key.

This information should not be used by normal programs. It is considered to be a hint for introspection purposes. Normal programs should already know what is permitted by their own schema. The format may change in any way in the future -- but particularly, new forms may be added to the possibilities described above.

You should free the returned value with g_variant_unref() when it is no longer needed.

Parameters

Returns

a GVariant describing the range.

[transfer full]

Since: 2.40


g_settings_schema_key_range_check ()

gboolean
g_settings_schema_key_range_check (GSettingsSchemaKey *key,
                                   GVariant *value);

Checks if the given value is of the correct type and within the permitted range for key .

It is a programmer error if value is not of the correct type -- you must check for this first.

Parameters

key

a GSettingsSchemaKey

 

value

the value to check

 

Returns

TRUE if value is valid for key

Since: 2.40


g_settings_schema_key_get_name ()

const gchar *
g_settings_schema_key_get_name (GSettingsSchemaKey *key);

Gets the name of key .

Parameters

Returns

the name of key .

Since: 2.44


g_settings_schema_key_get_summary ()

const gchar *
g_settings_schema_key_get_summary (GSettingsSchemaKey *key);

Gets the summary for key .

If no summary has been provided in the schema for key , returns NULL.

The summary is a short description of the purpose of the key; usually one short sentence. Summaries can be translated and the value returned from this function is is the current locale.

This function is slow. The summary and description information for the schemas is not stored in the compiled schema database so this function has to parse all of the source XML files in the schema directory.

Parameters

Returns

the summary for key , or NULL

Since: 2.34


g_settings_schema_key_get_description ()

const gchar *
g_settings_schema_key_get_description (GSettingsSchemaKey *key);

Gets the description for key .

If no description has been provided in the schema for key , returns NULL.

The description can be one sentence to several paragraphs in length. Paragraphs are delimited with a double newline. Descriptions can be translated and the value returned from this function is is the current locale.

This function is slow. The summary and description information for the schemas is not stored in the compiled schema database so this function has to parse all of the source XML files in the schema directory.

Parameters

Returns

the description for key , or NULL

Since: 2.34

Types and Values

GSettingsSchemaSource

typedef struct _GSettingsSchemaSource GSettingsSchemaSource;

This is an opaque structure type. You may not access it directly.

Since: 2.32


GSettingsSchema

typedef struct _GSettingsSchema GSettingsSchema;

This is an opaque structure type. You may not access it directly.

Since: 2.32


GSettingsSchemaKey

typedef struct _GSettingsSchemaKey GSettingsSchemaKey;

GSettingsSchemaKey is an opaque data structure and can only be accessed using the following functions.