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GObject.TypeModule

class — extends Object, TypePlugin

GTypeModule provides a simple implementation of the GTypePlugin interface.

The model of GTypeModule is a dynamically loaded module which implements some number of types and interface implementations.

When the module is loaded, it registers its types and interfaces using TypeModule.register_type and TypeModule.add_interface. As long as any instances of these types and interface implementations are in use, the module is kept loaded. When the types and interfaces are gone, the module may be unloaded. If the types and interfaces become used again, the module will be reloaded. Note that the last reference cannot be released from within the module code, since that would lead to the caller's code being unloaded before g_object_unref() returns to it.

Keeping track of whether the module should be loaded or not is done by using a use count - it starts at zero, and whenever it is greater than zero, the module is loaded. The use count is maintained internally by the type system, but also can be explicitly controlled by TypeModule.use and TypeModule.unuse. Typically, when loading a module for the first type, g_type_module_use() will be used to load it so that it can initialize its types. At some later point, when the module no longer needs to be loaded except for the type implementations it contains, g_type_module_unuse() is called.

GTypeModule does not actually provide any implementation of module loading and unloading. To create a particular module type you must derive from GTypeModule and implement the load and unload functions in GTypeModuleClass.

Methods

add_interface

def add_interface(self, instance_type: type | Type, interface_type: type | Type, interface_info: InterfaceInfo) -> None

Registers an additional interface for a type, whose interface lives in the given type plugin. If the interface was already registered for the type in this plugin, nothing will be done.

As long as any instances of the type exist, the type plugin will not be unloaded.

Since 2.56 if module is None this will call type_add_interface_static instead. This can be used when making a static build of the module.

Parameters:

  • instance_type — type to which to add the interface.
  • interface_type — interface type to add
  • interface_info — type information structure

register_enum

def register_enum(self, name: str, const_static_values: list[EnumValue]) -> type | Type

Looks up or registers an enumeration that is implemented with a particular type plugin. If a type with name type_name was previously registered, the GType identifier for the type is returned, otherwise the type is newly registered, and the resulting GType identifier returned.

As long as any instances of the type exist, the type plugin will not be unloaded.

Since 2.56 if module is None this will call type_register_static instead. This can be used when making a static build of the module.

Parameters:

  • name — name for the type
  • const_static_values — an array of EnumValue structs for the possible enumeration values. The array is terminated by a struct with all members being 0.

register_flags

def register_flags(self, name: str, const_static_values: list[FlagsValue]) -> type | Type

Looks up or registers a flags type that is implemented with a particular type plugin. If a type with name type_name was previously registered, the GType identifier for the type is returned, otherwise the type is newly registered, and the resulting GType identifier returned.

As long as any instances of the type exist, the type plugin will not be unloaded.

Since 2.56 if module is None this will call type_register_static instead. This can be used when making a static build of the module.

Parameters:

  • name — name for the type
  • const_static_values — an array of FlagsValue structs for the possible flags values. The array is terminated by a struct with all members being 0.

register_type

def register_type(self, parent_type: type | Type, type_name: str, type_info: TypeInfo, flags: TypeFlags | int) -> type | Type

Looks up or registers a type that is implemented with a particular type plugin. If a type with name type_name was previously registered, the GType identifier for the type is returned, otherwise the type is newly registered, and the resulting GType identifier returned.

When reregistering a type (typically because a module is unloaded then reloaded, and reinitialized), module and parent_type must be the same as they were previously.

As long as any instances of the type exist, the type plugin will not be unloaded.

Since 2.56 if module is None this will call type_register_static instead. This can be used when making a static build of the module.

Parameters:

  • parent_type — the type for the parent class
  • type_name — name for the type
  • type_info — type information structure
  • flags — flags field providing details about the type

set_name

def set_name(self, name: str) -> None

Sets the name for a TypeModule

Parameters:

  • name — a human-readable name to use in error messages.

unuse

def unuse(self) -> None

Decreases the use count of a TypeModule by one. If the result is zero, the module will be unloaded. (However, the TypeModule will not be freed, and types associated with the TypeModule are not unregistered. Once a TypeModule is initialized, it must exist forever.)

use

def use(self) -> bool

Increases the use count of a TypeModule by one. If the use count was zero before, the plugin will be loaded. If loading the plugin fails, the use count is reset to its prior value.

Virtual methods

do_load

def do_load(self) -> bool

loads the module and registers one or more types using TypeModule.register_type.

do_unload

def do_unload(self) -> None

unloads the module