<refentry id="GTypeModule">
<refmeta>
<refentrytitle>GTypeModule</refentrytitle>
<manvolnum>3</manvolnum>
<refmiscinfo>GOBJECT Library</refmiscinfo>
</refmeta>

<refnamediv>
<refname>GTypeModule</refname><refpurpose>Type loading modules</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>

<refsynopsisdiv><title>Synopsis</title>

<synopsis>

#include &lt;glib-object.h&gt;


struct      <link linkend="GTypeModule-struct">GTypeModule</link>;
struct      <link linkend="GTypeModuleClass">GTypeModuleClass</link>;
<link linkend="gboolean">gboolean</link>    <link linkend="g-type-module-use">g_type_module_use</link>               (<link linkend="GTypeModule">GTypeModule</link> *module);
<link linkend="void">void</link>        <link linkend="g-type-module-unuse">g_type_module_unuse</link>             (<link linkend="GTypeModule">GTypeModule</link> *module);
<link linkend="void">void</link>        <link linkend="g-type-module-set-name">g_type_module_set_name</link>          (<link linkend="GTypeModule">GTypeModule</link> *module,
                                             const <link linkend="gchar">gchar</link> *name);
<link linkend="GType">GType</link>       <link linkend="g-type-module-register-type">g_type_module_register_type</link>     (<link linkend="GTypeModule">GTypeModule</link> *module,
                                             <link linkend="GType">GType</link> parent_type,
                                             const <link linkend="gchar">gchar</link> *type_name,
                                             const <link linkend="GTypeInfo">GTypeInfo</link> *type_info,
                                             <link linkend="GTypeFlags">GTypeFlags</link> flags);
<link linkend="void">void</link>        <link linkend="g-type-module-add-interface">g_type_module_add_interface</link>     (<link linkend="GTypeModule">GTypeModule</link> *module,
                                             <link linkend="GType">GType</link> instance_type,
                                             <link linkend="GType">GType</link> interface_type,
                                             const <link linkend="GInterfaceInfo">GInterfaceInfo</link> *interface_info);

</synopsis>
</refsynopsisdiv>

<refsect1>
<title>Object Hierarchy</title>
<synopsis>

  <link linkend="GObject">GObject</link>
   +----GTypeModule
</synopsis>

</refsect1>



<refsect1>
<title>Implemented Interfaces</title>
<para>
GTypeModule implements
 <link linkend="GTypePlugin">GTypePlugin</link>.</para>

</refsect1>





<refsect1>
<title>Description</title>
<para>
<link linkend="GTypeModule"><type>GTypeModule</type></link> provides a simple implementation of the <link linkend="GTypePlugin"><type>GTypePlugin</type></link>
interface. The model of <link linkend="GTypeModule"><type>GTypeModule</type></link> 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 <link linkend="g-type-module-register-type"><function>g_type_module_register_type()</function></link> and
<link linkend="g-type-module-add-interface"><function>g_type_module_add_interface()</function></link>.  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.
</para>
<para>
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
<link linkend="g-type-module-use"><function>g_type_module_use()</function></link> and <link linkend="g-type-module-unuse"><function>g_type_module_unuse()</function></link>. Typically, when loading
a module for the first type, <link linkend="g-type-module-use"><function>g_type_module_use()</function></link> 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, <link linkend="g-type-module-unuse"><function>g_type_module_unuse()</function></link> is called.
</para>
<para>
<link linkend="GTypeModule"><type>GTypeModule</type></link> does not actually provide any implementation of module
loading and unloading. To create a particular module type you must
derive from <link linkend="GTypeModule"><type>GTypeModule</type></link> and implement the load and unload functions
in <link linkend="GTypeModuleClass"><type>GTypeModuleClass</type></link>.
</para>
</refsect1>

<refsect1>
<title>Details</title>
<refsect2>
<title><anchor id="GTypeModule-struct"/>struct GTypeModule</title>
<indexterm><primary>GTypeModule</primary></indexterm><programlisting>struct GTypeModule {
  gchar *name;
};
</programlisting>
<para>
The members of the <structname>GTypeModule</structname> structure should not 
be accessed directly, except for the <parameter>name</parameter> field.
</para></refsect2>
<refsect2>
<title><anchor id="GTypeModuleClass"/>struct GTypeModuleClass</title>
<indexterm><primary>GTypeModuleClass</primary></indexterm><programlisting>struct GTypeModuleClass {

  GObjectClass parent_class;

  gboolean (* load)   (GTypeModule *module);
  void     (* unload) (GTypeModule *module);

};
</programlisting>
<para>
In order to implement dynamic loading of types based on <link linkend="GTypeModule"><type>GTypeModule</type></link>, 
the <parameter>load</parameter> and <parameter>unload</parameter> functions in <link linkend="GTypeModuleClass"><type>GTypeModuleClass</type></link> must be implemented.
</para><variablelist role="struct">
<varlistentry>
<term><link linkend="GObjectClass">GObjectClass</link> <structfield>parent_class</structfield></term>
<listitem><simpara>
</simpara></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><link linkend="gboolean">gboolean</link> (*<structfield>load</structfield>) (GTypeModule *module)</term>
<listitem><simpara>loads the module and registers one or more types using
  <link linkend="g-type-module-register-type"><function>g_type_module_register_type()</function></link>.
</simpara></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><link linkend="void">void</link> (*<structfield>unload</structfield>) (GTypeModule *module)</term>
<listitem><simpara>unloads the module

</simpara></listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist></refsect2>
<refsect2>
<title><anchor id="g-type-module-use"/>g_type_module_use ()</title>
<indexterm><primary>g_type_module_use</primary></indexterm><programlisting><link linkend="gboolean">gboolean</link>    g_type_module_use               (<link linkend="GTypeModule">GTypeModule</link> *module);</programlisting>
<para>
Increases the use count of a <link linkend="GTypeModule"><type>GTypeModule</type></link> by one. If the
use count was zero before, the plugin will be loaded.
</para><variablelist role="params">
<varlistentry><term><parameter>module</parameter>&nbsp;:</term>
<listitem><simpara>a <link linkend="GTypeModule"><type>GTypeModule</type></link>
</simpara></listitem></varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term><emphasis>Returns</emphasis> :</term><listitem><simpara><literal>FALSE</literal> if the plugin needed to be loaded and
          loading the plugin failed.


</simpara></listitem></varlistentry>
</variablelist></refsect2>
<refsect2>
<title><anchor id="g-type-module-unuse"/>g_type_module_unuse ()</title>
<indexterm><primary>g_type_module_unuse</primary></indexterm><programlisting><link linkend="void">void</link>        g_type_module_unuse             (<link linkend="GTypeModule">GTypeModule</link> *module);</programlisting>
<para>
Decreases the use count of a <link linkend="GTypeModule"><type>GTypeModule</type></link> by one. If the
result is zero, the module will be unloaded. (However, the
<link linkend="GTypeModule"><type>GTypeModule</type></link> will not be freed, and types associated with the
<link linkend="GTypeModule"><type>GTypeModule</type></link> are not unregistered. Once a <link linkend="GTypeModule"><type>GTypeModule</type></link> is 
initialized, it must exist forever.)
</para><variablelist role="params">
<varlistentry><term><parameter>module</parameter>&nbsp;:</term>
<listitem><simpara>a <link linkend="GTypeModule"><type>GTypeModule</type></link>


</simpara></listitem></varlistentry>
</variablelist></refsect2>
<refsect2>
<title><anchor id="g-type-module-set-name"/>g_type_module_set_name ()</title>
<indexterm><primary>g_type_module_set_name</primary></indexterm><programlisting><link linkend="void">void</link>        g_type_module_set_name          (<link linkend="GTypeModule">GTypeModule</link> *module,
                                             const <link linkend="gchar">gchar</link> *name);</programlisting>
<para>
Sets the name for a <link linkend="GTypeModule"><type>GTypeModule</type></link> 
</para><variablelist role="params">
<varlistentry><term><parameter>module</parameter>&nbsp;:</term>
<listitem><simpara>a <link linkend="GTypeModule"><type>GTypeModule</type></link>.
</simpara></listitem></varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term><parameter>name</parameter>&nbsp;:</term>
<listitem><simpara>a human-readable name to use in error messages.


</simpara></listitem></varlistentry>
</variablelist></refsect2>
<refsect2>
<title><anchor id="g-type-module-register-type"/>g_type_module_register_type ()</title>
<indexterm><primary>g_type_module_register_type</primary></indexterm><programlisting><link linkend="GType">GType</link>       g_type_module_register_type     (<link linkend="GTypeModule">GTypeModule</link> *module,
                                             <link linkend="GType">GType</link> parent_type,
                                             const <link linkend="gchar">gchar</link> *type_name,
                                             const <link linkend="GTypeInfo">GTypeInfo</link> *type_info,
                                             <link linkend="GTypeFlags">GTypeFlags</link> flags);</programlisting>
<para>
Looks up or registers a type that is implemented with a particular
type plugin. If a type with name <parameter>type_name</parameter> was previously registered,
the <link linkend="GType"><type>GType</type></link> identifier for the type is returned, otherwise the type
is newly registered, and the resulting <link linkend="GType"><type>GType</type></link> identifier returned.
</para>
<para>
When reregistering a type (typically because a module is unloaded
then reloaded, and reinitialized), <parameter>module</parameter> and <parameter>parent_type</parameter> must
be the same as they were previously.
</para>
<para>
As long as any instances of the type exist, the type plugin will
not be unloaded.
</para><variablelist role="params">
<varlistentry><term><parameter>module</parameter>&nbsp;:</term>
<listitem><simpara> a <link linkend="GTypeModule"><type>GTypeModule</type></link>
</simpara></listitem></varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term><parameter>parent_type</parameter>&nbsp;:</term>
<listitem><simpara>   the type for the parent class
</simpara></listitem></varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term><parameter>type_name</parameter>&nbsp;:</term>
<listitem><simpara>     name for the type
</simpara></listitem></varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term><parameter>type_info</parameter>&nbsp;:</term>
<listitem><simpara>     type information structure
</simpara></listitem></varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term><parameter>flags</parameter>&nbsp;:</term>
<listitem><simpara>         flags field providing details about the type
</simpara></listitem></varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term><emphasis>Returns</emphasis> :</term><listitem><simpara>the new or existing type ID


</simpara></listitem></varlistentry>
</variablelist></refsect2>
<refsect2>
<title><anchor id="g-type-module-add-interface"/>g_type_module_add_interface ()</title>
<indexterm><primary>g_type_module_add_interface</primary></indexterm><programlisting><link linkend="void">void</link>        g_type_module_add_interface     (<link linkend="GTypeModule">GTypeModule</link> *module,
                                             <link linkend="GType">GType</link> instance_type,
                                             <link linkend="GType">GType</link> interface_type,
                                             const <link linkend="GInterfaceInfo">GInterfaceInfo</link> *interface_info);</programlisting>
<para>
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. 
</para>
<para>
As long as any instances of the type exist, the type plugin will
not be unloaded.
</para><variablelist role="params">
<varlistentry><term><parameter>module</parameter>&nbsp;:</term>
<listitem><simpara>a <link linkend="GTypeModule"><type>GTypeModule</type></link>
</simpara></listitem></varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term><parameter>instance_type</parameter>&nbsp;:</term>
<listitem><simpara>type to which to add the interface.
</simpara></listitem></varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term><parameter>interface_type</parameter>&nbsp;:</term>
<listitem><simpara>interface type to add
</simpara></listitem></varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term><parameter>interface_info</parameter>&nbsp;:</term>
<listitem><simpara>type information structure


</simpara></listitem></varlistentry>
</variablelist></refsect2>

</refsect1>



<refsect1>
<title>See Also</title>
<para>
<variablelist>

<varlistentry>
<term><link linkend="GTypePlugin"><type>GTypePlugin</type></link></term>
<listitem><para>The abstract type loader interface.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term><link linkend="GModule"><type>GModule</type></link></term>
<listitem><para>Portable mechanism for dynamically loaded modules.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>

</variablelist>
</para>
</refsect1>

</refentry>
