GIRepository: libgirepository API Reference

## GIRepository GIRepository — GObject Introspection repository manager |

## Functions

GIRepository * | g_irepository_get_default ()
gchar ** | g_irepository_get_dependencies ()
gchar ** | g_irepository_get_immediate_dependencies ()
gchar ** | g_irepository_get_loaded_namespaces ()
gint | g_irepository_get_n_infos ()
GIBaseInfo * | g_irepository_get_info ()
GOptionGroup * | g_irepository_get_option_group ()
GList * | g_irepository_enumerate_versions ()
void | g_irepository_prepend_library_path ()
void | g_irepository_prepend_search_path ()
GSList * | g_irepository_get_search_path ()
const char * | g_irepository_load_typelib ()
const gchar * | g_irepository_get_typelib_path ()
gboolean | g_irepository_is_registered ()
GITypelib * | g_irepository_require ()
GITypelib * | g_irepository_require_private ()
const gchar * | g_irepository_get_c_prefix ()
const gchar * | g_irepository_get_shared_library ()
const gchar * | g_irepository_get_version ()
GIBaseInfo * | g_irepository_find_by_gtype ()
GIEnumInfo * | g_irepository_find_by_error_domain ()
GIBaseInfo * | g_irepository_find_by_name ()
void | g_irepository_get_object_gtype_interfaces ()
gboolean | g_irepository_dump ()
void | gi_cclosure_marshal_generic ()

## Types and Values

struct | GIRepository
enum | GIRepositoryLoadFlags
#define | G_IREPOSITORY_ERROR
enum | GIRepositoryError

## Object Hierarchy

        GObject
        ╰── GIRepository

## Includes

    #include <girepository.h>

## Description

GIRepository is used to manage repositories of namespaces. Namespaces are represented on disk by type libraries (.typelib files).

### Discovery of type libraries

GIRepository will typically look for a `girepository-1.0` directory under the library directory used when compiling gobject-introspection.

It is possible to control the search paths programmatically, using `g_irepository_prepend_search_path()`. It is also possible to modify the search paths by using the `GI_TYPELIB_PATH` environment variable. The environment variable takes precedence over the default search path and the `g_irepository_prepend_search_path()` calls.

## Functions

### g_irepository_get_default ()

    GIRepository *
    g_irepository_get_default (void);

Returns the singleton process-global default GIRepository. It is not currently supported to have multiple repositories in a particular process, but this function is provided in the unlikely eventuality that it would become possible, and as a convenience for higher level language bindings to conform to the GObject method call conventions.

All methods on GIRepository also accept `NULL` as an instance parameter to mean this default repository, which is usually more convenient for C.

#### Returns

The global singleton GIRepository.

[transfer none]

### g_irepository_get_dependencies ()

    gchar **
    g_irepository_get_dependencies (GIRepository *repository,
                                    const gchar *namespace_);

Return an array of all (transitive) versioned dependencies for `namespace_` . Returned strings are of the form

`namespace-version`.

Note: `namespace_` must have already been loaded using a function such as `g_irepository_require()` before calling this function.

To get only the immediate dependencies for `namespace_` , use `g_irepository_get_immediate_dependencies()`.

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [allow-none]
namespace_ | Namespace of interest |

#### Returns

Zero-terminated string array of all versioned dependencies.

[transfer full]

### g_irepository_get_immediate_dependencies ()

    gchar **
    g_irepository_get_immediate_dependencies
                                   (GIRepository *repository,
                                    const gchar *namespace_);

Return an array of the immediate versioned dependencies for `namespace_` . Returned strings are of the form `namespace-version`.

Note: `namespace_` must have already been loaded using a function such as `g_irepository_require()` before calling this function.

To get the transitive closure of dependencies for `namespace_` , use `g_irepository_get_dependencies()`.

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [nullable]
namespace_ | Namespace of interest |

#### Returns

Zero-terminated string array of immediate versioned dependencies.

[transfer full]

Since: 1.44

### g_irepository_get_loaded_namespaces ()

    gchar **
    g_irepository_get_loaded_namespaces (GIRepository *repository);

Return the list of currently loaded namespaces.

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [allow-none]

#### Returns

List of namespaces.

[element-type utf8][transfer full]

### g_irepository_get_n_infos ()

    gint
    g_irepository_get_n_infos (GIRepository *repository,
                               const gchar *namespace_);

This function returns the number of metadata entries in given namespace `namespace_` . The namespace must have already been loaded before calling this function.

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [allow-none]
namespace_ | Namespace to inspect |

#### Returns

number of metadata entries

### g_irepository_get_info ()

    GIBaseInfo *
    g_irepository_get_info (GIRepository *repository,
                            const gchar *namespace_,
                            gint index);

This function returns a particular metadata entry in the given namespace `namespace_` . The namespace must have already been loaded before calling this function. See `g_irepository_get_n_infos()` to find the maximum number of entries.

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [allow-none]
namespace_ | Namespace to inspect |
index | 0-based offset into namespace metadata for entry |

#### Returns

GIBaseInfo containing metadata.

[transfer full]

### g_irepository_get_option_group ()

    GOptionGroup *
    g_irepository_get_option_group (void);

Obtain the option group for girepository, it's used by the dumper and for programs that wants to provide introspection information

#### Returns

the option group.

[transfer full]

### g_irepository_enumerate_versions ()

    GList *
    g_irepository_enumerate_versions (GIRepository *repository,
                                      const gchar *namespace_);

Obtain an unordered list of versions (either currently loaded or available) for `namespace_` in this `repository` .

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [allow-none]
namespace_ | GI namespace, e.g. "Gtk" |

#### Returns

the array of versions.

[element-type utf8][transfer full]

### g_irepository_prepend_library_path ()

    void
    g_irepository_prepend_library_path (const char *directory);

Prepends `directory` to the search path that is used to search shared libraries referenced by imported namespaces. Multiple calls to this function all contribute to the final list of paths. The list of paths is unique and shared for all GIRepository instances across the process, but it doesn't affect namespaces imported before the call.

If the library is not found in the directories configured in this way, loading will fall back to the system library path (ie. LD_LIBRARY_PATH and DT_RPATH in ELF systems). See the documentation of your dynamic linker for full details.

#### Parameters

directory | a single directory to scan for shared libraries. | [type filename]

Since: 1.36

### g_irepository_prepend_search_path ()

    void
    g_irepository_prepend_search_path (const char *directory);

Prepends `directory` to the typelib search path.

See also: `g_irepository_get_search_path()`.

#### Parameters

directory | directory name to prepend to the typelib search path. | [type filename]

### g_irepository_get_search_path ()

    GSList *
    g_irepository_get_search_path (void);

Returns the current search path GIRepository will use when loading typelib files. The list is internal to GIRepository and should not be freed, nor should its string elements.

#### Returns

GSList of strings.

[element-type filename][transfer none]

### g_irepository_load_typelib ()

    const char *
    g_irepository_load_typelib (GIRepository *repository,
                                GITypelib *typelib,
                                GIRepositoryLoadFlags flags,
                                GError **error);

TODO

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [allow-none]
typelib | TODO |
flags | TODO |
error | TODO |

### g_irepository_get_typelib_path ()

    const gchar *
    g_irepository_get_typelib_path (GIRepository *repository,
                                    const gchar *namespace_);

If namespace `namespace_` is loaded, return the full path to the .typelib file it was loaded from. If the typelib for namespace `namespace_` was included in a shared library, return the special string "<builtin>".

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [allow-none]
namespace_ | GI namespace to use, e.g. "Gtk" |

#### Returns

Filesystem path (or $lt;builtin$gt;) if successful, `NULL` if namespace is not loaded

### g_irepository_is_registered ()

    gboolean
    g_irepository_is_registered (GIRepository *repository,
                                 const gchar *namespace_,
                                 const gchar *version);

Check whether a particular namespace (and optionally, a specific version thereof) is currently loaded. This function is likely to only be useful in unusual circumstances; in order to act upon metadata in the namespace, you should call `g_irepository_require()` instead which will ensure the namespace is loaded, and return as quickly as this function will if it has already been loaded.

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [allow-none]
namespace_ | Namespace of interest |
version | Required version, may be `NULL` for latest. | [allow-none]

#### Returns

`TRUE` if namespace-version is loaded, `FALSE` otherwise

### g_irepository_require ()

    GITypelib *
    g_irepository_require (GIRepository *repository,
                           const gchar *namespace_,
                           const gchar *version,
                           GIRepositoryLoadFlags flags,
                           GError **error);

Force the namespace `namespace_` to be loaded if it isn't already. If `namespace_` is not loaded, this function will search for a ".typelib" file using the repository search path. In addition, a version `version` of namespace may be specified. If `version` is not specified, the latest will be used.

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [allow-none]
namespace_ | GI namespace to use, e.g. "Gtk" |
version | Version of namespace, may be `NULL` for latest. | [allow-none]
flags | Set of `GIRepositoryLoadFlags`, may be 0 |
error | a GError. |

#### Returns

a pointer to the GITypelib if successful, `NULL` otherwise.

[transfer none]

### g_irepository_require_private ()

    GITypelib *
    g_irepository_require_private (GIRepository *repository,
                                   const gchar *typelib_dir,
                                   const gchar *namespace_,
                                   const gchar *version,
                                   GIRepositoryLoadFlags flags,
                                   GError **error);

Force the namespace `namespace_` to be loaded if it isn't already. If `namespace_` is not loaded, this function will search for a ".typelib" file within the private directory only. In addition, a version `version` of namespace should be specified. If `version` is not specified, the latest will be used.

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [allow-none]
typelib_dir | Private directory where to find the requested typelib |
namespace_ | GI namespace to use, e.g. "Gtk" |
version | Version of namespace, may be `NULL` for latest. | [allow-none]
flags | Set of `GIRepositoryLoadFlags`, may be 0 |
error | a GError. |

#### Returns

a pointer to the GITypelib if successful, `NULL` otherwise.

[transfer none]

### g_irepository_get_c_prefix ()

    const gchar *
    g_irepository_get_c_prefix (GIRepository *repository,
                                const gchar *namespace_);

This function returns the "C prefix", or the C level namespace associated with the given introspection namespace. Each C symbol starts with this prefix, as well each GType in the library.

Note: The namespace must have already been loaded using a function such as `g_irepository_require()` before calling this function.

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [allow-none]
namespace_ | Namespace to inspect |

#### Returns

C namespace prefix, or `NULL` if none associated

### g_irepository_get_shared_library ()

    const gchar *
    g_irepository_get_shared_library (GIRepository *repository,
                                      const gchar *namespace_);

This function returns a comma-separated list of paths to the shared C libraries associated with the given namespace `namespace_` . There may be no shared library path associated, in which case this function will return `NULL`.

Note: The namespace must have already been loaded using a function such as `g_irepository_require()` before calling this function.

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [allow-none]
namespace_ | Namespace to inspect |

#### Returns

Comma-separated list of paths to shared libraries, or `NULL` if none are associated.

[nullable]

### g_irepository_get_version ()

    const gchar *
    g_irepository_get_version (GIRepository *repository,
                               const gchar *namespace_);

This function returns the loaded version associated with the given namespace `namespace_` .

Note: The namespace must have already been loaded using a function such as `g_irepository_require()` before calling this function.

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [allow-none]
namespace_ | Namespace to inspect |

#### Returns

Loaded version

### g_irepository_find_by_gtype ()

    GIBaseInfo *
    g_irepository_find_by_gtype (GIRepository *repository,
                                 GType gtype);

Searches all loaded namespaces for a particular GType. Note that in order to locate the metadata, the namespace corresponding to the type must first have been loaded. There is currently no mechanism for determining the namespace which corresponds to an arbitrary GType - thus, this function will operate most reliably when you know the GType to originate from be from a loaded namespace.

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [allow-none]
gtype | GType to search for |

#### Returns

GIBaseInfo representing metadata about `type` , or `NULL`.

[transfer full]

### g_irepository_find_by_error_domain ()

    GIEnumInfo *
    g_irepository_find_by_error_domain (GIRepository *repository,
                                        GQuark domain);

Searches for the enum type corresponding to the given GError domain. Before calling this function for a particular namespace, you must call `g_irepository_require()` once to load the namespace, or otherwise ensure the namespace has already been loaded.

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [allow-none]
domain | a GError domain |

#### Returns

GIEnumInfo representing metadata about `domain` 's enum type, or `NULL`.

[transfer full]

Since: 1.30

### g_irepository_find_by_name ()

    GIBaseInfo *
    g_irepository_find_by_name (GIRepository *repository,
                                const gchar *namespace_,
                                const gchar *name);

Searches for a particular entry in a namespace. Before calling this function for a particular namespace, you must call `g_irepository_require()` once to load the namespace, or otherwise ensure the namespace has already been loaded.

#### Parameters

repository | A GIRepository or `NULL` for the singleton process-global default GIRepository. | [allow-none]
namespace_ | Namespace which will be searched |
name | Entry name to find |

#### Returns

GIBaseInfo representing metadata about `name` , or `NULL`.

[transfer full]

### g_irepository_get_object_gtype_interfaces ()

    void
    g_irepository_get_object_gtype_interfaces
                                   (GIRepository *repository,
                                    GType gtype,
                                    guint *n_interfaces_out,
                                    GIInterfaceInfo ***interfaces_out);

Look up the implemented interfaces for `gtype` . This function cannot fail per se; but for a totally "unknown" GType, it may return 0 implemented interfaces.

The semantics of this function are designed for a dynamic binding, where in certain cases (such as a function which returns an interface which may have "hidden" implementation classes), not all data may be statically known, and will have to be determined from the GType of the object. An example is `g_file_new_for_path()` returning a concrete class of GLocalFile, which is a GType we see at runtime, but not statically.

#### Parameters

repository | a GIRepository, or `NULL` for the default repository. | [nullable]
gtype | a GType whose fundamental type is G_TYPE_OBJECT |
n_interfaces_out | Number of interfaces. | [out]
interfaces_out | Interfaces for `gtype` . | [out][transfer none][array length=n_interfaces_out]

Since: 1.62

### g_irepository_dump ()

    gboolean
    g_irepository_dump (const char *arg,
                        GError **error);

Argument specified is a comma-separated pair of filenames; i.e. of the form "input.txt,output.xml". The input file should be a UTF-8 Unix-line-ending text file, with each line containing either "get-type:" followed by the name of a GType _get_type function, or "error-quark:" followed by the name of an error quark function. No extra whitespace is allowed.

The output file should already exist, but be empty. This function will overwrite its contents.

#### Parameters

arg | Comma-separated pair of input and output filenames |
error | a `GError` |

#### Returns

`TRUE` on success, `FALSE` on error

### gi_cclosure_marshal_generic ()

    void
    gi_cclosure_marshal_generic (GClosure *closure,
                                 GValue *return_gvalue,
                                 guint n_param_values,
                                 const GValue *param_values,
                                 gpointer invocation_hint,
                                 gpointer marshal_data);

TODO

[skip]

#### Parameters

closure | TODO |
return_gvalue | TODO |
n_param_values | TODO |
param_values | TODO |
invocation_hint | TODO |
marshal_data | TODO |

## Types and Values

### struct GIRepository

    struct GIRepository;

The GIRepository structure contains private data and should only be accessed using the provided API.

### enum GIRepositoryLoadFlags

Flags that control how a typelib is loaded.

#### Members

G_IREPOSITORY_LOAD_FLAG_LAZY | Lazily load the typelib. |

### G_IREPOSITORY_ERROR

    #define G_IREPOSITORY_ERROR (g_irepository_error_quark ())

Error domain for GIRepository. Errors in this domain will be from the GIRepositoryError enumeration. See GError for more information on error domains.

### enum GIRepositoryError

An error code used with G_IREPOSITORY_ERROR in a GError returned from a GIRepository routine.

#### Members

G_IREPOSITORY_ERROR_TYPELIB_NOT_FOUND | the typelib could not be found. |
G_IREPOSITORY_ERROR_NAMESPACE_MISMATCH | the namespace does not match the requested namespace. |
G_IREPOSITORY_ERROR_NAMESPACE_VERSION_CONFLICT | the version of the typelib does not match the requested version. |
G_IREPOSITORY_ERROR_LIBRARY_NOT_FOUND | the library used by the typelib could not be found. |