Annotation Glossary

A

allow-none

NULL is OK, both for passing and for returning.

array

Parameter points to an array of items.

C

closure

This parameter is a 'user_data', for callbacks; many bindings can pass NULL here.

constructor

This symbol is a constructor, not a static method.

E

element-type

Generics and defining elements of containers and arrays.

I

in

Parameter for input. Default is transfer none.

inout

Parameter for input and for returning results. Default is transfer full.

N

nullable

NULL may be passed as the value in, out, in-out; or as a return value.

O

out

Parameter for returning results. Default is transfer full.

out callee-allocates

Out parameter, where callee must allocate storage.

out caller-allocates

Out parameter, where caller must allocate storage.

S

scope call

The callback is valid only during the call to the method.

scope notified

The callback is valid until the GDestroyNotify argument is called.

skip

Exposed in C code, not necessarily available in other languages.

Stable

The intention of a Stable interface is to enable arbitrary third parties to develop applications to these interfaces, release them, and have confidence that they will run on all minor releases of the product (after the one in which the interface was introduced, and within the same major release). Even at a major release, incompatible changes are expected to be rare, and to have strong justifications.

T

transfer container

The caller owns the data container, but not the data inside it.

transfer full

The caller owns the data, and is responsible for free it.

transfer none

The data is owned by the callee, which is responsible of freeing it.

type

Override the parsed C type with given type.

U

Unstable

Unstable interfaces are experimental or transitional. They are typically used to give outside developers early access to new or rapidly changing technology, or to provide an interim solution to a problem where a more general solution is anticipated. No claims are made about either source or binary compatibility from one minor release to the next. The Unstable interface level is a warning that these interfaces are subject to change without warning and should not be used in unbundled products. Given such caveats, customer impact need not be a factor when considering incompatible changes to an Unstable interface in a major or minor release. Nonetheless, when such changes are introduced, the changes should still be mentioned in the release notes for the affected release.

V

virtual

This is the invoker for a virtual method.