## GstPluginFeature GstPluginFeature — Base class for contents of a GstPlugin |

## Synopsis

    #include <gst/gst.h>

                        GstPluginFeature;
    gboolean            (*GstPluginFeatureFilter)           (GstPluginFeature *feature,
                                                             gpointer user_data);
    enum                GstRank;
    void                gst_plugin_feature_set_rank         (GstPluginFeature *feature,
                                                             guint rank);
    #define             gst_plugin_feature_set_name         (feature,
                                                             name)
    guint               gst_plugin_feature_get_rank         (GstPluginFeature *feature);
    #define             gst_plugin_feature_get_name         (feature)
    GstPlugin *         gst_plugin_feature_get_plugin       (GstPluginFeature *feature);
    const gchar *       gst_plugin_feature_get_plugin_name  (GstPluginFeature *feature);
    GstPluginFeature *  gst_plugin_feature_load             (GstPluginFeature *feature);
    GList *             gst_plugin_feature_list_copy        (GList *list);
    void                gst_plugin_feature_list_free        (GList *list);
    #define             GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE_LIST_DEBUG       (list)
    gboolean            gst_plugin_feature_check_version    (GstPluginFeature *feature,
                                                             guint min_major,
                                                             guint min_minor,
                                                             guint min_micro);
    gint                gst_plugin_feature_rank_compare_func
                                                            (gconstpointer p1,
                                                             gconstpointer p2);

## Object Hierarchy

      GObject
       +----GInitiallyUnowned
             +----GstObject
                   +----GstPluginFeature
                         +----GstElementFactory
                         +----GstTypeFindFactory

## Description

This is a base class for anything that can be added to a GstPlugin.

## Details

### GstPluginFeature

    typedef struct _GstPluginFeature GstPluginFeature;

Opaque GstPluginFeature structure.

### GstPluginFeatureFilter ()

    gboolean            (*GstPluginFeatureFilter)           (GstPluginFeature *feature,
                                                             gpointer user_data);

A function that can be used with e.g. `gst_registry_feature_filter()` to get a list of pluginfeature that match certain criteria.

`feature` : | the pluginfeature to check
`user_data` : | the user_data that has been passed on e.g. `gst_registry_feature_filter()`
Returns : | `TRUE` for a positive match, `FALSE` otherwise

### enum GstRank

    typedef enum {
      GST_RANK_NONE                 = 0,
      GST_RANK_MARGINAL             = 64,
      GST_RANK_SECONDARY            = 128,
      GST_RANK_PRIMARY              = 256
    } GstRank;

Element priority ranks. Defines the order in which the autoplugger (or similar rank-picking mechanisms, such as e.g. `gst_element_make_from_uri()`) will choose this element over an alternative one with the same function.

These constants serve as a rough guidance for defining the rank of a GstPluginFeature. Any value is valid, including values bigger than `GST_RANK_PRIMARY`.

`GST_RANK_NONE` | will be chosen last or not at all
`GST_RANK_MARGINAL` | unlikely to be chosen
`GST_RANK_SECONDARY` | likely to be chosen
`GST_RANK_PRIMARY` | will be chosen first

### gst_plugin_feature_set_rank ()

    void                gst_plugin_feature_set_rank         (GstPluginFeature *feature,
                                                             guint rank);

Specifies a rank for a plugin feature, so that autoplugging uses the most appropriate feature.

`feature` : | feature to rank
`rank` : | rank value - higher number means more priority rank

### gst_plugin_feature_set_name()

    #define                 gst_plugin_feature_set_name(feature,name) gst_object_set_name(GST_OBJECT_CAST(feature),name)

Sets the name of the plugin feature, getting rid of the old name if there was one.

`feature` : | a GstPluginFeature to set the name of.
`name` : | the new name

### gst_plugin_feature_get_rank ()

    guint               gst_plugin_feature_get_rank         (GstPluginFeature *feature);

Gets the rank of a plugin feature.

`feature` : | a feature
Returns : | The rank of the feature

### gst_plugin_feature_get_name()

    #define                 gst_plugin_feature_get_name(feature)      GST_OBJECT_NAME(feature)

Returns the name of `feature`. For a nameless plugin feature, this returns NULL.

`feature` : | a GstPluginFeature to get the name of `feature`.
Returns : | the name of `feature`. MT safe. [transfer none]

### gst_plugin_feature_get_plugin ()

    GstPlugin *         gst_plugin_feature_get_plugin       (GstPluginFeature *feature);

Get the plugin that provides this feature.

`feature` : | a feature
Returns : | the plugin that provides this feature, or `NULL`. Unref with `gst_object_unref()` when no longer needed. [transfer full]

### gst_plugin_feature_get_plugin_name ()

    const gchar *       gst_plugin_feature_get_plugin_name  (GstPluginFeature *feature);

Get the name of the plugin that provides this feature.

`feature` : | a feature
Returns : | the name of the plugin that provides this feature, or `NULL` if the feature is not associated with a plugin.

Since 1.2.0

### gst_plugin_feature_load ()

    GstPluginFeature *  gst_plugin_feature_load             (GstPluginFeature *feature);

Loads the plugin containing `feature` if it's not already loaded. `feature` is unaffected; use the return value instead.

Normally this function is used like this:

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    GstPluginFeature *loaded_feature;

    loaded_feature = gst_plugin_feature_load (feature);
    // presumably, we're no longer interested in the potentially-unloaded feature
    gst_object_unref (feature);
    feature = loaded_feature;

`feature` : | the plugin feature to check. [transfer none]
Returns : | a reference to the loaded feature, or NULL on error. [transfer full]

### gst_plugin_feature_list_copy ()

    GList *             gst_plugin_feature_list_copy        (GList *list);

Copies the list of features. Caller should call `gst_plugin_feature_list_free` when done with the list.

`list` : | list of GstPluginFeature. [transfer none][element-type Gst.PluginFeature]
Returns : | a copy of `list`, with each feature's reference count incremented. [transfer full][element-type Gst.PluginFeature]

### gst_plugin_feature_list_free ()

    void                gst_plugin_feature_list_free        (GList *list);

Unrefs each member of `list`, then frees the list.

`list` : | list of GstPluginFeature. [transfer full][element-type Gst.PluginFeature]

### GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE_LIST_DEBUG()

    #define GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE_LIST_DEBUG(list) gst_plugin_feature_list_debug(list)

Debug the plugin feature names in `list`.

`list` : | a GList of plugin features. [transfer none][element-type Gst.PluginFeature]

### gst_plugin_feature_check_version ()

    gboolean            gst_plugin_feature_check_version    (GstPluginFeature *feature,
                                                             guint min_major,
                                                             guint min_minor,
                                                             guint min_micro);

Checks whether the given plugin feature is at least the required version

`feature` : | a feature
`min_major` : | minimum required major version
`min_minor` : | minimum required minor version
`min_micro` : | minimum required micro version
Returns : | TRUE if the plugin feature has at least the required version, otherwise FALSE.

### gst_plugin_feature_rank_compare_func ()

    gint                gst_plugin_feature_rank_compare_func
                                                            (gconstpointer p1,
                                                             gconstpointer p2);

Compares the two given GstPluginFeature instances. This function can be used as a GCompareFunc when sorting by rank and then by name.

`p1` : | a GstPluginFeature
`p2` : | a GstPluginFeature
Returns : | negative value if the rank of p1 > the rank of p2 or the ranks are equal but the name of p1 comes before the name of p2; zero if the rank and names are equal; positive value if the rank of p1 < the rank of p2 or the ranks are equal but the name of p2 comes before the name of p1

## See Also

GstPlugin