GIR metadata format - Vala Reference Manual

## 18. GIR metadata format

The `GIR` format actually has a lot of information for generating bindings, but it's a different language than Vala. Therefore, it's almost impossible to directly map a whole .gir file into a Vala tree, hence the need of metadata. On the other side we might want to use directly .gir + .metadata instead of generating a .vapi, but .vapi is more humanly readable and faster to parse than the GIR, hence the need of vapigen for generating a .vapi.

### 18.1 Locating metadata

The filename of a metadata for a `SomeLib.gir` must be `SomeLib.metadata`. By default Vala looks for .metadata into the same directory of the .gir file, however it's possible to specify other directories using the `--metadatadir` option.

### 18.2 Comments

Comments in the metadata have the same syntax as in Vala code:

    // this is a comment
    /*
     * multi-line comment
     */

### 18.3 Syntax

Metadata information for each symbol must provided on different lines:

> rule: pattern [ arguments ] [ relative-rules ] relative-rules: . pattern [ arguments ] [ relative-rules ] pattern: [ # selector ] [ . pattern ] arguments: [ = expression ] [ arguments ] expression: null true false - expression integer-literal real-literal string-literal symbol symbol: identifier [ . identifier ]

- Patterns are tied to the GIR tree: if a class `FooBar` contains a method `baz_method` then it can be referenced in the metadata as `FooBar.baz_method`.

- Selectors are used to specify a particular element name of the GIR tree, for example `FooBar.baz_method#method` will only select method elements whose name is baz_method. Useful to solve name collisions.

- Given a namespace named `Foo` a special pattern `Foo` is available for setting general arguments.

- If a GIR symbol matches multiple rules then all of them will be applied: if there are clashes among arguments, last written rules in the file take precedence.

- If the expression for an argument is not provided, it's treated as true by default.

- A relative rule is relative to the nearest preceding absolute rule. Metadata must contain at least one absolute rule. It's not possible to make a rule relative to another relative rule.

### 18.4 Valid arguments

Name | Applies to | Type | Description
skip | all | bool | Skip processing the symbol
hidden | all | bool | Process the symbol but hide from output
type | method, parameter, property, field, constant, alias | string | Complete Vala type
type_arguments | method, parameter, property, field, constant, alias | string | Vala type parameters for generics, separated by commas
cheader_filename | all including namespace | string | C headers separated by commas
name | all including namespace | string | Vala symbol name
owned | parameter | bool | Whether the parameter value should be owned
unowned | method, property, field, constant | bool | Whether the symbol is unowned
parent | all | string | Move the symbol to the specified container symbol. If no container exists, a new namespace will be created.
nullable | method, parameter, property, field, constant, alias | bool | Whether the type is nullable or not
deprecated | all | bool | Whether the symbol is deprecated or not
replacement | all | string | Deprecation replacement, implies `deprecated=true`
deprecated_since | all | string | Deprecated since version, implies `deprecated=true`
array | method, parameter, property, field, constant, alias | bool | Whether the type is an array or not
array_length_idx | parameter | int | The index of the C array length parameter
default | parameter | any | Default expression for the parameter
out | parameter | bool | Whether the parameter direction is out or not
ref | parameter | bool | Whether the parameter direction is ref or not
vfunc_name | method | string | Name of the C virtual function
virtual | method, signal, property | bool | Whether the symbol is virtual or not
abstract | method, signal, property | bool | Whether the symbol is abstract or not
scope | parameter (async method) | string | Scope of the delegate, in GIR terms
struct | record (detected as boxed compact class) | bool | Whether the boxed type must be threaten as struct instead of compact class
printf_format | method | bool | Add the [PrintfFormat] attribute to the method if true
array_length_field | field (array) | string | The name of the length field
sentinel | method | string | C expression of the last argument for varargs
closure | parameter | int | Specifies the index of the parameter representing the user data for this callback
errordomain | enumeration | bool | Whether the enumeration is an errordomain or not
destroys_instance | method | bool | Whether the instance is owned by the method
throws | method | string | Type of exception the method throws

### 18.5 Examples

Demonstrating...

#### Overriding Types

When you have the following expression:

    typedef GList MyList;

where `GList` will hold integers, use `type` metadata as follows:

    MyList type="GLib.List<int>"

The above metadata will generate the following code:

        public class MyList : GLib.List<int> {
            [CCode (has_construct_function = false)]
            protected MyList ();
            public static GLib.Type get_type ();
        }

Then you can use `GLib.List` or `NameSpace.MyList` as if equal.

#### Skipping Simbols

    MySimbol skip

#### More Examples

    // ...