usage.dox - aom - Git at Google

 /*!\page usage Usage

     The aom multi-format codec SDK provides a unified interface amongst its
     supported codecs. This abstraction allows applications using this SDK to
     easily support multiple video formats with minimal code duplication or
     "special casing." This section describes the interface common to all codecs.
     For codec-specific details, see the \ref codecs page.

     The following sections are common to all codecs:
     - \ref usage_types
     - \ref usage_features
     - \ref usage_init
     - \ref usage_errors

     For more information on decoder and encoder specific usage, see the
     following pages:
     \if decoder
     \li \subpage usage_decode
     \endif
     \if encoder
     \li \subpage usage_encode
     \endif

     \section usage_types Important Data Types
     There are two important data structures to consider in this interface.

     \subsection usage_ctxs Contexts
     A context is a storage area allocated by the calling application that the
     codec may write into to store details about a single instance of that codec.
     Most of the context is implementation specific, and thus opaque to the
     application. The context structure as seen by the application is of fixed
     size, and thus can be allocated with automatic storage or dynamically
     on the heap.

     Most operations require an initialized codec context. Codec context
     instances are codec specific. That is, the codec to be used for the encoded
     video must be known at initialization time. See #aom_codec_ctx_t for further
     information.

     \subsection usage_ifaces Interfaces
     A codec interface is an opaque structure that controls how function calls
     into the generic interface are dispatched to their codec-specific
     implementations. Applications \ref MUSTNOT attempt to examine or override
     this storage, as it contains internal implementation details likely to
     change from release to release.

     Each supported codec will expose an interface structure to the application
     as an <code>extern</code> reference to a structure of the incomplete type
     #aom_codec_iface_t.

     \section usage_features Features
     Several "features" are defined that are optionally implemented by codec
     algorithms. Indeed, the same algorithm may support different features on
     different platforms. The purpose of defining these features is that when
     they are implemented, they conform to a common interface. The features, or
     capabilities, of an algorithm can be queried from it's interface by using
     the aom_codec_get_caps() method. Attempts to invoke features not supported
     by an algorithm will generally result in #AOM_CODEC_INCAPABLE.

     \if decoder
     Currently defined decoder features include:
     - \ref usage_cb
     \endif

     \section usage_init Initialization
     To initialize a codec instance, the address of the codec context
     and interface structures are passed to an initialization function. Depending
     on the \ref usage_features that the codec supports, the codec could be
     initialized in different modes.

     To prevent cases of confusion where the ABI of the library changes,
     the ABI is versioned. The ABI version number must be passed at
     initialization time to ensure the application is using a header file that
     matches the library. The current ABI version number is stored in the
     preprocessor macros #AOM_CODEC_ABI_VERSION, #AOM_ENCODER_ABI_VERSION, and
     #AOM_DECODER_ABI_VERSION. For convenience, each initialization function has
     a wrapper macro that inserts the correct version number. These macros are
     named like the initialization methods, but without the _ver suffix.


     The available initialization methods are:
     \if encoder
     \li #aom_codec_enc_init (calls aom_codec_enc_init_ver())
     \li #aom_codec_enc_init_multi (calls aom_codec_enc_init_multi_ver())
     \endif
     \if decoder
     \li #aom_codec_dec_init (calls aom_codec_dec_init_ver())
     \endif


     \section usage_errors Error Handling
     Almost all codec functions return an error status of type #aom_codec_err_t.
     The semantics of how each error condition should be processed is clearly
     defined in the definitions of each enumerated value. Error values can be
     converted into ASCII strings with the aom_codec_error() and
     aom_codec_err_to_string() methods. The difference between these two methods is
     that aom_codec_error() returns the error state from an initialized context,
     whereas aom_codec_err_to_string() can be used in cases where an error occurs
     outside any context. The enumerated value returned from the last call can be
     retrieved from the <code>err</code> member of the decoder context as well.
     Finally, more detailed error information may be able to be obtained by using
     the aom_codec_error_detail() method. Not all errors produce detailed error
     information.

     In addition to error information, the codec library's build configuration
     is available at runtime on some platforms. This information can be returned
     by calling aom_codec_build_config(), and is formatted as a base64 coded string
     (comprised of characters in the set [a-z_a-Z0-9+/]). This information is not
     useful to an application at runtime, but may be of use to aom for support.


     \section usage_deadline Deadline
     Both the encoding and decoding functions have a <code>deadline</code>
     parameter. This parameter indicates the amount of time, in microseconds
     (us), that the application wants the codec to spend processing before
     returning. This is a soft deadline -- that is, the semantics of the
     requested operation take precedence over meeting the deadline. If, for
     example, an application sets a <code>deadline</code> of 1000us, and the
     frame takes 2000us to decode, the call to aom_codec_decode() will return
     after 2000us. In this case the deadline is not met, but the semantics of the
     function are preserved. If, for the same frame, an application instead sets
     a <code>deadline</code> of 5000us, the decoder will see that it has 3000us
     remaining in its time slice when decoding completes. It could then choose to
     run a set of \ref usage_postproc filters, and perhaps would return after
     4000us (instead of the allocated 5000us). In this case the deadline is met,
     and the semantics of the call are preserved, as before.

     The special value <code>0</code> is reserved to represent an infinite
     deadline. In this case, the codec will perform as much processing as
     possible to yield the highest quality frame.

     By convention, the value <code>1</code> is used to mean "return as fast as
     possible."

 */
	/*!\page usage Usage

	The aom multi-format codec SDK provides a unified interface amongst its
	supported codecs. This abstraction allows applications using this SDK to
	easily support multiple video formats with minimal code duplication or
	"special casing." This section describes the interface common to all codecs.
	For codec-specific details, see the \ref codecs page.

	The following sections are common to all codecs:
	- \ref usage_types
	- \ref usage_features
	- \ref usage_init
	- \ref usage_errors

	For more information on decoder and encoder specific usage, see the
	following pages:
	\if decoder
	\li \subpage usage_decode
	\endif
	\if encoder
	\li \subpage usage_encode
	\endif

	\section usage_types Important Data Types
	There are two important data structures to consider in this interface.

	\subsection usage_ctxs Contexts
	A context is a storage area allocated by the calling application that the
	codec may write into to store details about a single instance of that codec.
	Most of the context is implementation specific, and thus opaque to the
	application. The context structure as seen by the application is of fixed
	size, and thus can be allocated with automatic storage or dynamically
	on the heap.

	Most operations require an initialized codec context. Codec context
	instances are codec specific. That is, the codec to be used for the encoded
	video must be known at initialization time. See #aom_codec_ctx_t for further
	information.

	\subsection usage_ifaces Interfaces
	A codec interface is an opaque structure that controls how function calls
	into the generic interface are dispatched to their codec-specific
	implementations. Applications \ref MUSTNOT attempt to examine or override
	this storage, as it contains internal implementation details likely to
	change from release to release.

	Each supported codec will expose an interface structure to the application
	as an <code>extern</code> reference to a structure of the incomplete type
	#aom_codec_iface_t.

	\section usage_features Features
	Several "features" are defined that are optionally implemented by codec
	algorithms. Indeed, the same algorithm may support different features on
	different platforms. The purpose of defining these features is that when
	they are implemented, they conform to a common interface. The features, or
	capabilities, of an algorithm can be queried from it's interface by using
	the aom_codec_get_caps() method. Attempts to invoke features not supported
	by an algorithm will generally result in #AOM_CODEC_INCAPABLE.

	\if decoder
	Currently defined decoder features include:
	- \ref usage_cb
	\endif

	\section usage_init Initialization
	To initialize a codec instance, the address of the codec context
	and interface structures are passed to an initialization function. Depending
	on the \ref usage_features that the codec supports, the codec could be
	initialized in different modes.

	To prevent cases of confusion where the ABI of the library changes,
	the ABI is versioned. The ABI version number must be passed at
	initialization time to ensure the application is using a header file that
	matches the library. The current ABI version number is stored in the
	preprocessor macros #AOM_CODEC_ABI_VERSION, #AOM_ENCODER_ABI_VERSION, and
	#AOM_DECODER_ABI_VERSION. For convenience, each initialization function has
	a wrapper macro that inserts the correct version number. These macros are
	named like the initialization methods, but without the _ver suffix.


	The available initialization methods are:
	\if encoder
	\li #aom_codec_enc_init (calls aom_codec_enc_init_ver())
	\li #aom_codec_enc_init_multi (calls aom_codec_enc_init_multi_ver())
	\endif
	\if decoder
	\li #aom_codec_dec_init (calls aom_codec_dec_init_ver())
	\endif


	\section usage_errors Error Handling
	Almost all codec functions return an error status of type #aom_codec_err_t.
	The semantics of how each error condition should be processed is clearly
	defined in the definitions of each enumerated value. Error values can be
	converted into ASCII strings with the aom_codec_error() and
	aom_codec_err_to_string() methods. The difference between these two methods is
	that aom_codec_error() returns the error state from an initialized context,
	whereas aom_codec_err_to_string() can be used in cases where an error occurs
	outside any context. The enumerated value returned from the last call can be
	retrieved from the <code>err</code> member of the decoder context as well.
	Finally, more detailed error information may be able to be obtained by using
	the aom_codec_error_detail() method. Not all errors produce detailed error
	information.

	In addition to error information, the codec library's build configuration
	is available at runtime on some platforms. This information can be returned
	by calling aom_codec_build_config(), and is formatted as a base64 coded string
	(comprised of characters in the set [a-z_a-Z0-9+/]). This information is not
	useful to an application at runtime, but may be of use to aom for support.


	\section usage_deadline Deadline
	Both the encoding and decoding functions have a <code>deadline</code>
	parameter. This parameter indicates the amount of time, in microseconds
	(us), that the application wants the codec to spend processing before
	returning. This is a soft deadline -- that is, the semantics of the
	requested operation take precedence over meeting the deadline. If, for
	example, an application sets a <code>deadline</code> of 1000us, and the
	frame takes 2000us to decode, the call to aom_codec_decode() will return
	after 2000us. In this case the deadline is not met, but the semantics of the
	function are preserved. If, for the same frame, an application instead sets
	a <code>deadline</code> of 5000us, the decoder will see that it has 3000us
	remaining in its time slice when decoding completes. It could then choose to
	run a set of \ref usage_postproc filters, and perhaps would return after
	4000us (instead of the allocated 5000us). In this case the deadline is met,
	and the semantics of the call are preserved, as before.

	The special value <code>0</code> is reserved to represent an infinite
	deadline. In this case, the codec will perform as much processing as
	possible to yield the highest quality frame.

	By convention, the value <code>1</code> is used to mean "return as fast as
	possible."

	*/