docs/yaml/interface.md

# Interface YAML

D-Bus interfaces can be defined by creating a YAML file to describe the methods,
properties, and signals they contain. From this YAML file, both documentation
and binding code may be generated.

## YAML sections

An interface YAML may have the following sections:

- description
  - A small documentation section describing the purpose of the interface.
- methods
  - A list of methods provided by this D-Bus interface.
- properties
  - A list of properties provided by this D-Bus interface.
- signals
  - A list of signals generated by this D-Bus interface.
- enumerations
  - A list of enumerations defined by this D-Bus interface.

## Enumerations

A common problem we have found with D-Bus interfaces is having a consistent way
to define enumerations. Two common practices are to either assign special
meaning to integers, as a C compiler might do, or to have specific strings
representing the enumeration name. The [D-Bus API design
guidelines][dbus-design-guidelines] specify both of these options:

> For APIs being used in constrained situations, enumerated values should be
> transmitted as unsigned integers. For APIs which need to be extended by third
> parties or which are used in more loosely coupled systems, enumerated values
> should be strings in some defined format.

What we have done in `sdbus++` is to consider enumerations as a first-class
type. Within an interface you can define an enumeration and the bindings will
have a C++ enumeration defined for it. At a D-Bus level any property or method
parameter will be a string, but the string will contain a fully-qualified name
"interface.enum-name.enum-value" like "org.freedesktop.Example.Color.Red".
Within the generated bindings, an automatic conversion is done between strings
and C++ enumeration values and clients will get an
"xyz.openbmc_project.sdbusplus.Error.InvalidEnumString" error response if they
attempt to use an invalid string value.

An enumeration must have the YAML properties `name` and `values` and may
optionally contain a `description`. The `name` is a word corresponding to the
desired "enum-name" portion of the fully-qualified name and the resulting C++
enum type. The `values` are a list of enumeration values each containing their
own `name` and optional `description`.

Example:

```yaml
enumerations:
  - name: Suits
    description: >
      The suits found in a deck of cards.
    values:
      - name: Diamonds
      - name: Hearts
      - name: Clubs
        description: >
          This is the suit that looks like a clover.
      - name: Spades
```

## Types

### Base types

Types are identified in YAML using their typename found in the [D-Bus
specification][dbus-spec], but listed using lowercases: `int64` instead of
`INT64` or C++ `int64_t`.

- `byte`
- `boolean`
- `int16`
- `uint16`
- ...
- `uint64`
- `size` - maps to the C `size_t` for the architecture.
- `ssize` - maps to the C `ssize_t` for the architecture.
- `double`
- `unixfd`
- `string`
- `object_path`
- `signature`

### Special type values

Note: The special value identifiers are all case-insensitive.

For floating-point types it is possible to express one of the special values:

- `NaN` - A quiet-type not-a-number value.
- `Infinity` : A positive infinity value.
- `-Infinity` : A negative infinity value.
- `Epsilon` : An epsilon value.

For integer types it is possible to express one of the special values:

- `minint` - The mininum value the integer type can hold.
- `maxint` - The maximum value the integer type can hold.

### Container Types

Container types can also be expressed, but the contained-type should be
expressed within square-brackets `[]`. The following containers are supported:

- `array[type]`
  - C++ type is `std::vector`
- `dict[keytype, valuetype]`
  - C++ type is `std::map`
- `set[type]`
  - C++ type is `std::set`
- `struct[type0, type1, ...]`
  - C++ type is `std::tuple`
- `variant[type0, type1, ...]`
  - C++ type is `std::variant`

It may seem odd that variants are required to list the types they may contain,
but this is due to C++ being a strongly-typed language. In order to generate
bindings, to read from and append to a message, the binding generator must know
all possible types the variant may contain.

### Enumeration Types

Enumerations are expressed like a container, but the contained-type is an
identifier of the fully-qualified enum-name or a shortened `self.` identifier
for locally defined types.

- enum[org.freedesktop.Example.Suits]
- enum[self.Suits]

## Methods

A method must have the YAML property `name` and may optionally have
`parameters`, `returns`, `flags`, `errors`, and `description`. Each parameter
must have a `name`, `type`, and optional `description`. Each return must have a
`type` and may optionally have a `name` and `description`. Flags are a list of
sd-bus vtable flags; the supported values are `deprecated`, `hidden`,
`unprivileged`and `no_reply`, which corresponds to `SD_BUS_VTABLE_DEPRECATED`,
`SD_BUS_VTABLE_HIDDEN`, `SD_BUS_VTABLE_UNPRIVILEGED`,
`SD_BUS_VTABLE_METHOD_NO_REPLY`, respectively. Errors are a list of
fully-qualified or shortened `self.` identifiers for errors the method may
return, which must be defined in a corresponding errors YAML file.

Example:

```yaml
methods:
  - name: Shuffle
    flags:
      - unprivileged
    errors:
      - self.Error.TooTired
  - name: Deal
    description: >
      Deals a new hand to each player.
    errors:
      - self.Error.OutOfCards
  - name: LookAtTop
    returns:
      - name: Card
        type: struct[enum[self.Suit], byte]
  - name: MoveToTop
    flags:
      - deprecated
      - no_reply
    parameters:
      - name: Card
        type: struct[enum[self.Suit], byte]
```

## Properties

A property must have the YAML property `name` and `type` and may optionally have
`description`, `flags`, `default`, and `errors`. The `default` defines the
default value of the property. See the `Methods` section above for more
information on errors.

The supported values for `flags` are and their equivalent sd-bus flag setting:

- `deprecated` - SD_BUS_VTABLE_DEPRECATED
- `hidden` - SD_BUS_VTABLE_HIDDEN
- `unprivileged` - SD_BUS_VTABLE_UNPRIVILEGED
- `const` - SD_BUS_VTABLE_PROPERTY_CONST
- `emits_change` - SD_BUS_VTABLE_PROPERTY_EMITS_CHANGE
- `emits_invalidation` - SD_BUS_VTABLE_PROPERTY_EMITS_INVALIDATION
- `explicit` - SD_BUS_VTABLE_PROPERTY_EXPLICIT
- `readonly` - (N/A)

If no flag is given, a property will default to `emits_change`.

Both `const` and `readonly` prevent D-Bus clients from being able to write to a
property. `const` is a D-Bus indication that the property can never change,
while `readonly` properties can be changed by the D-Bus server itself. As
examples, the `Version` property on a software object might be appropriate to be
`const` and the `Value` property on a sensor object would likely be `readonly`.

Example:

```yaml
properties:
  - name: CardsRemaining
    type: uint32
    default: 52
    flags:
      - const
    description: >
      The number of cards remaining in the deck.
    errors:
      - self.Error.InvalidNumber
```

## Signals

A signal must have the YAML property `name` and may optionally have a
`description` and list of `properties`. Properties are specified the same as
interface properties.

Example:

```yaml
signals:
  - name: Shuffled
    description: >
      The deck has been shuffled.
  - name: Cheated
    properties:
      - name: CardToTop
        type: struct[enum[self.Suit], byte]
```

[dbus-design-guidelines]: https://dbus.freedesktop.org/doc/dbus-api-design.html
[dbus-spec]: https://dbus.freedesktop.org/doc/dbus-specification.html