JSON Configuration Format

JSON is a self-contained, human-readable data-interchange format. It is pure Unicode text and language independent. The main structures objects containing key/value pairs (hash-tables, dictionaries, associative arrays …) and ordered lists (arrays, vectors, sequences …) of objects or values. For a complete description you may refer to the complete reference at json.org.

The configuration of a filter setup is stored in a JSON-encoded text file with a .json suffix. The root object must at least contain a nodes and an edges array

{ "nodes": [], "edges": [] }

Nodes array

The nodes array contains filter objects that are executed on run-time. Information how they are connected is provided in the Edges array.

Filter object

A filter consists at least of a plugin key string pointing to the filter that is going to be used and a name string field for unique identification. Of course, plugins have to be available as a shared object in UFO’s path.

To configure the filter, the properties field can be used. This is an object that maps string keys specifying the actual filter property to the value. Therefore, the Python code to set a property

read = graph.get_filter('read')
read.set_properties(path='/home/user/data/*.tif', count=5)

translates to

{ "path": "/home/user/data/*.tif", "count": 5 }

Example nodes array

An example node array looks like this:

"nodes" : [
    {
        "plugin": "read",
        "name": "read",
        "properties" : { "path": "/home/user/data/*.tif", "count": 5 }
    },
    {
        "plugin": "write",
        "name": "write"
    }
]

Edges array

The edges array specifies how the nodes in a Nodes array are connected. Each entry is an object that contains two objects from and to. In both objects you have to specify at least the node name with the name key. Furthermore, if there are several inputs or outputs on a node, you have to tell which input and output to use with the input on the to node and the output key on the from node. If you omit these, they are assumed to be 0.

To connect the nodes defined in the Example nodes array all you have to do is

"edges" : [
    {
        "from": {"name": "read"},
        "to": {"name": "write", "input": 2}
    }
]

Note, that the names specify the name of the node, not the plugin.

Loading and Saving the Graph

The UfoGraph class exports the ufo_graph_read_from_json and ufo_graph_read_save_to_json methods which are responsible for loading and saving the graph. In Python this would simply be:

from gi.repository import Ufo

g1 = Ufo.TaskGraph()

# set up the filters using graph.get_filter() and filter.connect_to()

g1.run()
g1.save_to_json('graph.json')

g2 = Ufo.TaskGraph()
g2.load_from_json('graph.json')
g2.run()