The Node file format

GSK render nodes can be serialized and deserialized using APIs such as gsk_render_node_serialize() and gsk_render_node_deserialize(). The intended use for this is development - primarily the development of GTK - by allowing things such as creating testsuites and benchmarks, exchanging nodes in bug reports. GTK includes the gtk4-node-editor application for creating such test files.

The format is a text format that follows the CSS syntax rules. In particular, this means that every array of bytes will produce a render node when parsed, as there is a defined error recovery method. For more details on error handling, please refer to the documentation of the aprsing APIs.

The grammar of a node text representation using the CSS value definition syntax looks like this: document: <node>\* node: container { } | <node-name> { <property>* } property: <property-name>: <node> | <value> ;

Each node has its own <node-name> and supports a custom set of properties, each with their own <property-name> and syntax. The following paragraphs document each of the nodes and their properties.

When serializing and the value of a property equals the default value, this value will not be serialized. Serialization aims to produce an output as small as possible.

Nodes

container

The container node is a special node that allows specifying a list of child nodes. Its contents follow the same rules as an empty document.

blend

property	syntax	default	printed
bottom	<node>	color { }	always
mode	<blend-mode>	normal	non-default
top	<node>	color { }	always

Creates a node like gsk_blend_node_new() with the given properties.

blur

property	syntax	default	printed
blur	<number>	1	non-default
child	<node>	color { }	always

Creates a node like gsk_blur_node_new() with the given properties.

border

property	syntax	default	printed
colors	<color>{1,4}	black	non-default
outline	<rounded-rect>	50	always
widths	<number>{1,4}	1	non-default

Creates a node like gsk_border_node_new() with the given properties.

For the color and width properties, the values follow the typical CSS order of top, right, bottom, left. If the last/left value isn‘t given, the 2nd/right value is used. If the 3rd/bottom value isn’t given, the 1st/top value is used. And if the 2nd/right value also isn't given, the 1st/top value is used for every 4 values.

cairo

property	syntax	default	printed
bounds	<rect>	none	always
pixels	<url>	none	non-default
script	<url>	none	non-default

The pixels are a base64-encoded data url of png data. The script is a base64-encoded data url of a cairo script.

clip

property	syntax	default	printed
child	<node>	color { }	always
clip	<rounded-rect>	50	always

Creates a node like gsk_clip_node_new() with the given properties.

As an extension, this node allows specifying a rounded rectangle for the clip property. If that rectangle is indeed rounded, a node like gsk_rounded_clip_node_new() will be created instead.

color

property	syntax	default	printed
bounds	<rect>	50	always
color	<color>	#FF00CC	always

Creates a node like gsk_color_node_new() with the given properties.

The color is chosen as an error pink so it is visible while also reminding people to change it.

color-matrix

property	syntax	default	printed
child	<node>	color { }	always
matrix	<transform>	none	non-default
offset	<number>{4}	0 0 0 0	non-default

Creates a node like gsk_color_matrix_node_new() with the given properties.

The matrix property accepts a for compatibility purposes, but you should be aware that the allowed values are meant to be used on 3D transformations, so their naming might appear awkward. However, it is always possible to use the matrix3d() production to specify all 16 values individually.

conic-gradient

property	syntax	default	printed
bounds	<rect>	50	always
center	<point>	25, 25	always
rotation	<number>	0	always
stops	<color-stop>	0 #AF0, 1 #F0C	always

Creates a node like gsk_conic_gradient_node_new() with the given properties.

cross-fade

property	syntax	default	printed
end	<node>	color { }	always
progress	<number>	0.5	non-default
start	<node>	color { }	always

Creates a node like gsk_cross_fade_node_new() with the given properties.

debug

property	syntax	default	printed
child	<node>	color { }	always
message	<string>	""	non-default

Creates a node like gsk_debug_node_new() with the given properties.

inset-shadow

property	syntax	default	printed
blur	<number>	0	non-default
color	<color>	black	non-default
dx	<number>	1	non-default
dy	<number>	1	non-default
outline	<rounded-rect>	50	always
spread	<number>	0	non-default

Creates a node like gsk_inset_shadow_node_new() with the given properties.

linear-gradient

property	syntax	default	printed
bounds	<rect>	50	always
start	<point>	0 0	always
end	<point>	0 50	always
stops	<color-stop>	0 #AF0, 1 #F0C	always

Creates a node like gsk_linear_gradient_node_new() with the given properties.

opacity

property	syntax	default	printed
child	<node>	color { }	always
opacity	<number>	0.5	non-default

Creates a node like gsk_transform_node_new() with the given properties.

outset-shadow

property	syntax	default	printed
blur	<number>	0	non-default
color	<color>	black	non-default
dx	<number>	1	non-default
dy	<number>	1	non-default
outline	<rounded-rect>	50	always
spread	<number>	0	non-default

Creates a node like gsk_outset_shadow_node_new() with the given properties.

radial-gradient

property	syntax	default	printed
bounds	<rect>	50	always
center	<point>	25 25	always
hradius	<number>	25	always
vradius	<number>	25	always
start	<number>	0	always
end	<number>	1	always
stops	<color-stop>	0 #AF0, 1 #F0C	always

Creates a node like gsk_radial_gradient_node_new() with the given properties.

repeat

property	syntax	default	printed
bounds	<rect>	bounds of child node	non-default
child	<node>	color { }	always
child-bounds	<rect>	bounds of child node	non-default

Creates a node like gsk_repeat_node_new() with the given properties.

repeating-linear-gradient

property	syntax	default	printed
bounds	<rect>	50	always
start	<point>	0 0	always
end	<point>	0 50	always
stops	<color-stop>	0 #AF0, 1 #F0C	always

Creates a node like gsk_repeating_linear_gradient_node_new() with the given properties.

repeating radial-gradient

property	syntax	default	printed
bounds	<rect>	50	always
center	<point>	25 25	always
hradius	<number>	25	always
vradius	<number>	25	always
start	<number>	0	always
end	<number>	1	always
stops	<color-stop>	0 #AF0, 1 #F0C	always

Creates a node like gsk_repeating_radial_gradient_node_new() with the given properties.

rounded-clip

property	syntax	default	printed
child	<node>	color { }	always
clip	<rounded-rect>	50	always

Creates a node like gsk_rounded_clip_node_new() with the given properties.

shadow

property	syntax	default	printed
child	<node>	color { }	always
shadows	<shadow>	black 1 1	always

Creates a node like gsk_shadow_node_new() with the given properties.

text

property	syntax	default	printed
color	<color>	black	non-default
font	<string>	“Cantarell 11”	always
glyphs	<glyphs>	“Hello”	always
offset	<point>	0 0	non-default

Creates a node like gsk_text_node_new() with the given properties.

If the given font does not exist or the given glyphs are invalid for the given font, an error node will be returned.

texture

property	syntax	default	printed
bounds	<rect>	50	always
texture	<url>	see below	always

Creates a node like gsk_texture_node_new() with the given properties.

The default texture is a 10x10 checkerboard with the top left and bottom right 5x5 being in the color #FF00CC and the other part being transparent. A possible representation for this texture is url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAABmJLR0QA/wD/AP+gvaeTAAAAKUlEQVQYlWP8z3DmPwMaYGQwYUQXY0IXwAUGUCGGoxkYGBiweXAoeAYAz44F3e3U1xUAAAAASUVORK5CYII=") .

transform

property	syntax	default	printed
child	<node>	color { }	always
transform	<transform>	none	non-default

Creates a node like gsk_transform_node_new() with the given properties.

glshader

property	syntax	default	printed
bounds	<rect>	50	always
sourcecode	<string>	""	always
args	<uniform values>	none	non-default
child1	<node>	none	non-default
child2	<node>	none	non-default
child3	<node>	none	non-default
child4	<node>	none	non-default

Creates a GLShader node. The sourcecode must be a GLSL fragment shader. The args must match the uniforms of simple types declared in that shader, in order and comma-separated. The child properties must match the sampler uniforms in the shader.