# 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](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-syntax-3/). 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](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-values-3/#value-defs) looks like this:
**document**: `<node>\*`
**node**: container { <document> } | `<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 { color: #AF0; } | 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     |
| -------- | ---------------- | ---------------------- | ----------- |
| color    | `<color>{1,4}`   | black                  | non-default |
| outline  | `<rounded-rect>` | 50                     | always      |
| width    | `<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.

### 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 <transform> 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.

### cross-fade

| property | syntax           | default                | printed     |
| -------- | ---------------- | ---------------------- | ----------- |
| end      | `<node>`         | color { }              | always      |
| mode     | `<number>`       | 0.5                    | non-default |
| start    | `<node>`         | color { color: #AF0; } | 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      |
| end      | `<point>`        | 0 50                   | always      |
| start    | `<point>`        | 0 0                    | 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.

### 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.

### 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      |
| shadow   | `<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.