# dots

The Dots tracer handles dot file generation setup and integrates with the pipeline-snapshot tracer when available. It ensures proper directory setup to collaborate with the `gst-dots-viewer` tool, and it handles file cleanup.

The tracer determines the output directory in the following order:

1. Uses GST_DEBUG_DUMP_DOT_DIR if set
2. Falls back to $XDG_CACHE_HOME/gstreamer-dots otherwise

The determined directory is created if it doesn't exist and set as `GST_DEBUG_DUMP_DOT_DIR` for the entire process.

When available, it instantiates the pipeline-snapshot tracer with the following configuration:

- dots-viewer-ws-url=ws://127.0.0.1:3000/snapshot/
- xdg-cache=true
- folder-mode=numbered

## Features

The `features` parameter controls which optional features are enabled. By default all features are enabled.

- snapshot: Enables the pipeline-snapshot tracer composition for use with the `gst-dots-viewer` tool. The pipeline-snapshot tracer is part of the Rust tracers plugin (`rstracers`), which is shipped as a separate distribution package or enabled in gst-plugins-rs subproject with, at least `-Drs=enabled -Dauto_plugin_features=disabled -Dgst-plugins-rs:tracers=enabled` (disabled by default). If the tracer is not installed, this flag has no effect.
- dump: If you only need the dot-dir setup without loading the pipeline-snapshot tracer and you want to disable the `pipeline-snapshot` tracer composition.

## Examples:

    # Basic usage - will delete existing .dot files, snapshot enabled (default)
    GST_TRACERS=dots gst-launch-1.0 videotestsrc ! autovideosink

    # Keep existing .dot files
    GST_TRACERS="dots(no-delete=true)" gst-launch-1.0 videotestsrc ! autovideosink

    # Disable pipeline-snapshot tracer composition (just dot-dir setup)
    GST_TRACERS="dots(features=dump)" gst-launch-1.0 videotestsrc ! autovideosink

## Named constants

### Dots-tracer-features

Feature flags for GstDotsTracer.

#### Members

`dump` (0x00000001) – Disable pipeline-snapshot tracer composition
`snapshot` (0x00000002) – Enable pipeline-snapshot tracer composition

Since : 1.30

## GstDotsTracer

    GObject
        ╰──GInitiallyUnowned
            ╰──GstObject
                ╰──GstTracer
                    ╰──GstDotsTracer

The GstDotsTracer structure.

Since : 1.26

### Properties

#### features

    “features” Dots-tracer-features *

Feature flags to control which optional features are enabled. Use `features=dump` to disable the pipeline-snapshot tracer composition.

Flags : Read / Write / Construct Only

Default value : snapshot

Since : 1.30

#### no-delete

    “no-delete” gboolean

Don't delete existing .dot files on startup.

Flags : Read / Write

Default value : false

Since : 1.26

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