ReadTopic¶

class lsst.ts.salobj.topics.ReadTopic(*, salinfo, name, sal_prefix, max_history, queue_len=100, filter_ackcmd=True)¶

Bases: lsst.ts.salobj.topics.BaseTopic

Base class for reading a topic.

Parameters:

salinfo : SalInfo

SAL component information

name : str

Topic name, without a “command_” or “logevent_” prefix.

sal_prefix : str

SAL topic prefix: one of “command_”, “logevent_” or “”

max_history : int

Maximum number of historical items to read:

0 is required for commands, events, and the ackcmd topic
1 is recommended for telemetry

queue_len : int, optional

The maximum number of messages that can be read and not dealt with by a callback function or next before older messages will be dropped.

filter_ackcmd : bool, optional

Filter out cmdack topics so we only see responses to commands that we sent? This is normally what you want, but it is not wanted for SAL/Kafka producers. Ignored if name != “ackcmd”.

Raises:

ValueError: If max_history < 0.
ValueError: If max_history > 0 and the topic is volatile (command or ackcmd).
ValueError: If queue_len < MIN_QUEUE_LEN.
ValueError: If max_history > queue_len.
UserWarning: If max_history > DDS history queue depth or DDS durability service history depth for this topic. This is a warning rather than an exception, so that the DDS quality of service can be changed without breaking existing code.

Notes

Queues

There are two queues: a Python queue whose length is set by queue_len and a dds queue whose length is set by the DDS Quality of Service file. (The Python queue is needed because of limitations in the API for the OpenSplice DDS queue, including no access to the most recent message, no ability to ask how many messages are on the queue, and no asyncio support). In the doc strings for the methods, below, any reference to the queue refers to the Python queue.

Data can be lost from either queue:

If this class cannot read messages from the DDS queue fast enough, then older messages will be dropped from the DDS queue. You will get several warning log messages as the DDS queue fills.
As messages are read from the DDS queue they are put on the Python queue. If a callback function or next does not process data quickly enough then older messages are dropped from the Python queue. If you have a callback function then you will get several warning log messages as the Python queue fills up; you get no warning otherwise because ReadTopic has no way of knowing whether or not you intend to read all messages.

Reading

Reading is performed by the contained SalInfo, which has single read loop that reads messages for all topics. This is more efficient than having each ReadTopic read its own messages.

Modifying Messages

All functions that return messages return them from some form of internal cache. This presents a risk: if any reader modifies a message, then it will be modified for all readers of that message. To safely modify a returned message, make your own copy with copy.copy(data).

Attributes:	isopen : `bool` Is this read topic open? `True` until `close` is called. dds_queue_length_checker : `QueueCapacityChecker` Queue length checker for the DDS queue. python_queue_length_checker : `QueueCapacityChecker`: Queue length checker for the Python queue.

Attributes Summary

`DataType`	The type (class) for a message of this topic.
`allow_multiple_callbacks`	Can callbacks can run simultaneously?
`callback`	Callback function, or None if there is not one.
`has_callback`	Return True if there is a callback function.
`has_data`	Has any data ever been seen for this topic?
`max_history`
`metadata`	Get topic metadata as a `TopicMetadata`, if available, else `None`.
`nqueued`	Return the number of messages in the Python queue.
`volatile`	Does this topic have volatile durability?

Methods Summary

`aget`([timeout])	Get the most recent message, or wait for data if no data has ever been seen (`has_data` False).
`basic_close`()	A synchronous and possibly less thorough version of `close`.
`close`()	Shut down and release resources.
`flush`()	Flush the queue used by `get_oldest` and `next`.
`get`([flush])	Get the most recent message, or `None` if no data has ever been seen (`has_data` False).
`get_oldest`()	Pop and return the oldest message from the queue, or `None` if the queue is empty.
`next`(*, flush[, timeout])	Pop and return the oldest message from the queue, waiting for data if the queue is empty.

Attributes Documentation

DataType¶

The type (class) for a message of this topic.

When you read or write a message for this topic you are reading or writing an instance of DataType.

Notes

The preferred way to write a message for a topic is:

RemoteCommand.set_start to start a command.
CommandEvent.set_put to write an event.
CommandTelemetry.set_put to write a telemetry message.

However, it is also possible to use DataType to create a message, then write, it as separate operations. For example, assuming we have a Remote for SAL component “Test”:

# The preferred way to issue a command:
await = remote.cmd_wait.set_put(duration=2, timeout=5)

# But an alternative is to first create the command,
# then send it, as two separate operations:
message = remote.cmd_wait.DataType(duration=2)
await remote.cmd_wait.start(message, timeout=5)

# Or, even more verbosely:
message = remote.cmd_wait.DataType()
message.duration = 2
await remote.cmd_wait.start(message, timeout=5)

allow_multiple_callbacks¶

Can callbacks can run simultaneously?

Notes

Ignored for synchronous callbacks because those block while running. In particular, if the callback is synchronous but launches one or more background jobs then the number of those jobs cannot be limited by this class.

callback¶

Callback function, or None if there is not one.

The callback function is called when a new message is received; it receives one argument: the message (an object of type topics.BaseTopic.DataType).

Raises:	TypeError When setting a new callback if the callback is not None and is not callable.

Notes

The callback function can be synchronous or asynchronous (e.g. defined with async def).

Setting a callback flushes the queue, and it will remain empty as long as there is a callback.

get_oldest and next are prohibited if there is a callback function. Technically they could both work, but get_oldest would always return None and next would miss messages if they arrived while waiting for something else. It seems safer to raise an exception.

has_callback¶: Return True if there is a callback function.

has_data¶

Has any data ever been seen for this topic?

Raises:	RuntimeError If the `salinfo` has not started reading.

max_history¶

metadata¶: Get topic metadata as a TopicMetadata, if available, else None.

nqueued¶: Return the number of messages in the Python queue.

volatile¶: Does this topic have volatile durability?

Methods Documentation

aget(timeout=None)¶

Get the most recent message, or wait for data if no data has ever been seen (has_data False).

This method does not change which message will be returned by any other method (except for the fact that new data will arrive while waiting).

Parameters:	timeout : `float`, optional Time limit, in seconds. If None then no time limit.
Returns:	data : `DataType` The current or next message.
Raises:	RuntimeError If a callback function is present, or if the `salinfo` has not started reading.

Notes

Do not modify the returned data. To make a copy that you can safely modify, use copy.copy(data).

basic_close()¶

A synchronous and possibly less thorough version of close.

Intended for exit handlers and constructor error handlers.

close()¶

Shut down and release resources.

Intended to be called by SalInfo.close(), since that tracks all topics.

flush()¶

Flush the queue used by get_oldest and next.

This makes get_oldest return None and next wait, until a new message arrives. It does not change which message will be returned by aget or get.

Raises:	RuntimeError If a callback function is present.

get(flush=None)¶

Get the most recent message, or None if no data has ever been seen (has_data False).

This method does not change which message will be returned by aget. If flush=False this method also does not modify which message will be returned by get_oldest and next.

Parameters:	flush : `bool`, optional Flush the queue? Flushing the queue is deprecated and so is specifying this argument. False (the default) leaves the cache alone, which has no effect on the messages returned by any read method. True affects which messages will be returned by `get_oldest` and `next`. True has no effect if there is a callback function. Note: `None` is treated as `False`, but please do not specify it; it only supported for now to handle deprecation warnings..
Returns:	data : `self.DataType` or `None` Return `self.data` if data has been read, else `None`.
Raises:	RuntimeError If the `salinfo` has not started reading.

get_oldest()¶

Pop and return the oldest message from the queue, or None if the queue is empty.

This is a variant of next that does not wait for a new message. This method affects which message will be returned by next, but not which message will be returned by aget or get.

Returns:	data : `self.DataType` or `None` The oldest message found on the queue, if any, else `None`.
Raises:	RuntimeError If a callback function is present, or if the `salinfo` has not started reading.

Notes

Use with caution when mixing with next, since that also consumes data from the queue.

next(*, flush, timeout=None)¶

Pop and return the oldest message from the queue, waiting for data if the queue is empty.

This method affects the data returned by get_oldest, but not the data returned by aget or get.

Parameters:	flush : `bool` If `True` then flush the queue before starting a read. This guarantees that the method will wait for a new message. If `False` and there is data on the queue, then pop and return the oldest message from the queue, without waiting; if queue is empty then wait for a new message. timeout : `float`, optional Time limit, in seconds. If None then no time limit.
Returns:	data : `DataType` The message data.
Raises:	RuntimeError If a callback function is present, or if the `salinfo` has not started reading.

Notes

Do not modify the returned data. To make a copy that you can safely modify, use copy.copy(data).

Navigation

ReadTopic¶