View source for Documentation:Modules/dummy

[[Dummy]] modules are the VLC equivalent of <code>/dev/null</code> on GNU/Linux: they represent doing nothing.

== List ==
<!-- Editors: category wikicode must be entered manually. -->
{| class="wikitable sortable cellpadding-3px"
|+ Overview of dummy modules
! scope="col" | Type !! scope="col" | Description !! scope="col" | Shortcut(s)
|-
| Access [[Category:Accesses]] || Dummy input || dummy, vlc
|-
| Access output [[Category:Access output]] || Dummy stream output || dummy
|-
| Audio output [[Category:Audio output]] || Dummy audio output || dummy
|-
| Decoder [[Category:Codecs]] || Dummy decoder || dummy, dump
|-
| Encoder || Dummy encoder || dummy
|-
| Control interface [[Category:Interfaces]] [[Category:Control VLC]] || Dummy interface || (none)
|-
| Muxer [[Category:Muxers]] || Dummy/[[Raw]] muxer || dummy, raw, es
|-
| Stream output [[Category:Stream output]] || Dummy stream output || dummy, drop
|-
| Text renderer || Dummy font renderer || (none)
|-
| Video output [[Category:Video output]] || Dummy video output || dummy, stats
|-
| Video output (legacy video plugins) [[Category:Video output]] || Dummy window || dummy
|}

== Descriptions ==
=== Interface ===
A dummy interface works well with [[command-line]] usage. It consumes fewer computing resources, something that can be used to reduce a bottleneck effect during [[transcoding]], or simply when opening a window makes little sense.

This will play an [[Ogg]] file with no interface:
 {{$}} vlc -I dummy audio.ogg vlc://quit
No window is launched, and control is returned to the calling application after the file plays.

This will play a [[Schroedinger]] file with a minimalist interface:
 {{$}} vlc -I dummy video.drc vlc://quit
A window with no buttons or toolbars is launched (no [[skin]]), because [[video output]] requires a window. [[Hotkey]]s may be used to control playback by default, something that can be disabled if necessary with <code>--no-keyboard-events</code>.

=== Stream output ===
Doesn't do anything. Can be used to test other stream output chain modules without actually streaming anything.

== Options ==
=== Dummy decoder ===
{{Option
|name=dummy-save-es
|value=boolean
|default=disabled
|description=Save the raw [[codec]] data if you have selected/forced the dummy decoder in the main options.
}}

=== Video output ===
{{Option
|name=dummy-chroma
|value=string
|default=NULL
|description=Force the dummy video output to create images using a specific [[chroma]] format instead of trying to improve performances by using the most efficient one.
}}

== Source code ==
* {{VLCSourceFile|modules/access/idummy.c|Access}}
* {{VLCSourceFile|modules/access_output/dummy.c|Access output}}
* {{VLCSourceFile|modules/audio_output/adummy.c|Audio output}}
* {{VLCSourceFile|modules/codec/ddummy.c|Decoder}}
* {{VLCSourceFile|modules/codec/edummy.c|Encoder}}
* {{VLCSourceFile|modules/control/dummy.c|Interface}}
* {{VLCSourceFile|modules/mux/dummy.c|Output muxer}}
* {{VLCSourceFile|modules/stream_out/dummy.c|Stream output}}
* {{VLCSourceFile|modules/text_renderer/tdummy.c|Text rendering}}
* {{VLCSourceFile|modules/video_output/vdummy.c|Video output}}
* {{VLCSourceFile|modules/video_output/wdummy.c|Video output for legacy video plugins}}

{{Documentation}}