ioctl VIDIOC_G_ENC_INDEX
&manvol;

# VIDIOC_G_ENC_INDEX

Get meta data about a compressed video stream

    	int ioctl
    	int fd
    	int request
    	struct v4l2_enc_idx *argp

## Arguments

`fd`

  &fd;

`request`

  VIDIOC_G_ENC_INDEX

`argp`

## Description

The `VIDIOC_G_ENC_INDEX` ioctl provides meta data about a compressed video stream the same or another application currently reads from the driver, which is useful for random access into the stream without decoding it.

To read the data applications must call `VIDIOC_G_ENC_INDEX` with a pointer to a &v4l2-enc-idx;. On success the driver fills the entry array, stores the number of elements written in the entries field, and initializes the entries_cap field.

Each element of the entry array contains meta data about one picture. A `VIDIOC_G_ENC_INDEX` call reads up to `V4L2_ENC_IDX_ENTRIES` entries from a driver buffer, which can hold up to entries_cap entries. This number can be lower or higher than `V4L2_ENC_IDX_ENTRIES`, but not zero. When the application fails to read the meta data in time the oldest entries will be lost. When the buffer is empty or no capturing/encoding is in progress, entries will be zero.

Currently this ioctl is only defined for MPEG-2 program streams and video elementary streams.

### struct v4l2_enc_idx

&cs-str;
__u32 | entries | The number of entries the driver stored in the entry array.
__u32 | entries_cap | The number of entries the driver can buffer. Must be greater than zero.
__u32 | reserved[4] | Reserved for future extensions. Drivers must set the array to zero.
&v4l2-enc-idx-entry; | entry[`V4L2_ENC_IDX_ENTRIES`] | Meta data about a compressed video stream. Each element of the array corresponds to one picture, sorted in ascending order by their offset.

### struct v4l2_enc_idx_entry

&cs-str;
__u64 | offset | The offset in bytes from the beginning of the compressed video stream to the beginning of this picture, that is a PES packet header as defined in or a picture header as defined in . When the encoder is stopped, the driver resets the offset to zero.
__u64 | pts | The 33 bit Presentation Time Stamp of this picture as defined in .
__u32 | length | The length of this picture in bytes.
__u32 | flags | Flags containing the coding type of this picture, see .
__u32 | reserved[2] | Reserved for future extensions. Drivers must set the array to zero.

### Index Entry Flags

&cs-def;
`V4L2_ENC_IDX_FRAME_I` | 0x00 | This is an Intra-coded picture.
`V4L2_ENC_IDX_FRAME_P` | 0x01 | This is a Predictive-coded picture.
`V4L2_ENC_IDX_FRAME_B` | 0x02 | This is a Bidirectionally predictive-coded picture.
`V4L2_ENC_IDX_FRAME_MASK` | 0x0F | AND the flags field with this mask to obtain the picture coding type.

&return-value;