vsource

VSource is a cross-platform software library that provides a unified interface for accessing diverse data sources used in multimedia processing and data pipelines. It abstracts the specifics of reading from files, network streams, hardware devices, or synthetic sources behind a common API, enabling processing components to operate independently of source types.

Key features include a pluggable backend system with a SourceBackend interface, support for multiple source types (local files, streaming endpoints, cameras, and synthetic generators), timebase synchronization, buffering and backpressure handling, and asynchronous data delivery. The library emphasizes deterministic behavior and clean error propagation to downstream components.

The architecture centers on a lightweight core runtime that coordinates registered backends, resolves URI schemes, and delivers data to consumers. Backends are isolated plugins, allowing third-party or vendor sources to be added without modifying the core. An optional metering and logging subsystem aids observability in complex pipelines.

Usage typically involves initializing a VSource instance, selecting a backend via a URI (for example vsource://file/video.mp4 or vsource://camera/1), and consuming data frames through an iterator or event callbacks. VSource is designed to integrate with decoders, analyzers, or machine-learning components within streaming or batch pipelines.

VSource is maintained as an open-source project with documentation, example backends, and a growing contributor community. It is used in research and production environments to simplify pipeline design and improve portability across platforms.