python: Documented meta data.

[collectd.git] / src / collectd-python.pod

diff --git a/src/collectd-python.pod b/src/collectd-python.pod
index 8742104..05a411c 100644 (file)
--- a/src/collectd-python.pod
+++ b/src/collectd-python.pod
@@ -231,6 +231,28 @@ collectd you're done.
 The following complex types are used to pass values between the Python plugin
 and collectd:
 
+=head2 Signed
+
+The Signed class is just a long. It has all its methods and behaves exactly
+like any other long object. It is used to indicate if an integer was or should
+be stored as a signed or unsigned integer object.
+
+ class Signed(long)
+
+This is a long by another name. Use it in meta data dicts
+to choose the way it is stored in the meta data.
+
+=head2 Unsigned
+
+The Unsigned class is just a long. It has all its methods and behaves exactly
+like any other long object. It is used to indicate if an integer was or should
+be stored as a signed or unsigned integer object.
+
+ class Unsigned(long)
+
+This is a long by another name. Use it in meta data dicts
+to choose the way it is stored in the meta data.
+
 =head2 Config
 
 The Config class is an object which keeps the informations provided in the
@@ -394,6 +416,15 @@ If the sequence does not have the correct size upon dispatch a I<RuntimeError>
 exception will be raised. If the content of the sequence is not a number, a
 I<TypeError> exception will be raised.
 
+=item meta
+These are the meta data for this Value object.
+It has to be a dictionary of numbers, strings or bools. All keys must be
+strings. I<int> and <long> objects will be dispatched as signed integers unless
+they are between 2**63 and 2**64-1, which will result in a unsigned integer.
+You can force one of these storage classes by using the classes
+B<collectd.Signed> and B<collectd.Unsigned>. A meta object received by a write
+callback will always contain B<Signed> or B<Unsigned> objects.
+
 =back
 
 =head2 Notification