Simple Action Client (C++)

Minimal Example

Sends the goal, and ignores the result and the feedback

#include <example_interfaces/action/fibonacci.hpp>
#include <simple_actions/simple_client.hpp>

int main(int argc, char * argv[])
{
  rclcpp::init(argc, argv);
  rclcpp::Node::SharedPtr node = std::make_shared<rclcpp::Node>("client_demo");
  simple_actions::SimpleActionClient<example_interfaces::action::Fibonacci> client(node, "fibonacci");

  example_interfaces::action::Fibonacci::Goal goal_msg;
  goal_msg.order = 10;
  client.sendGoal(goal_msg);
  rclcpp::shutdown();
  return 0;
}

Example with Result

This example sends the goal and waits for the result.

#include <example_interfaces/action/fibonacci.hpp>
#include <simple_actions/simple_client.hpp>

int main(int argc, char * argv[])
{
  rclcpp::init(argc, argv);
  rclcpp::Node::SharedPtr node = std::make_shared<rclcpp::Node>("client_demo");
  simple_actions::SimpleActionClient<example_interfaces::action::Fibonacci> client(node, "fibonacci");

  example_interfaces::action::Fibonacci::Goal goal_msg;
  goal_msg.order = 10;
  auto result = client.execute(goal_msg);
  for (const auto& n : result.sequence)
  {
    RCLCPP_INFO(node->get_logger(), "%d", n);
  }
  rclcpp::shutdown();
  return 0;
}

Example with Callbacks

This example uses custom callbacks for the result and feedback.

#include <example_interfaces/action/fibonacci.hpp>
#include <simple_actions/simple_client.hpp>

void feedbackCallback(const example_interfaces::action::Fibonacci::Feedback& feedback)
{
  std::stringstream ss;
  ss << "Next number in sequence received: ";
  for (auto number : feedback.sequence) {
    ss << number << " ";
  }
  std::cout << ss.str() << std::endl;
}

void resultCallback(simple_actions::ResultCode code,
                    const example_interfaces::action::Fibonacci::Result& result)
{
  if (code == simple_actions::ResultCode::SUCCEEDED)
  {
    std::stringstream ss;
    ss << "Result received: ";
    for (auto number : result.sequence) {
      ss << number << " ";
    }
    std::cout << ss.str().c_str() << std::endl;
  }
  else
  {
    std::cerr << "Action unsuccessful." << std::endl;
  }
  rclcpp::shutdown();
}

int main(int argc, char * argv[])
{
  using namespace std::placeholders;
  rclcpp::init(argc, argv);
  rclcpp::Node::SharedPtr node = std::make_shared<rclcpp::Node>("client_demo");
  simple_actions::SimpleActionClient<example_interfaces::action::Fibonacci> client(node, "fibonacci");

  example_interfaces::action::Fibonacci::Goal goal_msg;
  goal_msg.order = 10;
  client.sendGoal(goal_msg, std::bind(resultCallback, _1, _2), std::bind(feedbackCallback, _1));
  rclcpp::spin(node);
  return 0;
}

Example With Class Callbacks

#include <example_interfaces/action/fibonacci.hpp>
#include <simple_actions/simple_client.hpp>

class FibonacciActionClient
{
public:
  explicit FibonacciActionClient(rclcpp::Node::SharedPtr node)
  : node_(node), client_(node_, "fibonacci")
  {
  }

  void sendGoal()
  {
    using namespace std::placeholders;

    auto goal_msg = example_interfaces::action::Fibonacci::Goal();
    goal_msg.order = 10;

    client_.sendGoal(goal_msg, std::bind(&FibonacciActionClient::resultCallback, this, _1, _2), std::bind(&FibonacciActionClient::feedbackCallback, this, _1));
  }

private:
  rclcpp::Node::SharedPtr node_;
  simple_actions::SimpleActionClient<example_interfaces::action::Fibonacci> client_;

  void feedbackCallback(const example_interfaces::action::Fibonacci::Feedback& feedback)
  {
    std::stringstream ss;
    ss << "Next number in sequence received: ";
    for (auto number : feedback.sequence) {
      ss << number << " ";
    }
    RCLCPP_INFO(node_->get_logger(), ss.str().c_str());
  }

  void resultCallback(simple_actions::ResultCode code,
                       const example_interfaces::action::Fibonacci::Result & result)
  {
    if (code == simple_actions::ResultCode::SUCCEEDED)
    {
      std::stringstream ss;
      ss << "Result received: ";
      for (auto number : result.sequence)
      {
        ss << number << " ";
      }
      RCLCPP_INFO(node_->get_logger(), ss.str().c_str());
    }
    else
    {
      RCLCPP_ERROR(node_->get_logger(), "Action unsuccessful.");
    }
    rclcpp::shutdown();
  }
};  // class FibonacciActionClient

int main(int argc, char * argv[])
{
  rclcpp::init(argc, argv);
  rclcpp::Node::SharedPtr node = std::make_shared<rclcpp::Node>("client_demo");
  FibonacciActionClient ac(node);
  ac.sendGoal();
  rclcpp::spin(node);
  rclcpp::shutdown();
  return 0;
}

Execute with Feedback

You can also specify a feedback callback with the call operator, a la

    auto result = client.execute(goal_msg, std::bind(feedbackCallback, _1));

Wait For Server

By default, creating the SimpleActionClient will wait for the server to come up. You can disable that by passing in wait_for_server=False and then calling waitForServer() later.

    simple_actions::SimpleActionClient<example_interfaces::action::Fibonacci> client(node, "fibonacci", false);

    # Do something else
    client.waitForServer();
    client.sendGoal(goal_msg);

Example with explicit Executor

When you are working in a more complex codebase that has an explicit Executor object, rclcpp::spin_some() will not work. An easy way to tell this is by encountering the following exception:

C++ exception with description "Node '/XYZ' has already been added to an executor."

In this case, you can use the spin_locally flag in the SimpleActionClient::execute() function to avoid using the implicit executor.

#include <example_interfaces/action/fibonacci.hpp>
#include <simple_actions/simple_client.hpp>

class MyComplexClass
{
  auto call_fibonacci()
  {
    auto goal_msg = ...
    auto result = fibonacci_action_client_->execute(goal_msg, nullptr, false);
  }

  //...

  std::shared_ptr<simple_actions::SimpleActionClient<Fibonacci>> fibonacci_action_client_;

  rclcpp::executors::MultiThreadedExecutor executor_;
  std::future<void> executor_future_handle_;
};

int main(int argc, char * argv[])
{
  rclcpp::init(argc, argv);
  MyComplexClass complex_class;

  rclcpp::executors::MultiThreadedExecutor executor;
  executor.add_node(complex_class->getNode());

  auto executor_future_handle = std::async(std::launch::async, [&]() -> void { executor_.spin(); });

  auto result = complex_class.call_fibonacci();

  // ...

  rclcpp::shutdown();
  return 0;
}