tf.keras.layers.Layer

This is the class from which all layers inherit.

Inherits From: Module

tf.keras.layers.Layer(
    trainable=True, name=None, dtype=None, dynamic=False, **kwargs
)

A layer is a callable object that takes as input one or more tensors and that outputs one or more tensors. It involves computation, defined in the call() method, and a state (weight variables), defined either in the constructor __init__() or in the build() method.

Users will just instantiate a layer and then treat it as a callable.

We recommend that descendants of Layer implement the following methods:

• __init__(): Defines custom layer attributes, and creates layer state variables that do not depend on input shapes, using add_weight().
• build(self, input_shape): This method can be used to create weights that depend on the shape(s) of the input(s), using add_weight(). __call__() will automatically build the layer (if it has not been built yet) by calling build().
• call(self, *args, **kwargs): Called in __call__ after making sure build() has been called. call() performs the logic of applying the layer to the input tensors (which should be passed in as argument). Two reserved keyword arguments you can optionally use in call() are:
  • training (boolean, whether the call is in inference mode or training mode)
  • mask (boolean tensor encoding masked timesteps in the input, used in RNN layers)
• get_config(self): Returns a dictionary containing the configuration used to initialize this layer. If the keys differ from the arguments in __init__, then override from_config(self) as well. This method is used when saving the layer or a model that contains this layer.

Examples:

Here's a basic example: a layer with two variables, w and b, that returns y = w . x + b. It shows how to implement build() and call(). Variables set as attributes of a layer are tracked as weights of the layers (in layer.weights).

class SimpleDense(Layer):

  def __init__(self, units=32):
      super(SimpleDense, self).__init__()
      self.units = units

  def build(self, input_shape):  # Create the state of the layer (weights)
    w_init = tf.random_normal_initializer()
    self.w = tf.Variable(
        initial_value=w_init(shape=(input_shape[-1], self.units),
                             dtype='float32'),
        trainable=True)
    b_init = tf.zeros_initializer()
    self.b = tf.Variable(
        initial_value=b_init(shape=(self.units,), dtype='float32'),
        trainable=True)

  def call(self, inputs):  # Defines the computation from inputs to outputs
      return tf.matmul(inputs, self.w) + self.b

# Instantiates the layer.
linear_layer = SimpleDense(4)

# This will also call `build(input_shape)` and create the weights.
y = linear_layer(tf.ones((2, 2)))
assert len(linear_layer.weights) == 2

# These weights are trainable, so they're listed in `trainable_weights`:
assert len(linear_layer.trainable_weights) == 2

Note that the method add_weight() offers a shortcut to create weights:

class SimpleDense(Layer):

  def __init__(self, units=32):
      super(SimpleDense, self).__init__()
      self.units = units

  def build(self, input_shape):
      self.w = self.add_weight(shape=(input_shape[-1], self.units),
                               initializer='random_normal',
                               trainable=True)
      self.b = self.add_weight(shape=(self.units,),
                               initializer='random_normal',
                               trainable=True)

  def call(self, inputs):
      return tf.matmul(inputs, self.w) + self.b

Besides trainable weights, updated via backpropagation during training, layers can also have non-trainable weights. These weights are meant to be updated manually during call(). Here's a example layer that computes the running sum of its inputs:

class ComputeSum(Layer):

  def __init__(self, input_dim):
      super(ComputeSum, self).__init__()
      # Create a non-trainable weight.
      self.total = tf.Variable(initial_value=tf.zeros((input_dim,)),
                               trainable=False)

  def call(self, inputs):
      self.total.assign_add(tf.reduce_sum(inputs, axis=0))
      return self.total

my_sum = ComputeSum(2)
x = tf.ones((2, 2))

y = my_sum(x)
print(y.numpy())  # [2. 2.]

y = my_sum(x)
print(y.numpy())  # [4. 4.]

assert my_sum.weights == [my_sum.total]
assert my_sum.non_trainable_weights == [my_sum.total]
assert my_sum.trainable_weights == []

For more information about creating layers, see the guide Writing custom layers and models with Keras

About the layer's dtype attribute:

Each layer has a dtype, which is typically the dtype of the layer's computations and variables. A layer's dtype can be queried via the Layer.dtype property. The dtype is specified with the dtype constructor argument. In TensorFlow 2, the dtype defaults to tf.keras.backend.floatx() if no dtype is passed. floatx() itself defaults to "float32". Additionally, layers will cast their inputs to the layer's dtype in TensorFlow 2. When mixed precision is used, layers may have different computation and variable dtypes. See tf.keras.mixed_precision.experimental.Policy for details on layer dtypes.

class MyLayer(tf.keras.layers.Layer):
  def call(self, inputs):
    self.add_loss(tf.abs(tf.reduce_mean(inputs)))
    return inputs
l = MyLayer()
l(np.ones((10, 1)))
l.losses
[1.0]

inputs = tf.keras.Input(shape=(10,))
x = tf.keras.layers.Dense(10)(inputs)
outputs = tf.keras.layers.Dense(1)(x)
model = tf.keras.Model(inputs, outputs)
# Activity regularization.
model.add_loss(tf.abs(tf.reduce_mean(x)))
model.losses
[<tf.Tensor 'Abs:0' shape=() dtype=float32>]

inputs = tf.keras.Input(shape=(10,))
d = tf.keras.layers.Dense(10, kernel_initializer='ones')
x = d(inputs)
outputs = tf.keras.layers.Dense(1)(x)
model = tf.keras.Model(inputs, outputs)
# Weight regularization.
model.add_loss(lambda: tf.reduce_mean(d.kernel))
model.losses
[<tf.Tensor: shape=(), dtype=float32, numpy=1.0>]

input = tf.keras.layers.Input(shape=(3,))
d = tf.keras.layers.Dense(2)
output = d(input)
d.add_metric(tf.reduce_max(output), name='max')
d.add_metric(tf.reduce_min(output), name='min')
[m.name for m in d.metrics]
['max', 'min']

Methods

add_loss

View source

add_loss(
    losses, **kwargs
)

Add loss tensor(s), potentially dependent on layer inputs.

Some losses (for instance, activity regularization losses) may be dependent on the inputs passed when calling a layer. Hence, when reusing the same layer on different inputs a and b, some entries in layer.losses may be dependent on a and some on b. This method automatically keeps track of dependencies.

This method can be used inside a subclassed layer or model's call function, in which case losses should be a Tensor or list of Tensors.

Example:

class MyLayer(tf.keras.layers.Layer):
  def call(self, inputs):
    self.add_loss(tf.abs(tf.reduce_mean(inputs)))
    return inputs

This method can also be called directly on a Functional Model during construction. In this case, any loss Tensors passed to this Model must be symbolic and be able to be traced back to the model's Inputs. These losses become part of the model's topology and are tracked in get_config.

Example:

inputs = tf.keras.Input(shape=(10,))
x = tf.keras.layers.Dense(10)(inputs)
outputs = tf.keras.layers.Dense(1)(x)
model = tf.keras.Model(inputs, outputs)
# Activity regularization.
model.add_loss(tf.abs(tf.reduce_mean(x)))

If this is not the case for your loss (if, for example, your loss references a Variable of one of the model's layers), you can wrap your loss in a zero-argument lambda. These losses are not tracked as part of the model's topology since they can't be serialized.

Example:

inputs = tf.keras.Input(shape=(10,))
d = tf.keras.layers.Dense(10)
x = d(inputs)
outputs = tf.keras.layers.Dense(1)(x)
model = tf.keras.Model(inputs, outputs)
# Weight regularization.
model.add_loss(lambda: tf.reduce_mean(d.kernel))

add_metric

View source

add_metric(
    value, name=None, **kwargs
)

Adds metric tensor to the layer.

This method can be used inside the call() method of a subclassed layer or model.

class MyMetricLayer(tf.keras.layers.Layer):
  def __init__(self):
    super(MyMetricLayer, self).__init__(name='my_metric_layer')
    self.mean = metrics_module.Mean(name='metric_1')

  def call(self, inputs):
    self.add_metric(self.mean(x))
    self.add_metric(math_ops.reduce_sum(x), name='metric_2')
    return inputs

This method can also be called directly on a Functional Model during construction. In this case, any tensor passed to this Model must be symbolic and be able to be traced back to the model's Inputs. These metrics become part of the model's topology and are tracked when you save the model via save().

inputs = tf.keras.Input(shape=(10,))
x = tf.keras.layers.Dense(10)(inputs)
outputs = tf.keras.layers.Dense(1)(x)
model = tf.keras.Model(inputs, outputs)
model.add_metric(math_ops.reduce_sum(x), name='metric_1')

Note: Calling add_metric() with the result of a metric object on a Functional Model, as shown in the example below, is not supported. This is because we cannot trace the metric result tensor back to the model's inputs.

inputs = tf.keras.Input(shape=(10,))
x = tf.keras.layers.Dense(10)(inputs)
outputs = tf.keras.layers.Dense(1)(x)
model = tf.keras.Model(inputs, outputs)
model.add_metric(tf.keras.metrics.Mean()(x), name='metric_1')

add_weight

View source

add_weight(
    name=None, shape=None, dtype=None, initializer=None, regularizer=None,
    trainable=None, constraint=None, partitioner=None, use_resource=None,
    synchronization=tf.VariableSynchronization.AUTO,
    aggregation=tf.compat.v1.VariableAggregation.NONE, **kwargs
)

Adds a new variable to the layer.

build

View source

build(
    input_shape
)

Creates the variables of the layer (optional, for subclass implementers).

This is a method that implementers of subclasses of Layer or Model can override if they need a state-creation step in-between layer instantiation and layer call.

This is typically used to create the weights of Layer subclasses.

call

View source

call(
    inputs, **kwargs
)

This is where the layer's logic lives.

Note here that call() method in tf.keras is little bit different from keras API. In keras API, you can pass support masking for layers as additional arguments. Whereas tf.keras has compute_mask() method to support masking.

compute_mask

View source

compute_mask(
    inputs, mask=None
)

Computes an output mask tensor.

compute_output_shape

View source

compute_output_shape(
    input_shape
)

Computes the output shape of the layer.

If the layer has not been built, this method will call build on the layer. This assumes that the layer will later be used with inputs that match the input shape provided here.

compute_output_signature

View source

compute_output_signature(
    input_signature
)

Compute the output tensor signature of the layer based on the inputs.

Unlike a TensorShape object, a TensorSpec object contains both shape and dtype information for a tensor. This method allows layers to provide output dtype information if it is different from the input dtype. For any layer that doesn't implement this function, the framework will fall back to use compute_output_shape, and will assume that the output dtype matches the input dtype.

count_params

View source

count_params()

Count the total number of scalars composing the weights.

from_config

View source

@classmethod
from_config(
    config
)

Creates a layer from its config.

This method is the reverse of get_config, capable of instantiating the same layer from the config dictionary. It does not handle layer connectivity (handled by Network), nor weights (handled by set_weights).

get_config

View source

get_config()

Returns the config of the layer.

A layer config is a Python dictionary (serializable) containing the configuration of a layer. The same layer can be reinstantiated later (without its trained weights) from this configuration.

The config of a layer does not include connectivity information, nor the layer class name. These are handled by Network (one layer of abstraction above).

get_weights

View source

get_weights()

Returns the current weights of the layer.

The weights of a layer represent the state of the layer. This function returns both trainable and non-trainable weight values associated with this layer as a list of Numpy arrays, which can in turn be used to load state into similarly parameterized layers.

For example, a Dense layer returns a list of two values-- per-output weights and the bias value. These can be used to set the weights of another Dense layer:

a = tf.keras.layers.Dense(1,
  kernel_initializer=tf.constant_initializer(1.))
a_out = a(tf.convert_to_tensor([[1., 2., 3.]]))
a.get_weights()
[array([[1.],
       [1.],
       [1.]], dtype=float32), array([0.], dtype=float32)]
b = tf.keras.layers.Dense(1,
  kernel_initializer=tf.constant_initializer(2.))
b_out = b(tf.convert_to_tensor([[10., 20., 30.]]))
b.get_weights()
[array([[2.],
       [2.],
       [2.]], dtype=float32), array([0.], dtype=float32)]
b.set_weights(a.get_weights())
b.get_weights()
[array([[1.],
       [1.],
       [1.]], dtype=float32), array([0.], dtype=float32)]

set_weights

View source

set_weights(
    weights
)

Sets the weights of the layer, from Numpy arrays.

The weights of a layer represent the state of the layer. This function sets the weight values from numpy arrays. The weight values should be passed in the order they are created by the layer. Note that the layer's weights must be instantiated before calling this function by calling the layer.

For example, a Dense layer returns a list of two values-- per-output weights and the bias value. These can be used to set the weights of another Dense layer:

a = tf.keras.layers.Dense(1,
  kernel_initializer=tf.constant_initializer(1.))
a_out = a(tf.convert_to_tensor([[1., 2., 3.]]))
a.get_weights()
[array([[1.],
       [1.],
       [1.]], dtype=float32), array([0.], dtype=float32)]
b = tf.keras.layers.Dense(1,
  kernel_initializer=tf.constant_initializer(2.))
b_out = b(tf.convert_to_tensor([[10., 20., 30.]]))
b.get_weights()
[array([[2.],
       [2.],
       [2.]], dtype=float32), array([0.], dtype=float32)]
b.set_weights(a.get_weights())
b.get_weights()
[array([[1.],
       [1.],
       [1.]], dtype=float32), array([0.], dtype=float32)]

__call__

View source

__call__(
    *args, **kwargs
)

Wraps call, applying pre- and post-processing steps.

Note:

• The following optional keyword arguments are reserved for specific uses:
  • training: Boolean scalar tensor of Python boolean indicating whether the call is meant for training or inference.
  • mask: Boolean input mask.
• If the layer's call method takes a mask argument (as some Keras layers do), its default value will be set to the mask generated for inputs by the previous layer (if input did come from a layer that generated a corresponding mask, i.e. if it came from a Keras layer with masking support.