tf.TensorShape

Represents the shape of a Tensor.

Inherits From: TraceType

Used in the notebooks

Used in the guide Used in the tutorials
t = tf.constant([[1,2,3],[4,5,6]])
t.shape
TensorShape([2, 3])

TensorShape is the static shape representation of a Tensor. During eager execution a Tensor always has a fully specified shape but when tracing a tf.function it may be one of the following:

  • Fully-known shape: has a known number of dimensions and a known size for each dimension. e.g. TensorShape([16, 256])
  • Partially-known shape: has a known number of dimensions, and an unknown size for one or more dimension. e.g. TensorShape([None, 256])
  • Unknown shape: has an unknown number of dimensions, and an unknown size in all dimensions. e.g. TensorShape(None)

During function tracing t.shape will return a TensorShape object representing the shape of Tensor as it is known during tracing. This static representation will be partially defined in cases where the exact shape depends on the values within the tensors. To get the dynamic representation, please use tf.shape(t) which will return Tensor representing the fully defined shape of t. This way, you can express logic that manipulates the shapes of tensors by building other tensors that depend on the dynamic shape of t.

For example, this function prints the TensorShape' (t.shape), when you trace the function, and returns a tensor <a href="../tf/shape"><code>tf.shape(t)</code></a> for given inputt`:

@tf.function
def get_dynamic_shape(t):
  print("tracing...")
  print(f"static shape is {t.shape}")
  return tf.shape(t)

Just calling the function traces it with a fully-specified static shape:

result = get_dynamic_shape(tf.constant([[1, 1, 1], [0, 0, 0]]))
tracing...
static shape is (2, 3)
result.numpy()
array([2, 3], dtype=int32)

But tf.function can also trace the function with a partially specified (or even unspecified) shape:

cf1 = get_dynamic_shape.get_concrete_function(tf.TensorSpec(
                                              shape=[None, 2]))
tracing...
static shape is (None, 2)
cf1(tf.constant([[1., 0],[1, 0],[1, 0]])).numpy()
array([3, 2], dtype=int32)
cf2 = get_dynamic_shape.get_concrete_function(tf.TensorSpec(shape=None))
tracing...
static shape is <unknown>
cf2(tf.constant([[[[[1., 0]]]]])).numpy()
array([1, 1, 1, 1, 2], dtype=int32)

If a tensor is produced by an operation of type "Foo", its shape may be inferred if there is a registered shape function for "Foo". See Shape functions for details of shape functions and how to register them. Alternatively, you may set the shape explicitly using tf.Tensor.ensure_shape.

dims A list of Dimensions, or None if the shape is unspecified.

TypeError If dims cannot be converted to a list of dimensions.

dims Deprecated. Returns list of dimensions for this shape.

Suggest TensorShape.as_list instead.

ndims Deprecated accessor for rank.
rank Returns the rank of this shape, or None if it is unspecified.

Methods

as_list

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Returns a list of integers or None for each dimension.

Returns
A list of integers or None for each dimension.

Raises
ValueError If self is an unknown shape with an unknown rank.

as_proto

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Returns this shape as a TensorShapeProto.

assert_has_rank

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Raises an exception if self is not compatible with the given rank.

Args
rank An integer.

Raises
ValueError If self does not represent a shape with the given rank.

assert_is_compatible_with

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Raises exception if self and other do not represent the same shape.

This method can be used to assert that there exists a shape that both self and other represent.

Args
other Another TensorShape.

Raises
ValueError If self and other do not represent the same shape.

assert_is_fully_defined

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Raises an exception if self is not fully defined in every dimension.

Raises
ValueError If self does not have a known value for every dimension.

assert_same_rank

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Raises an exception if self and other do not have compatible ranks.

Args
other Another TensorShape.

Raises
ValueError If self and other do not represent shapes with the same rank.

concatenate

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Returns the concatenation of the dimension in self and other.

Args
other Another TensorShape.

Returns
A TensorShape whose dimensions are the concatenation of the dimensions in self and other.

experimental_as_proto

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Returns a proto representation of the TensorShape instance.

experimental_from_proto

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Returns a TensorShape instance based on the serialized proto.

experimental_type_proto

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Returns the type of proto associated with TensorShape serialization.

is_compatible_with

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Returns True iff self is compatible with other.

Two possibly-partially-defined shapes are compatible if there exists a fully-defined shape that both shapes can represent. Thus, compatibility allows the shape inference code to reason about partially-defined shapes. For example:

  • TensorShape(None) is compatible with all shapes.

  • TensorShape([None, None]) is compatible with all two-dimensional shapes, such as TensorShape([32, 784]), and also TensorShape(None). It is not compatible with, for example, TensorShape([None]) or TensorShape([None, None, None]).

  • TensorShape([32, None]) is compatible with all two-dimensional shapes with size 32 in the 0th dimension, and also TensorShape([None, None]) and TensorShape(None). It is not compatible with, for example, TensorShape([32]), TensorShape([32, None, 1]) or TensorShape([64, None]).

  • TensorShape([32, 784]) is compatible with itself, and also TensorShape([32, None]), TensorShape([None, 784]), TensorShape([None, None]) and TensorShape(None). It is not compatible with, for example, TensorShape([32, 1, 784]) or TensorShape([None]).

The compatibility relation is reflexive and symmetric, but not transitive. For example, TensorShape([32, 784]) is compatible with TensorShape(None), and TensorShape(None) is compatible with TensorShape([4, 4]), but TensorShape([32, 784]) is not compatible with TensorShape([4, 4]).

Args
other Another TensorShape.

Returns
True iff self is compatible with other.

is_fully_defined

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Returns True iff self is fully defined in every dimension.

is_subtype_of

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Returns True iff self is subtype of other.

Shape A is a subtype of shape B if shape B can successfully represent it:

  • A TensorShape of any rank is a subtype of TensorShape(None).

  • TensorShapes of equal ranks are covariant, i.e. TensorShape([A1, A2, ..]) is a subtype of TensorShape([B1, B2, ..]) iff An is a subtype of Bn.

    An is subtype of Bn iff An == Bn or Bn is None.

  • TensorShapes of different defined ranks have no subtyping relation.

The subtyping relation is reflexive and transitive, but not symmetric.

Some examples:

  • TensorShape([32, 784]) is a subtype of TensorShape(None), and TensorShape([4, 4]) is also a subtype of TensorShape(None) but TensorShape([32, 784]) and TensorShape([4, 4]) are not subtypes of each other.

  • All two-dimensional shapes are subtypes of TensorShape([None, None]), such as TensorShape([32, 784]). There is no subtype relationship with, for example, TensorShape([None]) or TensorShape([None, None, None]).

  • TensorShape([32, None]) is also a subtype of TensorShape([None, None]) and TensorShape(None). It is not a subtype of, for example, TensorShape([32]), TensorShape([32, None, 1]), TensorShape([64, None]) or TensorShape([None, 32]).

  • TensorShape([32, 784]) is a subtype of itself, and also TensorShape([32, None]), TensorShape([None, 784]), TensorShape([None, None]) and TensorShape(None). It has no subtype relation with, for example, TensorShape([32, 1, 784]) or TensorShape([None]).

Args
other Another TensorShape.

Returns
True iff self is subtype of other.

merge_with

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Returns a TensorShape combining the information in self and other.

The dimensions in self and other are merged element-wise, according to the rules below:

Dimension(n).merge_with(Dimension(None)) == Dimension(n)
Dimension(None).merge_with(Dimension(n)) == Dimension(n)
Dimension(None).merge_with(Dimension(None)) == Dimension(None)
# raises ValueError for n != m
Dimension(n).merge_with(Dimension(m))

ts = tf.TensorShape([1,2]) ot1 = tf.TensorShape([1,2]) ts.merge_with(ot).as_list() [1,2]

ot2 = tf.TensorShape([1,None]) ts.merge_with(ot2).as_list() [1,2]

ot3 = tf.TensorShape([None, None]) ot3.merge_with(ot2).as_list() [1, None]

Args
other Another TensorShape.

Returns
A TensorShape containing the combined information of self and other.

Raises
ValueError If self and other are not compatible.

most_specific_common_supertype

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Returns the most specific supertype TensorShape of self and others.

  • TensorShape([None, 1]) is the most specific TensorShape supertyping both TensorShape([2, 1]) and TensorShape([5, 1]). Note that TensorShape(None) is also a supertype but it is not "most specific".

  • TensorShape([1, 2, 3]) is the most specific TensorShape supertyping both TensorShape([1, 2, 3]) and TensorShape([1, 2, 3]). There are other less specific TensorShapes that supertype above mentioned TensorShapes, e.g. TensorShape([1, 2, None]), TensorShape(None).

    • TensorShape([None, None]) is the most specific TensorShape supertyping both TensorShape([2, None]) and TensorShape([None, 3]). As always, TensorShape(None) is also a supertype but not the most specific one.

    • TensorShape(None) is the only TensorShape supertyping both TensorShape([1, 2, 3]) and TensorShape([1, 2]). In general, any two shapes that have different ranks will only have TensorShape(None) as a common supertype.

    • TensorShape(None) is the only TensorShape supertyping both TensorShape([1, 2, 3]) and TensorShape(None). In general, the common supertype of any shape with TensorShape(None) is TensorShape(None).

Args
others Sequence of TensorShape.

Returns
A TensorShape which is the most specific supertype shape of self and others. None if it does not exist.

most_specific_compatible_shape

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Returns the most specific TensorShape compatible with self and other.

  • TensorShape([None, 1]) is the most specific TensorShape compatible with both TensorShape([2, 1]) and TensorShape([5, 1]). Note that TensorShape(None) is also compatible with above mentioned TensorShapes.

  • TensorShape([1, 2, 3]) is the most specific TensorShape compatible with both TensorShape([1, 2, 3]) and TensorShape([1, 2, 3]). There are more less specific TensorShapes compatible with above mentioned TensorShapes, e.g. TensorShape([1, 2, None]), TensorShape(None).

Args
other Another TensorShape.

Returns
A TensorShape which is the most specific compatible shape of self and other.

num_elements

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Returns the total number of elements, or none for incomplete shapes.

with_rank

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Returns a shape based on self with the given rank.

This method promotes a completely unknown shape to one with a known rank.

Args
rank An integer.

Returns
A shape that is at least as specific as self with the given rank.

Raises
ValueError If self does not represent a shape with the given rank.

with_rank_at_least

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Returns a shape based on self with at least the given rank.

Args
rank An integer.

Returns
A shape that is at least as specific as self with at least the given rank.

Raises
ValueError If self does not represent a shape with at least the given rank.

with_rank_at_most

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Returns a shape based on self with at most the given rank.

Args
rank An integer.

Returns
A shape that is at least as specific as self with at most the given rank.

Raises
ValueError If self does not represent a shape with at most the given rank.

__add__

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__bool__

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Returns True if this shape contains non-zero information.

__concat__

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__eq__

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Returns True if self is equivalent to other.

It first tries to convert other to TensorShape. TypeError is thrown when the conversion fails. Otherwise, it compares each element in the TensorShape dimensions.

  • Two Fully known shapes, return True iff each element is equal.
>>> t_a = tf.TensorShape([1,2])
>>> a = [1, 2]
>>> t_b = tf.TensorShape([1,2])
>>> t_c = tf.TensorShape([1,2,3])
>>> t_a.__eq__(a)
True
>>> t_a.__eq__(t_b)
True
>>> t_a.__eq__(t_c)
False
  • Two Partially-known shapes, return True iff each element is equal.
>>> p_a = tf.TensorShape([1,None])
>>> p_b = tf.TensorShape([1,None])
>>> p_c = tf.TensorShape([2,None])
>>> p_a.__eq__(p_b)
True
>>> t_a.__eq__(p_a)
False
>>> p_a.__eq__(p_c)
False
  • Two Unknown shape, return True.
>>> unk_a = tf.TensorShape(None)
>>> unk_b = tf.TensorShape(None)
>>> unk_a.__eq__(unk_b)
True
>>> unk_a.__eq__(t_a)
False

Args
other A TensorShape or type that can be converted to TensorShape.

Returns
True if the dimensions are all equal.

Raises
TypeError if other can not be converted to TensorShape.

__getitem__

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Returns the value of a dimension or a shape, depending on the key.

Args
key If key is an integer, returns the dimension at that index; otherwise if key is a slice, returns a TensorShape whose dimensions are those selected by the slice from self.

Returns
An integer if key is an integer, or a TensorShape if key is a slice.

Raises
ValueError If key is a slice and self is completely unknown and the step is set.

__iter__

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Returns self.dims if the rank is known, otherwise raises ValueError.

__len__

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Returns the rank of this shape, or raises ValueError if unspecified.

__nonzero__

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Returns True if this shape contains non-zero information.

__radd__

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