tf.keras.layers.Layer

See Stable See Nightly

TensorFlow 1 version

View source on GitHub

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
)

Used in the notebooks

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

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.
len(model.losses)
0
model.add_loss(tf.abs(tf.reduce_mean(x)))
len(model.losses)
1

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 = tf.keras.metrics.Mean(name='metric_1')

  def call(self, inputs):
    self.add_metric(self.mean(x))
    self.add_metric(tf.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')

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, 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