def getCatIds(self, catNms=[], supNms=[], catIds=[]):
        """
        filtering parameters. default skips that filter.
        :param catNms (str array)  : get cats for given cat names
        :param supNms (str array)  : get cats for given supercategory names
        :param catIds (int array)  : get cats for given cat ids
        :return: ids (int array)   : integer array of cat ids
        """
        catNms = catNms if _isArrayLike(catNms) else [catNms]
        supNms = supNms if _isArrayLike(supNms) else [supNms]
        catIds = catIds if _isArrayLike(catIds) else [catIds]

        if len(catNms) == len(supNms) == len(catIds) == 0:
            cats = self.dataset['categories']
        else:
            cats = self.dataset['categories']
            cats = cats if len(catNms) == 0 else [cat for cat in cats if cat['name']          in catNms]
            cats = cats if len(supNms) == 0 else [cat for cat in cats if cat['supercategory'] in supNms]
            cats = cats if len(catIds) == 0 else [cat for cat in cats if cat['id']            in catIds]
        ids = [cat['id'] for cat in cats]
        return ids