docs: def get_chunks(self, exclude=None, whitelist=None):
          '''
          Compile the top file and return the lowstate for the thorium runtime
          to iterate over
          '''
          ret = {}
          err = []
          try:
              top = self.get_top()
          except SaltRenderError as err:
              return ret
          except Exception:
              trb = traceback.format_exc()
              err.append(trb)
              return err
          err += self.verify_tops(top)
          matches = self.top_matches(top)
          if not matches:
              msg = 'No Top file found!'
              raise SaltRenderError(msg)
          matches = self.matches_whitelist(matches, whitelist)
          high, errors = self.render_highstate(matches)
          if exclude:
              if isinstance(exclude, six.string_types):
                  exclude = exclude.split(',')
              if '__exclude__' in high:
                  high['__exclude__'].extend(exclude)
              else:
                  high['__exclude__'] = exclude
              err += errors
          high, ext_errors = self.state.reconcile_extend(high)
          err += ext_errors
          err += self.state.verify_high(high)
          if err:
              raise SaltRenderError(err)
          return self.state.compile_high_data(high)