Hints for first plugin

[sander1]

This way the code gets executed when your try to play the video rather than when the list is build. Same idea with the thumbnails.

[...] With thumbnails you do actually need the URL content (the image) in the list, so what does using the Function approach do? Load them in parallel in an asynchronous manner, or does it load when you visit that list item (but then you need multiple images in a list)?

Using a function to load thumbnails makes your plugin more responsive/faster (users can start browsing more quickly) because the thumb data is being loaded after the list has been built:

Without a function call for thumbs:
Build list -> load thumb 1 -> load thumb 2 -> load thumb 3 -> **display list**

Loading thumbs by using a function call:
Build list -> **display list** -> load thumb 1 -> load thumb 2 -> load thumb 3

[jwray]

Well spotted Sander, I never noticed that.



flubr: In cases like this you have two options: slow, with more meta-data (summary) or fast, with less meta-data (no summary here). I usually decide depending on how slow things feel for the particular site.

In most cases it's faster and makes sense to find/build the final url to a video in a "PlayVideo" function that gets executed when a user clicks a certain item. Usually this is done for speed, as the opening of additional pages is only done when it's needed.
However, by looking at this piece of code that was posted above, it doesn't matter when the final video url is build, because the HTML page that is used for the summary also contains the video info:

for video in content.xpath('//div[@id="content-middle"]//ul/li/div//div[@class="content-inner"]'):<br />
        image = video.xpath('div/div/div/div[@class="field-item odd"]/a/img')[0].get('src')<br />
        title = video.xpath("div[2]/h2/a")[0].text<br />
        subtitle = video.xpath('div[2]/div[@class="info"]/span')[0].text<br />
        link = ROOT_URL + video.xpath("div[2]/h2/a")[0].get('href')<br />
#        Log(HTTP.Request(link).content)  <br />
        <br />
        inhoud = HTML.ElementFromURL(link) ### <-- Open the webpage containing the info we want,...<br />
        summary = inhoud.xpath('//div[@class="text"]/p')[0].text_content() ### <-- ...extract the summary text...<br />
        rtmpClip = inhoud.xpath('//div[@class="embed"]/script[@type="text/javascript"]')[0].text ### <-- ...and lets grab the video info too while we are here<br />
        rtmpClip = rtmpClip.split('.flv"')[0]<br />
        rtmpClip = rtmpClip.split('file: "')[1]<br />
#        Log(rtmpClip)<br />

[jwray]

Thanks man, I sort of assumed that was the case but good to get a confirmation.

Using a function to load thumbnails makes your plugin more responsive/faster (users can start browsing more quickly) because the thumb data is being loaded after the list has been built:

Without a function call for thumbs:
Build list -> load thumb 1 -> load thumb 2 -> load thumb 3 -> **display list**

Loading thumbs by using a function call:
Build list -> **display list** -> load thumb 1 -> load thumb 2 -> load thumb 3

[flubr]

Thank you all for your help. I was already expecting some difficulties with the summary.



However, Jonny, I’m thinking of a third option!

Isn’t it possible to use a function that loads the summaries after the list is displayed, like the thumbnails function pierre proposed? The rtmpclip could also be fetched with a function so that it’s being fetched when you click on the video in the list (like you proposed). This way, I could both increase the speed AND display the summary?

[jwray]

I’m not 100% sure but I think the load later trick only works with thumbnails not any other meta-data. No harm in trying though I guess.

Thank you all for your help. I was already expecting some difficulties with the summary.

However, Jonny, I'm thinking of a third option!
Isn't it possible to use a function that loads the summaries after the list is displayed, like the thumbnails function pierre proposed? The rtmpclip could also be fetched with a function so that it's being fetched when you click on the video in the list (like you proposed). This way, I could both increase the speed AND display the summary?

[flubr]

I tried this code, but unfortunately it doesn’t work. The log is never being called, and in plex all the summaries are "/video/stubru/:/function/getSummary?function_’.

Is my function call correct? I’m also not sure about the return type, but since the log isn’t called, I suppose this can’t be the problem (yet).

        	dir.Append(RTMPVideoItem(url="rtmp://vrt.flash.streampower.be:80/stubru/", clip=rtmpClip, live=False, title=title, subtitle=subtitle, summary=Function(getSummary,url=link), thumb=image))<br />
<br />
    <br />
#####################################<br />
def getSummary(url):<br />
	try:<br />
		page = HTML.ElementFromURL(url)<br />
		summar = page.xpath('//div[@class="text"]/p')[0].text_content()<br />
		Log(summar)<br />
		return str(summar)<br />
	except:		return "Failed"<br />

Btw: oops, I just see that this topic is called "tips for first plugin", I meant "hints for first plugin" (tip is the Dutch translation) is there a way to change the topic title?

[mikedm139]

I tried this code, but unfortunately it doesn't work. The log is never being called, and in plex all the summaries are "/video/stubru/:/function/getSummary?function_'.
Is my function call correct? I'm also not sure about the return type, but since the log isn't called, I suppose this can't be the problem (yet).

        	dir.Append(RTMPVideoItem(url="rtmp://vrt.flash.streampower.be:80/stubru/", clip=rtmpClip, live=False, title=title, subtitle=subtitle, summary=Function(getSummary,url=link), thumb=image))<br />
<br />
    <br />
#####################################<br />
def getSummary(url):<br />
	try:<br />
		page = HTML.ElementFromURL(url)<br />
		summar = page.xpath('//div[@class="text"]/p')[0].text_content()<br />
		Log(summar)<br />
		return str(summar)<br />
	except:		return "Failed"<br />

Btw: oops, I just see that this topic is called "tips for first plugin", I meant "hints for first plugin" (tip is the Dutch translation) is there a way to change the topic title?

Unfortunately, using a function to load summaries is not supported. I ran into the same problem with the NFB|ONF plugin so it only displays a brief summary excerpt.

[flubr]

Ok, thanks, it was worth trying

[jwray]

Just changed it for you.



Jonny

Btw: oops, I just see that this topic is called "tips for first plugin", I meant "hints for first plugin" (tip is the Dutch translation) is there a way to change the topic title?

[flubr]

Ok, thanks.



I’ve got two random questions:

1. Is it possible to see how much a plugin gets downloaded from Plex online?
   
2. I made some plugins and edited the art-default.jpg afterwards. However, the old artwork is still being showed. Do I have to remove some kind of cache? I tried deleting some caches, restarting plex, etc… but after more than a week, I still see the old artwork.

[Dbl_A]

Ok, thanks.

I've got two random questions:
1) Is it possible to see how much a plugin gets downloaded from Plex online?
2) I made some plugins and edited the art-default.jpg afterwards. However, the old artwork is still being showed. Do I have to remove some kind of cache? I tried deleting some caches, restarting plex, etc... but after more than a week, I still see the old artwork.

1. the Devs do have access to this info. Not sure how willing they are to share, though.

2. move everything from ~Library/App support/Plex/userdata/thumbnails/plexmediaserver to the trash

[flubr]

I’m writing a new plugin and I encountered a problem.



The videos are located at http://vtm.be/videozone



Since these videos are .mp4 files, I figured they should be implemented with the “VideoItem” function. (In my previous plugins, I used the RTMPVideoItem)

So this is the code I wrote:

			dir.Append(VideoItem("http://flvpd.vtm.be/vtm_od/opgekniptnieuws/2011/07/28/PTL_20110728T140811_Trailer_Night@_D.mp4", "test")) 

The URL plays fine if I open it in my browser, but if I open the link in Plex, it starts buffering and the next thing I hear sounds like a glitch, as if the sound of the whole video is played in one second. After this second, plex returns to the menu.
In the log file, I only see this, the rest seems normal: 2011-07-28 15:47:28,814 (-4f967000) : DEBUG (runtime:621) - Response: 200

Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

[pierre1313]

I would try to add a function with callback, something like :

dir.Append(Function(VideoItem(PlayVideo, title='Belgian Video', subtitle='With Fries, yes, please', summary='Fries and beer what else can you dream of ?', thumb=R('Mankenpiss.jpg')), url=<HTMLPAGE>)) <br />
<br />
def PlayVideo(sender, url):<br />
    #put here a function to extract the video url<br />
    #videoUrl= HTML.ElementFromURL("url" ).xpath( blah blah)<br />
    #or for testing purposes:<br />
    videoUrl = 'http://flvpd.vtm.be/vtm_od/opgekniptnieuws/2011/07/28/PTL_20110728T140811_Trailer_Night@_D.mp4'<br />
<br />
    return Redirect(videoUrl)<br />

[flubr]

Thanks for your help, I have implemented your suggestion but it’s still not running the way it should.

When I start a video in Plex, it starts buffering and then suddenly it stops buffering and returns to the menu.



This is my complete code:

import math, re<br />
<br />
PLUGIN_PREFIX = "/video/vtm"<br />
MEDIA = "http://vtm.be/videozone"<br />
ROOT_URL      = "http://vtm.be"<br />
<br />
TITLE = "VTM"<br />
ICON  = "icon-default.png"<br />
ART   = "art-default.jpg"<br />
<br />
####################################################################################################<br />
def Start():<br />
	Plugin.AddPrefixHandler(PLUGIN_PREFIX, MainMenu, TITLE, ICON, ART)<br />
	Plugin.AddViewGroup("InfoList", viewMode="InfoList", mediaType="items")<br />
<br />
	MediaContainer.title1 = TITLE<br />
	MediaContainer.art = R(ART)<br />
	MediaContainer.viewGroup = "InfoList"<br />
<br />
	DirectoryItem.thumb = R(ICON)<br />
	VideoItem.thumb = R(ICON)<br />
<br />
	HTTP.CacheTime = CACHE_1HOUR<br />
	HTTP.Headers['User-Agent'] = 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_6_7; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.20.25 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.4 Safari/533.20.27'<br />
<br />
<br />
#####################################  <br />
def MainMenu():<br />
	dir = MediaContainer()<br />
	for item in HTML.ElementFromURL(MEDIA).xpath('//div[@class="subnavigation clearfix"]//a'):<br />
		title = item.text_content()<br />
		link = ROOT_URL + item.get('href')<br />
		dir.Append(Function(DirectoryItem(Videos, title=title), pageUrl=link))<br />
	return dir<br />
<br />
<br />
#####################################<br />
def Videos(sender, pageUrl):<br />
	dir = MediaContainer(title2=sender.itemTitle)<br />
	content = HTML.ElementFromURL(pageUrl, errors='ignore')<br />
	for video in content.xpath('//div[@id="videozone_items"]/div'):<br />
		try:<br />
			image = video.xpath('div[@class="video-thumb"]/img')[0].get('src')<br />
			title = video.xpath('h3[@class="videozone_title"]/a')[0].text<br />
			link = video.xpath('h3[@class="videozone_title"]/a')[0].get('href')<br />
			dir.Append(Function(VideoItem(PlayVideo, title=title, subtitle='With Fries, yes, please', summary='Fries and beer what else can you dream of ?', thumb=Function(Thumb, url=image)), link=MEDIA)) <br />
		except:<br />
			pass<br />
	return dir<br />
<br />
#####################################<br />
def PlayVideo(sender, link):<br />
#	content = HTML.ElementFromURL(link, errors='ignore')<br />
#	clips = content.xpath('//div[@id="videoplayer"]/object/param[@name="flashvars"]')[0].get('value')<br />
#	clips = clips.split('&streamer')[0]<br />
#	clips = clips.split('file=')[1]<br />
#	Log(clips)<br />
	videoUrl='http://flvpd.vtm.be/vtm_od/opgekniptnieuws/2011/07/28/PTL_20110728T140811_Trailer_Night@_D.mp4'<br />
	return Redirect(videoUrl)<br />
<br />
#####################################<br />
def Thumb(url):<br />
	try:<br />
		data = HTTP.Request(url, cacheTime=CACHE_1WEEK).content<br />
		return DataObject(data, 'image/jpeg')<br />
	except:<br />
		pass<br />
<br />
	return Redirect(R(ICON))<br />

The log file shows this:

2011-07-29 13:41:05,437 (-4faed000) : DEBUG (runtime:621) - Response: 200
2011-07-29 13:41:07,026 (-4faed000) : DEBUG (runtime:478) - Handling request GET /video/vtm/:/function/PlayVideo?function_args=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__
2011-07-29 13:41:07,026 (-4faed000) : DEBUG (runtime:703) - Calling function 'PlayVideo'
2011-07-29 13:41:07,029 (-4faed000) : DEBUG (runtime:621) - Response: 301