Properties file and genre for a possible IMDB scraper.

[mherce]

I'm playing with properties files to see if its feasible to use it for an IMDB scraper similar to the tv.com one. The TV.com one uses my files and I notice that genre contained in it is ignored by the my importers.

However, the genre in properties file is passed incorrectly or I can't figure out how to delineate. IMDB lists multiple genres so any scraper that I write will be outputting multiple genres. This is what I want. However when I put it in a properties file, it shows up as "Action, Sci-fi" or "Action/Sci-fi" in the genre list, instead of separate Action and Sci-fi genre categories.

How do I fix this? What character do I need to use to separate Action from Sci-fi?

Thanks!

[JREkiwi]

Originally Posted by mherce

The TV.com one uses my files and I notice that genre contained in it is ignored by the my importers.

Which my importers ignore it? Would you mind posting a failing my file?

John

[mherce]

Hi JREkiwi, well yours actually . Maybe ignoring is an incorrect term. Using the TV.com importer output (as I have no other my file format to reference), I constructed a rudimentary my file for a movie file. The genre tags are displayed but "ignored" by the UI. So if I sort by genre, the video stays as unsorted, instead of put into its categories.

I would much rather use my files as properties files are quite poorly implemented. Requiring a removal of the import directory and then a full reimport to get them recognized. On top of that they require I add the extension of the file as well as the .properties to work. That adds another level to an IMDB scraper, which should be unnecessary.

Here's a the my file I was working with:

title=2001: A Space Odyssey
TVOverview=2001 is a story of evolution. Sometime in the distant past someone or something nudged evolution by placing a monolith here on earth (presumably elsewhere throughout the universe as well) Evolution then enabled man to reach the moon's surface where he finds yet another monolith, one which signals the monolith-placers that we have evolved that far. Now a race begins between computers (HAL) and man (Bowman) to reach the monolith-placers, the winner will achieve the next step in evolution, whatever that may be.
TVStartDate=6 April 1968
TVGenre=Adventure,Sci-Fi
TVActors=Keir Dullea (Dr. Dave Bowman), Gary Lockwood (Dr. Frank Poole), William Sylvester (Dr. Heywood R. Floyd), Daniel Richter (Moon-Watcher), Leonard Rossiter (Dr. Andrei Smyslov), Margaret Tyzack (Elena), Robert Beatty (Dr. Ralph Halvorsen), Sean Sullivan (Dr. Bill Michaels), Douglas Rain (HAL 9000 (voice)), Frank Miller (Mission controller (voice)), Bill Weston (Astronaut), Ed Bishop (Aries-1B Lunar shuttle captain), Glenn Beck (Astronaut), Alan Gifford (Poole's father), Ann Gillis (Poole's mother)
TVRating=8.4
TVDirector=Stanley Kubrick
TVProducer=Stanley Kubrick
TVWriter=Arthur C. Clarke

Since I have you , could you tell me what fields map to what from the IMDB importer? I was able to import the quotes, goofs and such from IMDB with your importer, when the IMDB plugin was working. Basically, if I buy SageTV, I have in mind writing a scraper like the TV.com one but for IMDB. Making the process of getting metadata automated (like every other HTPC software offers).

A lot depends on my read of the Studio manual, as I would be adding a SageMC plugin to display the imported data in a much more HTPC normal way.
Ideally, I would really like to have the metadata imported as well as your plugin worked with the dead IMDB one so I have lots of fields to add to the movie display screens.

[JREkiwi]

Originally Posted by mherce

Hi JREkiwi, well yours actually . Maybe ignoring is an incorrect term. Using the TV.com importer output (as I have no other my file format to reference), I constructed a rudimentary my file for a movie file. The genre tags are displayed but "ignored" by the UI. So if I sort by genre, the video stays as unsorted, instead of put into its categories.

By default nothing is "imported" from the .my files, which is why you can't sort. You would need to either do a manual import (under manage metadata on the video detail screen), or turn on "Metadata Save to DB/Auto Save to DB from .my File", which will import from a .my file when you go into a video detail screen. There's also a bulk importer in "Metadata Save to DB/Import .my files to DB" (badly worded).

Seperate you genres with /
Movie/Action/Comedy

Originally Posted by mherce

Since I have you , could you tell me what fields map to what from the IMDB importer? I was able to import the quotes, goofs and such from IMDB with your importer, when the IMDB plugin was working.

I import the IMDB stuff into more fields into .my files than I do into .properties files (which implies, into the DB). I'd need to have a look through the code, as it's been a long time since I touched anything in that area.

Originally Posted by mherce

A lot depends on my read of the Studio manual, as I would be adding a SageMC plugin to display the imported data in a much more HTPC normal way.

You can pretty much do what you want with Studio. Just depends on how much time yo want to spend on it.

John

[mherce]

Thanks! I see the mistake I made now. I installed your plugin then tried out SageMC. SageMC has the read .my ability but not the import .my ability; but since it was displaying the info, I thought it was imported.

Cool, I will play with it and see where it goes. Thanks again!