Plugin: OneTimeFavorite

[tmiranda]

This plugin allows you to define a Favorite that will be removed after one recording has been made. This is particularly useful for recording movies because you can simply select the movie as a One Time Favorite and let the Sage scheduler figure out when is the best time to make the recording.

To install go to the UI Mod section of the plugin manager and install "OneTimeFavorite".

If you install the UI Mod on a SageClient, you must also install it on the Sage server. (If you typically do not use a UI on the server you can install the "OneTimeFavorite General" plugin from the General section of the plugin manager instead.)

After installation you will notice a new entry on the Favorite detail screen that allows you to specify that the Favorite is a One Time Favorite.

[wayner]

Just so I understand - is this to be used to have Sage record a movie that is not currently in the guide but that you would like to have recorded if it ever shows up on TV some time in the future? You just set it up as a Fave and if and when the movie is shown it will record the movie and then be gone?

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by wayner

Just so I understand - is this to be used to have Sage record a movie that is not currently in the guide but that you would like to have recorded if it ever shows up on TV some time in the future? You just set it up as a Fave and if and when the movie is shown it will record the movie and then be gone?

It works on any type of Favorite you can define. If you set the "One Time Favorite" option to "Yes", as soon as you get one complete recording of that Favorite it will be removed.

[korben_dallas]

do not use a UI on the server you can install the "OneTimeFavorite General" plugin

This has to be done through the server UI? I ask because I run the server in service mode.

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by korben_dallas

This has to be done through the server UI? I ask because I run the server in service mode.

Short answer: You must install it on the server UI if the only other UI that you install it on is a SageClient. If you install it on an extender or placeshifter there is no need to worry about it.

Long answer....

The plugin has two parts:

One part for adding the One Time Favorite option into the UI. This is the "OneTimeFavorite" plugin that you find in the "UI Mod" section of the plugin manager.

One part that resides on the server and listens for One Time Favorites to finish recording. This is the "OneTimeFavorite General" plugin that you find in the "General" section of the plugin manager. If you install the UI Mod plugin it automatically installs the General plugin.

You must make sure the "General" plugin is installed on the server and there are several ways to achieve that:

1. Install the UI Mod on any UI instance that runs on the server (extender, placeshifter, server UI).

2. Install the "General" plugin from any UI instance that runs on the server.

3. Install the "General" plugin from as SageClient as a server plugin.

So if you install the UI Mod on any extender or placeshifter it automatically installs the General plugin on the server, meaning you are done.

If you ONLY install the UI Mod on a SageClient it will NOT install the General plugin on the server so you must do it manually using method 2 or 3 from above.

I recommended installing it on the server UI only because it is simple to explain and understand. It seems more convoluted to tell people that if they only install it on a SageClient that they must install the UI Mod plugin and then install the General plugin as a server plugin.

I should ask Sage for a feature request so we can specify "if this plugin is installed on a SageClient make sure that plugin XYZ is installed on the server." Right now that does not exist so developers must tell users to do it manually.

[razrsharpe]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

I should ask Sage for a feature request so we can specify "if this plugin is installed on a SageClient make sure that plugin XYZ is installed on the server." Right now that does not exist so developers must tell users to do it manually.

ya a server dependency would be nice

[nyplayer]

Tom,

I have a few questions about your plugin.

It appears that it treats the recording as livetv and will delete first.

1. I noticed once it is recorded it is no longer a favorite. (of course)

2. It is not manual.

3. It is not archived

This causes sage to treat it as live TV... Is there any way that after recording you can mark it as manual?

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

Tom,

I have a few questions about your plugin.

It appears that it treats the recording as livetv and will delete first.

1. I noticed once it is recorded it is no longer a favorite. (of course)

2. It is not manual.

3. It is not archived

This causes sage to treat it as live TV... Is there any way that after recording you can mark it as manual?

Yes, I should have done it that way in the first place. I probably won't get to this for little bit as I'm busy with Boxee at the moment. Is this a critical issue for you?

Can you open a ticket on my Google code site so I don't forget about you? http://code.google.com/p/tmiranda/issues/list

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

Yes, I should have done it that way in the first place. I probably won't get to this for little bit as I'm busy with Boxee at the moment. Is this a critical issue for you?

Can you open a ticket on my Google code site so I don't forget about you? http://code.google.com/p/tmiranda/issues/list

It's not Critical... right now I am trying to get some of my favorite movies but do not want to create permanent favorites so I just set sage not to delete live TV files... I will open an issue.

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

It's not Critical... right now I am trying to get some of my favorite movies but do not want to create permanent favorites so I just set sage not to delete live TV files... I will open an issue.

I have a test version available that will set the one time favorite to a manual, let me know if you are interested in trying it out.

[tmiranda]

I just uploaded an update that will make one time favorites become manual recordings. If you do not want them to be marked as manuals make sure the following property is set to False:

otf/make_manual=True

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by razrsharpe

ya a server dependency would be nice

Interesting turn of events here. I've noticed that in Opus's latest STV update for the weather changes, it automatically popped up a window saying it needed in install the google weather plugin. This was apparently done in the STV, so it is something that could be implemented in the UI Mod, having it check and ask to install the Library plugin on the server... just a thought...

[tmiranda]

I saw that too and looked into how Andy did it. (Going from memory.) He tries to access a Java class in the weather jar and if it fails he assumes the plugin is not installed and goes on from there.

[Fuzzy]

Sounds as good a hack as any. Shouldn't be too hard to implement, though I'd think you could use the plugin API to actually find out if the plugin is installed. The STV obviously has a method available to do this, as it is done in the plugin manager screens.

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Sounds as good a hack as any. Shouldn't be too hard to implement, though I'd think you could use the plugin API to actually find out if the plugin is installed. The STV obviously has a method available to do this, as it is done in the plugin manager screens.

Yes, there are methods to check. Andy had to do something funky in the STV but I only looked at the code once and I don't remember the details.

[Fuzzy]

It looks like the plugin UI simply calls GetInstalledPlugins() for standalone or server plugins, or GetInstalledClientPlugins() for client in client server mode. Iterate through that for your server plugin, and launch the install via a jump to the 'Install Plugin' widget in the stock plugin UI. (That way it handles reboots and such if necessary).

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

Yes, there are methods to check. Andy had to do something funky in the STV but I only looked at the code once and I don't remember the details.

I looked at this last night and realized what's going on. The STV update is not handled through the plugin manager, it's done in a completely different way that does not include downloading any jars. So the first time the STV code is executed after the update it sees that jar is not present (because the java method call fails) and prompts the user to do the install.

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

I have a test version available that will set the one time favorite to a manual, let me know if you are interested in trying it out.

Sorry I didn't get to you sooner.... Works as advertised.

Thank You

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

I looked at this last night and realized what's going on. The STV update is not handled through the plugin manager, it's done in a completely different way that does not include downloading any jars. So the first time the STV code is executed after the update it sees that jar is not present (because the java method call fails) and prompts the user to do the install.

Yeah, I realize he did it this way, just wondering why it couldn't be done instead by the plugin api. Seems more versatile that way (since it could handle more than JAR dependencies).

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

Sorry I didn't get to you sooner.... Works as advertised.

Thank You