mediafile metadata- time added?

[Ikarius]

Folks,
I was looking to add the ability to view the most recently added videos, and I've been through the MediaFileAPI and the AiringAPI, and I cannot find anything that looks like a timestamp for when a video (not a TV recording) was added to the library. Does such a beast exist?

[Fonceur]

The currentMediaFile.getStartTime() is probably the timestamp of the file, though it isn't necessarily when the file was added to the library as such... It doesn't matter whether it is a recording, picture, audio or video file...

[Ikarius]

Yeah, I saw that. That definitely beats trying to go out and look at the file with native java commands, as it should work across any platform, but as you say, it doesn't necessarily correspond to when the file was added to the library. If you run out of space and relocate your video collection, you're likely to have a whole brand new set of timestamps.

Hopefully someone will inform me that the info I'm looking for is in there, just not generally advertised


Cheers
Ikarius

[GKusnick]

If it's not in the MediaFile API, then it seems like a good bet that it doesn't exist.

That said, it shouldn't be too hard to simulate. Keep a persistent list of MediaFileIDs sorted by the date you first noticed them. Once a day (or whatever) run a scan of all current MediaFiles. Any that aren't already in your list are by definition newly added; so add them to the end of the list with today's date (and checkpoint the list to disk). Use the list to filter your Recently Added display.

[gplasky]

Couldn't you just sort the files on their file date just like for photos?

Gerry

[Ikarius]

Gerry - I already answered that. It's my fallback position, but it's not ideal as it's not necessarily representative. Looks like it's what I'll be doing though.

Thanks for the responses folks!

[gplasky]

Yes I understand. It's just that this is the only thing missing in a video view that would make life so much easier. I was just hoping you wouldn't drop it because it wasn't available in the API. I have over 400 DVD rips available and everytime I add 3 or 4 new ones it is such a pain finding them or remembering what they are. And the wife-well that's a whole other story. The only other thing that would bring the same type benefit is if there was a way to mark a DVD rip as being watched. And being able to sort on that. Anyways good luck.

Gerry

[Ikarius]

At this point my biggest quandry is whether "New releases" should be
a). time specific- i.e. added in the last 2 weeks (time period would probably need to be configurable)

or

b). just a Most Recent list- the 5 or 10 most recently added.

As it does not appear that the "added to library" timestamp exists, I'll be using the mediafile->GetFileStartTime api, as I wish this to work reguardless of whether it's on a full-blown client, placeshifter, or extender. Buut.. have no fear, it's coming. Along with single-level genre selection (picking sci-fi gives you all action/sci-fi as well as sci-fi/comedy), and proper title sorting ("A " and "The " will be stripped from title beginnings for the sort).


Cheers
Ikarius

[jaminben]

Sounds very nice Anything that allows showing of latest added titles will be good.