[Pending] Add hyperlink parameter to TvPlugin to enhance menu options (1 Viewer)

[elliottmc]

I was hoping for the approval when setting 1.3 beta as target
Code changes are minimal and can be reviewed quick. I'll set it to another version when it gets postphoned - but by keeping it in line for 1.3 we won't forget about it.

I completely sympathise with you for doing it this way around. At least this way we get some action!

 

[mbuzina]

Thanks offbyone. I almost thought nobody was interested ;-)

As this is my first patch since a very long time I was not sure if everything was OK acc. to protocol.

 

[mm1352000]

Hi folks

Only just seen this. I do like the idea, but I'm unlikely to see such threads unless I get a PM.

@mbuzina: is there a reason for using the channel name rather than ID as the parameter for identifying a channel? Two channels may have the same name, in which case the commands are ambiguous.

mm

 

[mm1352000]

Also, no support for radio?

 

[tourettes]

@mbuzina: is there a reason for using the channel name rather than ID as the parameter for identifying a channel? Two channels may have the same name, in which case the commands are ambiguous.

Also, no support for radio?

I think both of these issues should be addressed.

 

[offbyone]

Do tv channels have globally unique Ids? If not the skin would not be re-distributable then with channel IDs but with a Channel Name you can give the XML to your friend and it will work fine (If there are channels with the same name the user can and should remove those problems in the TV config I'd say).

 

[mm1352000]

Do tv channels have globally unique Ids?

For DVB channels, the combination of original network ID (ONID) + service ID (SID) is meant to be unique. In practice we find this is not the case. It requires name + ONID + SID to get a unique combination if you don't want to use the channel ID.
Analog, ATSC and DVB-IP/IP-TV channels are different again.

If not the skin would not be re-distributable then with channel IDs but with a Channel Name you can give the XML to your friend and it will work fine (If there are channels with the same name the user can and should remove those problems in the TV config I'd say).

This is a good point. For my part I was not and am not asking for the channel ID to be used instead of the name. I just think it is important to provide some way to unambiguously specify the channel that the link is pointing to.
As you say, the name is more suitable for a skin designer or somebody who wants to share a customisation with a friend. However the channel ID might be necessary for somebody who wants to customise their own installation without restriction on how they name their channels.

 

[mbuzina]

channel ids: I could have a look to provide the same functionality also for IDs, but I would not remove the name version, since I see 2 use cases:
1. Hypderlink from a plugin to directly go to a given channel. Yes here we could use the unique ids as a parameter (I have to find the correct function to call, though).
2. Hyperlink from a basic home menu, manually edited (or via menu editor). This would probably use the name parameter, as it is the user entering this (most often by hand).

Radio: You are right, this should be 1:1, I will see if I can have a look at it (probably not before next week).

 

[Frank-NL]

Would it be possible to directly link to the Planner as well?

Currently, I created hyperlinks to Recordings and Guide in submenus, and directly open TV fullscreen so when I stop TV, I get the TVHome page which I do not like, but to get to the Planner I still need the TVHome page - using this new option would not make it possible to navigate to the Planner anymore.

 

[elliottmc]

Based on the comments about missing stuff, I think that the correct thing to do is bump this from 1.3.0beta until the patch is complete.

This is no reflection on the feature or the patch, but it would be a shame to rush this into a release (yes, it should have been looked at sooner, so then we wouldn't be talking about rushing!).