Klaus Schmidinger wrote: > Simon Truss wrote: >> is it not worth storing this extended/modified epg data in a new field >> in xml format. VDR could treat it as a single large string, and >> external programs/plugins their own way. If there was a common agreement >> on how to identify which format or even an agreed single format, many >> programs could benefit. Many already offer web/web service interfaces >> so already have some infrastucture to support this. >> how about a stucture something like this? >> <DOC> >> <APP1_DATA version="1.0"> >> <Whatever/> >> </APP1_DATA> >> <APP2_DATA> >> <something_else/> >> </APP2_DATA> >> <APP3_DATA/> >> </DOC> >> > > > I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean with your APP1..., > APP2... > etc. stuff. VDR doesn't need a data structure like the one you have > described above (besides, its XML - there is no XML in VDR ;-). Im proposing that you add the ability to store meta data along with the DVB data. VDR would treat it as a string (a long one potentially), external programs would have to parse it for their own purpose. The APPn.. idea is a side issue to allow multiple programs to tag a single entry at the same time. VDR cannot add a new storage field for each program that might want to store extra data, it would be impossible to maintain. The support for xml and agreement on how to use it as a shared resource would have to come from developers of support programs that wish to store additional data. xml need not be pretty printed as multiple lines, a whole document can be treated as a simple null terminated string for the purposes of storage. This was to keep the added complexity low inside VDR, but allow for unexpected usage by support programs/plugins. > VDR reads the data that comes from the DVB SI data stream and stores > those records it actually needs. These records can also be defined > by external tools via the PUTE command and can be read by the LSTE > command. Why would VDR need to store application specific stuff? because it is related to the program event, but not part of the data provided by the DVB stream. examples might be: comments as in the 'xxv and autotimers' thread, extended timer settings a list of cast and crew, link to imdb etc. Simon
