How to display custom plugin names and descriptions.

[whurlston]

When implementing BaseButtonListUiTask, you have two methods/functions (among others): GetName() and GetDescription(). This GetDescription() example uses GBPVRCommonUtilities (a third party library) while the GetName() example does not. You can choose which you want and use the same method for both. This example is in C#

Code:

// This example requires a reference to GBPVRCommonUtilities
        public override string getDescription()
        {
            System.Xml.XmlDocument s = new System.Xml.XmlDocument();
            try { s.Load("config.xml"); }
            catch
            {
               // Custom log method. Do whatever you like here in the event that config.xml could not be loaded.
               // CommonUtils.LogMessage(LogLevel.Error, "Could not load config.xml");
            }
            // This queries <PluginSettings> <NetflixPlugin> <WatchNowDesc>, if it is not found, it returns "Watch movies from netflix.com" by default.
            return ConfigFileUtilities.GetStringConfigSetting(s, "NetflixPlugin", "WatchNowDesc", "Watch movies from netflix.com", false);
        }

        // This example requires no additional references.
        public override string getName()
        {
            string DispName;
            System.Xml.XmlDocument s = new System.Xml.XmlDocument();
            try
            {
                s.Load("config.xml");
    
                // This queries <PluginSettings> <NetflixPlugin> <WatchNowName>.
                DispName = s.SelectSingleNode("/settings/PluginSettings/NetflixPlugin/WatchNowName").InnerText;
            }
            catch (Exception)
           {
              If the query fails, use this value by default.
              DispName = "Netflix Watch Now";
            }
            return DispName;
        }

So in my plugin setting section of config.xml, I can have the following to make them appear in the main menu of GBPVR:

Code:

<PluginSettings>
    <NetflixPlugin>
      <WatchNowName>Netflix</WatchNowName>
      <WatchNowDesc>My custom Netflix description</WatchNowDesc>
    </NetflixPlugin>
  </PluginSettings>

You can add a text field in your Config form if you like or just have people edit the config.xml manually if you only want power users to do it. Keep in mind that if you allow the change in your Config form, users must exit Config, then reopen it and enable the plugin under the new name. If they just change the description, restarting Config is not necessary.

Edit: I stink at instructions so feel free to ask questions on anything that's not clear.

Edit 2: Corrected the post. BaseButtonListUiTask should be implemented and not IMenuTask.

[ACTCMS]

It might be worth pointing out that getName() is not just a cosmetic thing which only affects what is displayed in the menus - it also changes plugin related Notify events (like activated) to use the custom name. It could be a PITA for MLpanel which does different things depending on which music/radio plugin is active.

I don't suppose you've come across a way of finding out what the original name is?

[Fatman_do]

Is it worth noting that GBPVRCommonUtilities is a 3rd party DLL and not part of GB-PVR?

[McBainUK]

I think it's fine as an example. Devs know other ways of getting config settings without using the GBPVRCommonUtilities library.

[mvallevand]

Is it worth noting that GBPVRCommonUtilities is a 3rd party DLL and not part of GB-PVR?

Definitely. When I build Web Radio I thought it was sub's and it wasn't until did some clean machine install testing that I found out otherwise. There are some obsolete functions in it so I eventually want to remove it now.

Martin

[whurlston]

Is it worth noting that GBPVRCommonUtilities is a 3rd party DLL and not part of GB-PVR?

That's why I showed an example using it and one not. I'll make a note of that in the original post though. There are several other ways that config.xml can be queried as well. Also, the values could actually be stored anywhere: registry, separate config file, etc.

[scb147]

Maybe it's just my plugin, but I implemented the getName() to use a custom name. The custom name appears in the plugin list, and in the menu. But the name of the plugin in the upper-left corner of the plugin screen shows the actual plugin name, not the custom. Is this normal, or just me?

[McBainUK]

Is the name hardcoded in the skin?

[scb147]

Nope, I think GBPVR puts this label there. But I wonder if it uses something other than the getName() method from the plugin to populate it.

[whurlston]

Nope, I think GBPVR puts this label there. But I wonder if it uses something other than the getName() method from the plugin to populate it.

This usually happens when it doesn't read the config file properly and it drops back to the default setting.