Command-line reporting for record state

[bgowland]

An obscure one but I can think of a use for it.

A command-line option such as -recstate that returns an error code that could be used in a batch file to indicate whether or not there is a recording in progress - maybe 0 for 'sleeping' and 1 for 'recording active'. A bit like using the systray icon to see if it is sleeping or active.

Cheers,
Brian

[janviet]

Hi Brian,

I would like to second this one...

I want to be able to accept a user request to put my HTPC into standby and postpone actually going into standby if GBPVR is currently recording. To implement this I need such a command line option, or another simple way of getting at the recording status (maybe a small addition to GBPVRTray.exe?)

Regards,

Jan

[Rasihasi]

hi,

i read out the record state with "Tools4ever Sql Utility Version 3.52" (download: http://www.tools4ever.com) at the command line from the table RECORDING_SCHEDULE with a sql-query.
The output you can redirect in a txt-file.
Attend, you must create a odbc-connection to the gbpvr.mdb.

Hope, that helps

cu,

Rasihasi

[bgowland]

It's not quite what I want but I might be able to use it - thanks, I'll take a look.

[jimh]

Quote[/b] (bgowland @ Feb. 28 2005,11:52)]It's not quite what I want but I might be able to use it - thanks, I'll take a look.

I'm planning on writing a little utility, say RecordingStatus.exe, that when run from the commandline will return text info including the following:

If GBPVR is currently NOT recording, it will so report.

If GBPVR is currently recording, report the following and then exit.
1. What is being recorded (show name,channel, show title, show description, etc.);
2. Scheduled recording start/stop times;
3. Name of file recording is being written to;
4. Anything else that might be useful that I have yet to think of;

If anyone has any suggestions on what to add or how to present the info, please offer them up now - before I start coding down a different road.

Look for the release in the Announcements forum later this week.  

[bgowland]

Quote[/b] (jimh @ Feb. 28 2005,15:31)]I'm planning on writing a little utility, say RecordingStatus.exe, that when run from the commandline will return text info...

Going back to my original post, an exit code that can be used in a batch file would be useful - no text output would be needed for what I want. Perhaps add a command-line switch such as -s (silent) which supressed text output and only generated the exit code.

What I'd like is two levels of exit code...

1 = Recording or a recording due within 5 minutes.
0 = Not recording anything for at least 5 minutes.

Cheers,
Brian

[jimh]

Quote[/b] (bgowland @ Feb. 28 2005,22:02)]

Quote[/b] (jimh @ Feb. 28 2005,15:31)]I'm planning on writing a little utility, say RecordingStatus.exe, that when run from the commandline will return text info...

Going back to my original post, an exit code that can be used in a batch file would be useful - no text output would be needed for what I want. Perhaps add a command-line switch such as -s (silent) which supressed text output and only generated the exit code.

What I'd like is two levels of exit code...

1 = Recording or a recording due within 5 minutes.
0 = Not recording anything for at least 5 minutes.

Cheers,
Brian

Brian:

I've written a command-line utility called RecStatus.exe.

You run it from the command line with the following options:

time=xx  where xx is the number of MINUTES to look ahead for a pending program to be recorded;

silent = yes/no  this sets whether the utility suppresses all text output about the results.

The utility returns the following exit codes:

2 - program is scheduled to start within the specified number of minutes (takes into account prepadding);
1 - there is a program currently recording;
0 - all clear - neither of the above is true;

Please download it and test it in your batch file to see if it returns the exit codes that you require of it.  Once you have, I'll post an announcement in the Announcements area for all to see.

Link: RecStatus.exe

[bgowland]

I'm not seeing a 'pending' exit code being returned. It returns 0 when there are no recordings (which is good) but also does within the pending period. I then get exit code 2 returned for a recording in progress.

Would it be logical to keep 2 as 'recording in progress' and have 1 as 'not recording but pending within specified time'? In other words, the lower the number, the safer it is to perform an automated task of some sort (with 2 obviously being not safe at all).

[jimh]

Quote[/b] (bgowland @ Mar. 04 2005,22:50)]I'm not seeing a 'pending' exit code being returned. It returns 0 when there are no recordings (which is good) but also does within the pending period. I then get exit code 2 returned for a recording in progress.

Would it be logical to keep 2 as 'recording in progress' and have 1 as 'not recording but pending within specified time'? In other words, the lower the number, the safer it is to perform an automated task of some sort (with 2 obviously being not safe at all).

I've tweaked the utility and swapped the exit codes per your suggestion (2 = currently recording, 1=pending, 0=all clear).

Please download and try it and let me know if you are able to correctly get all three possible exit codes.

RecStatus.exe

[bgowland]

Yep - that seems to have done the trick, great stuff.

My main requirement is in silent mode for scheduled batch jobs etc. but I really quite like the info returned in non-silent mode - a useful tool to let me know what's going on just in case I'm about to tweak any settings etc. that might disrupt recordings. Thanks I can see it being really useful and I'm sure others will find it also.

Cheers,
Brian