Re: [TV] Bleb-to-XMLTV initiatives

[Andrew Flegg <andrew@xxxxxxxx>]

In list.comp.tv, Adrian wrote:
> 
> Various people are getting on with converting bleb-XML to XMLTV to support
> those users who used Ananova.  As far as I can see, both seem to contain
> the same data in an equally accessible form.  There's no huge reason to
> prefer one format over another except for popularity and available software
> - but that's a big reason.

The counter reason, however, is that for rapidly parsing and displaying
the data, the bleb-XML format is much more suited.

> Is the eventual plan for Andrew to have the use of one of the conversions
> so that he could host listings in XMLTV instead of or as well as the bleb
> XML?

See:

    http://www.bleb.org/tv/maillist/msg00077.html

The bleb-XML format isn't going away. For the purposes *I* want to use
it for, it's best suited.

I'd like to have an interface by which compressed, selected
days/channels could be obtained as XMLTV - as outlined in the post above.

> If so maybe Andrew could make available 'interface details' of some
> sort that would allow a more direct conversion from his internal data.
> (That I realize is highly dependent on platform and type of application.)

The XML file format has been discussed early on in the mailing list, as
for the code driving the website/producing the XML it's available to
download:

    http://www.bleb.org/tv/code/

Would be useful for using bleb-XML in Perl applications. Possibly also
as a starting point for other apps.

> This obviously raises questions of the ownership of the data.  We should
> recognize that parsing the various source URLs is by far the major task and
> it's for him to decide how it's used.  Currently he makes it available for
> free download but if people used it in a way he didn't like he has the
> final sanction of pulling the plug for all of us.  And converting from one
> XML schema to another isn't of the same order of complexity as grabbing the
> source data.  So the question is addressed to all, but Andrew has the
> deciding say in it.

A promise: if I were to pull the listings full stop, I'll make all the
code available. But your point is valid: converting from bleb-XML to
XMLTV is a weakness, but also much much easier than trying to aggregate
from each channel's own website... or "reusing" the RT.

> That all reads a bit pompously, but even if the coding is useful to the
> writer and/or fun for its own sake, why not let's think of how it can be
> put to common use.

Agreed. But patches speak louder than words ;-)

Cheers,

Andrew

-- 
Andrew Flegg -- mailto:andrew@xxxxxxxx  |  http://www.bleb.org/