Instructions to code your own VLC Lua scripts. $Id$ 1 - About Lua ============= Lua documenation is available on http://www.lua.

org . The reference manual is very usefull: http://www.lua.org/manual/5.1/ . VLC uses Lua 5.1 All the Lua standard libraries are available. 2 - Lua in VLC ============== 3 types of VLC Lua scripts can currently be coded: * Playlist (see playlist/README.txt) * Art fetcher (see meta/README.txt) * Interface (see intf/README.txt) Lua scripts are tried in alphabetical order in the user's VLC config directory lua/{playlist,meta,intf}/ subdirectory on Windows and Mac OS X or in the user's local share directory (~/.local/share/vlc/lua/... on linux), then in the global VLC lua/{playlist,meta,intf}/ directory. 3 - VLC specific Lua modules ============================ All VLC specifc modules are in the "vlc" object. For example, if you want to use the "info" function of the "msg" VLC specific Lua module: vlc.msg.info( "This is an info message and will be displayed in the console" ) Note: availability of the different VLC specific Lua modules depends on the type of VLC Lua script your are in. Access lists -----------local a = vlc.acl(true) -> new ACL with default set to allow a:check("10.0.0.1") -> 0 == allow, 1 == deny, -1 == error a("10.0.0.1") -> same as a:check("10.0.0.1") a:duplicate() -> duplicate ACL object a:add_host("10.0.0.1",true) -> allow 10.0.0.1 a:add_net("10.0.0.0",24,true) -> allow 10.0.0.0/24 (not sure) a:load_file("/path/to/acl") -> load ACL from file Configuration ------------config.get( name ): Get the VLC configuration option "name"'s value. config.set( name, value ): Set the VLC configuration option "name"'s value. HTTPd ----http( host, port, [cert, key, ca, crl]): create a new HTTP (SSL) daemon. local h = vlc.httpd( "localhost", 8080 ) h:handler( url, user, password, acl, callback, data ) -- add a handler for given url. If user and password are non nil, they will be used to authenticate connec ting clients. If acl is non nil, it will be used to restrict access. callback wi ll be called to handle connections. The callback function takes 7 arguments: dat a, url, request, type, in, addr, host. It returns the reply as a string. h:file( url, mime, user, password, acl, callback, data ) -- add a file for given

url with given mime type. If user and password are non nil, they will be used t o authenticate connecting clients. If acl is non nil, it will be used to restric t access. callback will be called to handle connections. The callback function t akes 2 arguments: data and request. It returns the reply as a string. h:redirect( url_dst, url_src ): Redirect all connections from url_src to url_dst . Input ----input.info(): Get the current input's info. Return value is a table of tables. K eys of the top level table are info category labels. input.is_playing(): Return true if input exists. input.get_title(): Get the input's name. input.stats(): Get statistics about the input. This is a table with the followin g fields: .read_bytes .input_bitrate .demux_read_bytes .demux_bitrate .decoded_video .displayed_pictures .lost_pictures .decoded_audio .played_abuffers .lost_abuffers .sent_packets .sent_bytes .send_bitrate Messages -------msg.dbg( [str1, [str2, [...]]] ): Output debug messages (-vv). msg.warn( [str1, [str2, [...]]] ): Output warning messages (-v). msg.err( [str1, [str2, [...]]] ): Output error messages. msg.info( [str1, [str2, [...]]] ): Output info messages. Misc ---misc.version(): Get the VLC version string. misc.copyright(): Get the VLC copyright statement. misc.license(): Get the VLC license. misc.datadir(): Get the VLC data directory. misc.userdatadir(): Get the user's VLC data directory. misc.homedir(): Get the user's home directory. misc.configdir(): Get the user's VLC config directory. misc.cachedir(): Get the user's VLC cache directory. misc.datadir_list( name ): FIXME: write description ... or ditch function if it isn't usefull anymore, we have datadir and userdatadir :) misc.mdate(): Get the current date (in milliseconds). misc.mwait(): Wait for the given date (in milliseconds). misc.lock_and_wait(): Lock our object thread and wait for a wake up signal. misc.should_die(): Returns true if the interface should quit. misc.quit(): Quit VLC. Net

--net.url_parse( url, [option delimiter] ): Parse URL. Returns a table with fields "protocol", "username", "password", "host", "port", path" and "option". net.listen_tcp( host, port ): Listen to TCP connections. This returns an object with an accept method. This method takes an optional timeout argument (in milliseconds). For example: local l = vlc.net.listen_tcp( "localhost", 1234 ) while true do local fd = l:accept( 500 ) if fd >= 0 do net.send( fd, "blabla" ) net.close( fd ) end end net.close( fd ): Close file descriptor. net.send( fd, string, [length] ): Send data on fd. net.recv( fd, [max length] ): Receive data from fd. net.select( nfds, fds_read, fds_write, timeout ): Monitor a bunch of file descriptors. Returns number of fds to handle and the amount of time not slept. See "man select". net.fd_set_new(): Create a new fd_set. local fds = vlc.net.fd_set_new() fds:clr( fd ) -- remove fd from set fds:isset( fd ) -- check if fd is set fds:set( fd ) -- add fd to set fds:zero() -- clear the set net.fd_read( fd, [max length] ): Read data from fd. net.fd_write( fd, string, [length] ): Write data to fd. net.stat( path ): Stat a file. Returns a table with the following fields: .type .mode .uid .gid .size .access_time .modification_time .creation_time net.opendir( path ): List a directory's contents. Objects ------object.input(): Get the current input object. object.playlist(): Get the playlist object. object.libvlc(): Get the libvlc object. object.find( object, type, mode ): Find an object of given type. mode can be any of "parent", "child" and "anywhere". If set to "parent", it will look in "object"'s parent objects. If set to "child" it will look in "object"'s children. If set to "anywhere", it will look in all the objects. If object is unset, the current module's object will be used. Type can be: "libvlc", "playlist", "input", "decoder", "vout", "aout", "packetizer", "generic". This function is deprecated and slow and should be avoided. object.find_name( object, name, mode ): Same as above except that it matches on the object's name and not type. This function is also slow and should be avoided if possible. OSD ---

osd.icon( type, [id] ): Display an icon on the given OSD channel. Uses the default channel is none is given. Icon types are: "pause", "play", "speaker" and "mute". osd.message( string, [id] ): Display text message on the given OSD channel. osd.slider( position, type, [id] ): Display slider. Position is an integer from 0 to 100. Type can be "horizontal" or "vertical". osd.channel_register(): Register a new OSD channel. Returns the channel id. osd.channel_clear( id ): Clear OSD channel. Playlist -------playlist.prev(): Play previous track. playlist.next(): Play next track. playlist.skip( n ): Skip n tracs. playlist.play(): Play. playlist.pause(): Pause. playlist.stop(): Stop. playlist.clear(): Clear the playlist. playlist.repeat( [status] ): Toggle item repeat or set to specified value. playlist.loop( [status] ): Toggle playlist loop or set to specified value. playlist.random( [status] ): Toggle playlsit random or set to specified value. playlist.goto( id ): Go to specified track. playlist.add( ... ): Add a bunch of items to the playlist. The playlist is a table of playlist objects. A playlist object has the following members: .path: the item's full path / URL .name: the item's name in playlist (OPTIONAL) .title: the item's Title (OPTIONAL, meta data) .artist: the item's Artist (OPTIONAL, meta data) .genre: the item's Genre (OPTIONAL, meta data) .copyright: the item's Copyright (OPTIONAL, meta data) .album: the item's Album (OPTIONAL, meta data) .tracknum: the item's Tracknum (OPTIONAL, meta data) .description: the item's Description (OPTIONAL, meta data) .rating: the item's Rating (OPTIONAL, meta data) .date: the item's Date (OPTIONAL, meta data) .setting: the item's Setting (OPTIONAL, meta data) .url: the item's URL (OPTIONAL, meta data) .language: the item's Language (OPTIONAL, meta data) .nowplaying: the item's NowPlaying (OPTIONAL, meta data) .publisher: the item's Publisher (OPTIONAL, meta data) .encodedby: the item's EncodedBy (OPTIONAL, meta data) .arturl: the item's ArtURL (OPTIONAL, meta data) .trackid: the item's TrackID (OPTIONAL, meta data) .options: a list of VLC options (OPTIONAL) example: .options = { "fullscreen" } .duration: stream duration in seconds (OPTIONAL) .meta: custom meta data (OPTIONAL, meta data) A .meta field is a table of custom meta categories which each have custom meta properties. example: .meta = { ["Google video"] = { ["docid"] = "-5784010886294 950089"; ["GVP version"] = "1.1" }; ["misc"] = { "Hello" = "World!" } } Invalid playlist items will be discarded by VLC. playlist.enqueue( ... ): like playlist.add() except that track isn't played. playlist.get( [what, [tree]] ): Get the playist. If "what" is a number, then this will return the corresponding playlist item's playlist hierarchy. If it is "normal" or "playlist", it will return the normal playlist. If it is "ml" or "media library", it will return the media library. If it is "root" it will return the full playlist. If it is a service discovery module's name, it will return that service

discovery's playlist. If it is any other string, it won't return anything. Else it will return the fullplaylist. The second argument, "tree", is optional. If set to true or unset, the playlist will be returned in a tree layout. If set to false, the playlist will be returned using the flat layout. Each playlist item returned will have the following members: .id: The item's id. .flags: a table with the following members if the corresponing flag is set: .save .skip .disabled .ro .remove .expanded .name: .path: .duration: (-1 if unknown) .nb_played: .children: A table of children playlist items. FIXME: add methods to get an item's meta, options, es ... SD -sd.get_services_names(): Get a table of all available service discovery modules. The module name is used as key, the long name is used as value. sd.add( name ): Add service discovery. sd.remove( name ): Remove service discovery. sd.is_loaded( name ): Check if service discovery is loaded. Stream -----stream( url ): Instantiate a stream object for specific url. s = vlc.stream( "http://www.videolan.org/" ) s:read( 128 ) -- read up to 128 characters. Return 0 if no more data is availabl e (FIXME?). s:readline() -- read a line. Return nil if EOF was reached. Strings ------strings.decode_uri( [uri1, [uri2, [...]]] ): Decode a list of URIs. This function returns as many variables as it had arguments. strings.encode_uri_component( [uri1, [uri2, [...]]] ): Encode a list of URI components. This function returns as many variables as it had arguments. strings.resolve_xml_special_chars( [str1, [str2, [...]]] ): Resolve XML special characters in a list of strings. This function returns as many variables as it had arguments. strings.convert_xml_special_chars( [str1, [str2, [...]]] ): Do the inverse operation. Variables --------var.get( object, name ): Get the object's variable "name"'s value. var.set( object, name, value ): Set the object's variable "name" to "value". var.get_list( object, name ): Get the object's variable "name"'s value list. 1st return value is the value list, 2nd return value is the text list. var.create( object, name, value ): Create and set the object's variable "name" to "value". Created vars can be of type float, string or bool.

var.add_callback( object, name, function, data ): Add a callback to the object's "name" variable. Callback functions take 4 arguments: the variable name, the old value, the new value and data. var.del_callback( object, name, function, data ): Delete a callback to the object's "name" variable. "function" and "data" must be the same as when add_callback() was called. var.command( object name, name, argument ): Issue "object name"'s "name" command with argument "argument". var.libvlc_command( name, arguement ): Issue libvlc's "name" command with argument "argument". Video ----video.fullscreen( [status] ): * toggle fullscreen if no arguments are given * switch to fullscreen 1st argument is true * disable fullscreen if 1st argument is false VLM --vlm(): Instanciate a VLM object. v = vlc.vlm() v:execute_command( "new test broadcast" ) -- execute given VLM command Note: if the VLM object is deleted and you were the last person to hold a reference to it, all VLM items will be deleted. Volume -----volume.set( level ): Set volume to an absolute level between 0 and 1024. 256 is 100%. volume.get(): Get volume. volume.up( [n] ): Increment volume by n steps of 32. n defaults to 1. volume.down( [n] ): Decrement volume by n steps of 32. n defaults to 1.