Robert Kulagowski grabber@schedulesdirect.org
v0.23 2013-10-11
Please see the Wiki at https://github.com/SchedulesDirect/JSON-Service/wiki for information regarding the format and the field descriptions.
This grabber uses the new Schedules Direct API for downloading schedule information directly from Schedules Direct.
You must have the following perl modules installed for this script to function correctly:
$ sudo apt-get install libwww-mechanize-perl libjson-perl libjson-xs-perl
$ sudo apt-get install libdigest-sha-perl
if you're on Ubuntu.
When run with --help, the script will print:
tv_grab_sd.pl v0.23 2013-10-11 Usage: tv_grab_sd.pl [switches]
This script supports the following command line arguments.
--beta Use the beta server to test new features. If not specified, default to production server.
--configure Re-runs the configure sequence and ignores any existing tv_grab_sd.conf file. You may still pass login credentials and zipcode if you want to bypass interactive configuration.
--debug Enable debug mode. Prints additional information to assist in troubleshooting any issues.
--username Login credentials.
--password Login credentials. NOTE: These will be visible in "ps".
--country To obtain the headends for a particular country, specify the ISO3166 two-character country code. If not specified, the script assumes "US".
--zipcode When obtaining the channel list from Schedules Direct you can supply your 5-digit zip code or 4-character postal code to get a list of cable TV providers in your area, otherwise you'll be prompted. If you're specifying a Canadian postal code, then use four consecutive characters, no embedded spaces.
--metadataupdate Updates incorrect metdata.
--add Add a headend.
--delete Delete a headend.
--subscribed Retrieve only the subscribed headends.
--ack Acknowlege a message, so that it doesn't appear in the status object.
--help This screen.
Bug reports to grabber@schedulesdirect.org Include the .conf file and the complete output when the script is run with --debug
NOTE: This grabber is intended for developers who wish to have a starting point for their own efforts. There is very little bug checking and it is not optimized in any way.
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When the script is run for the first time, if you don't pass --username --password --country and --zipcode as command-line parameters, you'll be prompted for your Schedules Direct account information.
Once your account has been validated, the script will download the list of headends in your zip code / postal code. Type the number of the headend you will be using. If you change your mind, type the same number to remove the headend from the queue. You may select multiple headends.
When the headend selection phase is complete, the script will exit, and will inform you to re-run the script to begin the download process.
When the script is run with a valid tv_grab_na_sd.conf file, it will download to the current directory.
NOTE: As of 2013-01-17, the grabber is only a "shell"; it is primarily intended for developers to use as a reference for their own development.
The included tv_grab_sd.conf file contains some examples of how to retrieve various JSON objects from the server and one possible way that they could be parsed in perl. This program is not intended to be a full-featured grabber for users without extensive modification.
The beta service is open to all Schedules Direct users. Developers should use the "Developers Corner" forum at
http://forums.schedulesdirect.org/viewforum.php?f=8
for assistance.