A few thoughts on xbmc scripts
#1
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xbmc scripts, a few thoughts:

* i believe these scripts can add immense value to an already worthy platform. i would like to see scripts having more prominence on the start screen.
eg. my programs, my music ... weather, scripts (or someother name - 'extras', or so)

* xbmc skins could provide a default background and basic layout for the scripts to run on, if no other is provided. this way, some issues with differing resolutions can be resolved, as well as adding appearance consistancy.

* scripts (and other elements of xmbc) should make use of global localisation settings. eg. american dates are very confusing, and although i have selected day-month under settings this only effects the front page. weather and several other scripts always have me guessing.
(honestly, the first time i saw 05/13/2005 i thought - wtf? there are only *12* months!! :d)

* a good script-manager/explorer would be a great welcome. instead of searching out for a specific script file through a file-manager type interface, it would be great to have an interface consistant with 'my programs' wherein each installed script appears as an item in the list, complete with icon and full title.

part of a possible solution:

scripts are installed in directories (possibly) under ...\xmbc\scripts\
eg. ...\xmbc\scripts\earthtime\

a script pointer file is placed in the ...\xmbc\script\ directory
the script pointer is a straight xml file containing the fields,
title : appears as the title in the scripts list
icon : file location of .png to be displayed in scripts list (do you require one for each list option? eg. list, small and large)
location : file location of .py to be executed
version : ? for script management ?
author : ? for script management ?

when a user navigates into 'my scripts', the scripts directory is scanned for the pointer files (possibly identified by a specific suffix - .xsp ?) and reads the details of each. these are displayed in the scripts list.

* one script specific request - for the the fantastic web-radio script, could we have a favourites options? the station i frequent the most requires a fair amount of navigating to get to.

* a few other script ideas,
> rss reader - maintains a list of rss feeds and allows user to fetch latest data.
> pop3 checker - check for new emails on a pop3 server.
> earth time - map of earth with day/night shading (okay, this isn't *really* neccessary!Wink


any comments to these?

i know its one thing to talk, and another to help out - so i have started learning python on the official site, and intend to pull together a script or two quite soon.
looks straight forward enough.

finally, xmbc is excellent work! i am not a big games playa and my xbox had been gather dust until i recently had it chipped and installed xbmc - now it all makes sense.
brilliant work, guys.
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#2
i just want to add... (similar to what inmate said)

i agree that a new script browser is needed. one with thumbnail ability (like my programs.) also each script should reside in it's own directory and the main script should be called default.py (thumbnails being default.tbn)
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Softmodded
XMBC enthusiast since Dec. 2004
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#3
you might find this interesting:

http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/cgi-bin....t=12217
xbmcscripts.com administrator
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#4
it is unfortuanate that scripts do not have access to the local settings you set up in xbmc. making them localizable would be good as well.
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#5
(asteron @ may 23 2005,19:59 Wrote:it is unfortuanate that scripts do not have access to the local settings you set up in xbmc.  making them localizable would be good as well.
you can read entires from xbmcs localisation table using:
Quote:xbmc.getlocalizedstring
but this only contains strings used in xbmc

i think the settings are stored in an xml file on e: so they could be accessible.
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