1 Instructions to code your own VLC Lua scripts.
7 Lua documenation is available on http://www.lua.org . The reference manual
8 is very usefull: http://www.lua.org/manual/5.1/ .
10 All the Lua standard libraries are available.
15 3 types of VLC Lua scripts can currently be coded:
16 * Playlist (see playlist/README.txt)
17 * Art fetcher (see meta/README.txt)
18 * Interface (see intf/README.txt)
19 * Extensions (see extensions/README.txt)
20 * Services Discovery (see sd/README.txt)
22 Lua scripts are tried in alphabetical order in the user's VLC config
23 directory lua/{playlist,meta,intf}/ subdirectory on Windows and Mac OS X or
24 in the user's local share directory (~/.local/share/vlc/lua/... on linux),
25 then in the global VLC lua/{playlist,meta,intf}/ directory.
27 3 - VLC specific Lua modules
28 ============================
30 All VLC specifc modules are in the "vlc" object. For example, if you want
31 to use the "info" function of the "msg" VLC specific Lua module:
32 vlc.msg.info( "This is an info message and will be displayed in the console" )
34 Note: availability of the different VLC specific Lua modules depends on
35 the type of VLC Lua script your are in.
39 local a = vlc.acl(true) -> new ACL with default set to allow
40 a:check("10.0.0.1") -> 0 == allow, 1 == deny, -1 == error
41 a("10.0.0.1") -> same as a:check("10.0.0.1")
42 a:duplicate() -> duplicate ACL object
43 a:add_host("10.0.0.1",true) -> allow 10.0.0.1
44 a:add_net("10.0.0.0",24,true) -> allow 10.0.0.0/24 (not sure)
45 a:load_file("/path/to/acl") -> load ACL from file
49 config.get( name ): Get the VLC configuration option "name"'s value.
50 config.set( name, value ): Set the VLC configuration option "name"'s value.
54 local d = vlc.dialog( "My VLC Extension" ): Create a new UI dialog, with a human-readble title: "My VLC Extension"
55 d:show(): Show this dialog.
56 d:hide(): Hide (but not close) this dialog.
57 d:close(): Close and delete this dialog.
58 d:del_widget( widget ): Delete 'widget'. It disappears from the dialog and repositionning may occur.
60 In the following functions, you can always add some optional parameters: col, row, col_span, row_span.
61 They define the position of a widget in the dialog:
62 - row, col are the absolute positions on a grid of widgets. First row, col are 1.
63 - row_span, col_span represent the relative size of a widget on the grid. A widget with col_span = 4 will be displayed as wide as 4 widgets of col_span = 1.
64 Example: w = d:add_label( "My Label", 2, 3, 4, 5 ) will create a label at row 3, col 2, with a relative width of 4, height of 5.
66 d:add_button( text, func, ... ): Create a button with caption "text" (string). When clicked, call function "func". func is a string.
67 d:add_label( text, ... ): Create a text label with caption "text" (string).
68 d:add_html( text, ... ): Create a rich text label with caption "text" (string), that supports basic HTML formatting (such as <i> or <h1> for instance).
69 d:add_text_input( text, ... ): Create an editable text field, in order to read user input.
70 d:add_password( text, ... ): Create an editable text field, in order to read user input. Text entered in this box will not be readable (replaced by asterisks).
71 d:add_check_box( text, ... ): Create a check box with a text. They have a boolean state (true/false).
72 d:add_dropdown( ... ): Create a drop-down widget. Only 1 element can be selected the same time.
73 d:add_list( ... ): Create a list widget. Allows multiple or empty selections.
74 d:add_image( path, ... ): Create an image label. path is a relative or absolute path to the image on the local computer.
76 Some functions can also be applied on widgets:
77 w:set_text( text ): Change text displayed by the widget. Applies to: button, label, html, text_input, password, check_box.
78 w:get_text(): Read text displayed by the widget. Returns a string. Applies to: button, label, html, text_input, password, check_box.
79 w:set_checked( bool ): Set check state of a check box. Applies to: check_box.
80 w:get_checked(): Read check state of a check box. Returns a boolean. Applies to: check_box.
81 w:add_value( text, id ): Add a value with identifier 'id' (integer) and text 'text'. It's always best to have unique identifiers. Applies to: drop_down.
82 w:get_value(): Return identifier of the selected item. Corresponds to the text value chosen by the user. Applies to: drop_down.
83 w:clear(): Clear a list or drop_down widget. After that, all values previously added are lost.
84 w:get_selection(): Retrieve a table representing the current selection. Keys are the ids, values are the texts associated. Applies to: list.
89 deactivate(): Deactivate current extension (after the end of the current function).
93 http( host, port, [cert, key, ca, crl]): create a new HTTP (SSL) daemon.
95 local h = vlc.httpd( "localhost", 8080 )
96 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 connecting clients. If acl is non nil, it will be used to restrict access. callback will be called to handle connections. The callback function takes 7 arguments: data, url, request, type, in, addr, host. It returns the reply as a string.
97 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 to authenticate connecting clients. If acl is non nil, it will be used to restrict access. callback will be called to handle connections. The callback function takes 2 arguments: data and request. It returns the reply as a string.
98 h:redirect( url_dst, url_src ): Redirect all connections from url_src to url_dst.
102 input.is_playing(): Return true if input exists.
103 input.add_subtitle(url): Add a subtitle to the current input
104 input.item(): Get the current input item. Input item methods are:
105 :uri(): Get item's URI.
106 :name(): Get item's name.
107 :duration(): Get item's duration in seconds or negative value if unavailable.
108 :is_preparsed(): Return true if meta data has been preparsed
109 :metas(): Get meta data as a table.
110 :set_meta(key, value): Set meta data.
111 :info(): Get the current input's info. Return value is a table of tables. Keys of the top level table are info category labels.
112 :stats(): Get statistics about the input. This is a table with the following fields:
116 .average_input_bitrate
120 .average_demux_bitrate
135 msg.dbg( [str1, [str2, [...]]] ): Output debug messages (-vv).
136 msg.warn( [str1, [str2, [...]]] ): Output warning messages (-v).
137 msg.err( [str1, [str2, [...]]] ): Output error messages.
138 msg.info( [str1, [str2, [...]]] ): Output info messages.
142 misc.version(): Get the VLC version string.
143 misc.copyright(): Get the VLC copyright statement.
144 misc.license(): Get the VLC license.
146 misc.datadir(): Get the VLC data directory.
147 misc.userdatadir(): Get the user's VLC data directory.
148 misc.homedir(): Get the user's home directory.
149 misc.configdir(): Get the user's VLC config directory.
150 misc.cachedir(): Get the user's VLC cache directory.
152 misc.datadir_list( name ): FIXME: write description ... or ditch function
153 if it isn't usefull anymore, we have datadir and userdatadir :)
155 misc.mdate(): Get the current date (in milliseconds).
156 misc.mwait(): Wait for the given date (in milliseconds).
158 misc.lock_and_wait(): Lock our object thread and wait for a wake up signal.
160 misc.should_die(): Returns true if the interface should quit.
161 misc.quit(): Quit VLC.
165 net.url_parse( url, [option delimiter] ): Parse URL. Returns a table with
166 fields "protocol", "username", "password", "host", "port", path" and
168 net.listen_tcp( host, port ): Listen to TCP connections. This returns an
169 object with an accept and an fds method. accept is blocking (Poll on the
170 fds with the net.POLLIN flag if you want to be non blockin).
171 The fds method returns a list of fds you can call poll on before using
172 the accept method. For example:
173 local l = vlc.net.listen_tcp( "localhost", 1234 )
175 local fd = l:accept()
177 net.send( fd, "blabla" )
181 net.close( fd ): Close file descriptor.
182 net.send( fd, string, [length] ): Send data on fd.
183 net.recv( fd, [max length] ): Receive data from fd.
184 net.poll( { fd = events }, [timeout in seconds] ): Implement poll function.
185 Retruns the numbers of file descriptors with a non 0 revent. The function
186 modifies the input table to { fd = revents }. See "man poll".
187 net.POLLIN/POLLPRI/POLLOUT/POLLRDHUP/POLLERR/POLLHUP/POLLNVAL: poll event flags
188 net.fd_read( fd, [max length] ): Read data from fd.
189 net.fd_write( fd, string, [length] ): Write data to fd.
190 net.stat( path ): Stat a file. Returns a table with the following fields:
199 net.opendir( path ): List a directory's contents.
203 object.input(): Get the current input object.
204 object.playlist(): Get the playlist object.
205 object.libvlc(): Get the libvlc object.
207 object.find( object, type, mode ): Find an object of given type. mode can
208 be any of "parent", "child" and "anywhere". If set to "parent", it will
209 look in "object"'s parent objects. If set to "child" it will look in
210 "object"'s children. If set to "anywhere", it will look in all the
211 objects. If object is unset, the current module's object will be used.
212 Type can be: "libvlc", "playlist", "input", "decoder",
213 "vout", "aout", "packetizer", "generic".
214 This function is deprecated and slow and should be avoided.
215 object.find_name( object, name, mode ): Same as above except that it matches
216 on the object's name and not type. This function is also slow and should
217 be avoided if possible.
221 osd.icon( type, [id] ): Display an icon on the given OSD channel. Uses the
222 default channel is none is given. Icon types are: "pause", "play",
223 "speaker" and "mute".
224 osd.message( string, [id] ): Display text message on the given OSD channel.
225 osd.slider( position, type, [id] ): Display slider. Position is an integer
226 from 0 to 100. Type can be "horizontal" or "vertical".
227 osd.channel_register(): Register a new OSD channel. Returns the channel id.
228 osd.channel_clear( id ): Clear OSD channel.
229 osd.menu.show(): Show the OSD menu.
230 osd.menu.hide(): Hide the OSD menu.
231 osd.menu.prev(): Select previous/left item.
232 osd.menu.next(): Select next/right item.
233 osd.menu.up(): Move selection up.
234 osd.menu.down(): Move selection down.
235 osd.menu.activate(): Activate/validate current selection.
239 playlist.prev(): Play previous track.
240 playlist.next(): Play next track.
241 playlist.skip( n ): Skip n tracs.
242 playlist.play(): Play.
243 playlist.pause(): Pause.
244 playlist.stop(): Stop.
245 playlist.clear(): Clear the playlist.
246 playlist.repeat_( [status] ): Toggle item repeat or set to specified value.
247 playlist.loop( [status] ): Toggle playlist loop or set to specified value.
248 playlist.random( [status] ): Toggle playlsit random or set to specified value.
249 playlist.goto( id ): Go to specified track.
250 playlist.add( ... ): Add a bunch of items to the playlist.
251 The playlist is a table of playlist objects.
252 A playlist object has the following members:
253 .path: the item's full path / URL
254 .name: the item's name in playlist (OPTIONAL)
255 .title: the item's Title (OPTIONAL, meta data)
256 .artist: the item's Artist (OPTIONAL, meta data)
257 .genre: the item's Genre (OPTIONAL, meta data)
258 .copyright: the item's Copyright (OPTIONAL, meta data)
259 .album: the item's Album (OPTIONAL, meta data)
260 .tracknum: the item's Tracknum (OPTIONAL, meta data)
261 .description: the item's Description (OPTIONAL, meta data)
262 .rating: the item's Rating (OPTIONAL, meta data)
263 .date: the item's Date (OPTIONAL, meta data)
264 .setting: the item's Setting (OPTIONAL, meta data)
265 .url: the item's URL (OPTIONAL, meta data)
266 .language: the item's Language (OPTIONAL, meta data)
267 .nowplaying: the item's NowPlaying (OPTIONAL, meta data)
268 .publisher: the item's Publisher (OPTIONAL, meta data)
269 .encodedby: the item's EncodedBy (OPTIONAL, meta data)
270 .arturl: the item's ArtURL (OPTIONAL, meta data)
271 .trackid: the item's TrackID (OPTIONAL, meta data)
272 .options: a list of VLC options (OPTIONAL)
273 example: .options = { "fullscreen" }
274 .duration: stream duration in seconds (OPTIONAL)
275 .meta: custom meta data (OPTIONAL, meta data)
276 A .meta field is a table of custom meta categories which
277 each have custom meta properties.
278 example: .meta = { ["Google video"] = { ["docid"] = "-5784010886294950089"; ["GVP version"] = "1.1" }; ["misc"] = { "Hello" = "World!" } }
279 Invalid playlist items will be discarded by VLC.
280 playlist.enqueue( ... ): like playlist.add() except that track isn't played.
281 playlist.get( [what, [tree]] ): Get the playist.
282 If "what" is a number, then this will return the corresponding playlist
283 item's playlist hierarchy. If it is "normal" or "playlist", it will
284 return the normal playlist. If it is "ml" or "media library", it will
285 return the media library. If it is "root" it will return the full playlist.
286 If it is a service discovery module's name, it will return that service
287 discovery's playlist. If it is any other string, it won't return anything.
288 Else it will return the fullplaylist.
289 The second argument, "tree", is optional. If set to true or unset, the
290 playlist will be returned in a tree layout. If set to false, the playlist
291 will be returned using the flat layout.
292 Each playlist item returned will have the following members:
294 .flags: a table with the following members if the corresponing flag is
304 .duration: (-1 if unknown)
306 .children: A table of children playlist items.
308 FIXME: add methods to get an item's meta, options, es ...
312 sd.get_services_names(): Get a table of all available service discovery
313 modules. The module name is used as key, the long name is used as value.
314 sd.add( name ): Add service discovery.
315 sd.remove( name ): Remove service discovery.
316 sd.is_loaded( name ): Check if service discovery is loaded.
317 sd.add_item( ... ): Add an item to the service discovery.
318 The item object has the same members as the one in playlist.add().
319 Returns the input item.
320 sd.add_node( ... ): Add a node to the service discovery.
321 The node object has the following members:
322 .title: the node's name
323 .arturl: the node's ArtURL (OPTIONAL)
325 n = vlc.sd.add_node( {title="Node"} )
326 n:add_subitem( ... ): Same as sd.add_item(), but as a subitem of n.
327 n:add_node( ... ): Same as sd.add_node(), but as a subnode of n.
331 stream( url ): Instantiate a stream object for specific url.
333 s = vlc.stream( "http://www.videolan.org/" )
334 s:read( 128 ) -- read up to 128 characters. Return 0 if no more data is available (FIXME?).
335 s:readline() -- read a line. Return nil if EOF was reached.
336 s:addfilter() -- add a stream filter. If no argument was specified, try to add all automatic stream filters.
340 strings.decode_uri( [uri1, [uri2, [...]]] ): Decode a list of URIs. This
341 function returns as many variables as it had arguments.
342 strings.encode_uri_component( [uri1, [uri2, [...]]] ): Encode a list of URI
343 components. This function returns as many variables as it had arguments.
344 strings.resolve_xml_special_chars( [str1, [str2, [...]]] ): Resolve XML
345 special characters in a list of strings. This function returns as many
346 variables as it had arguments.
347 strings.convert_xml_special_chars( [str1, [str2, [...]]] ): Do the inverse
352 var.get( object, name ): Get the object's variable "name"'s value.
353 var.set( object, name, value ): Set the object's variable "name" to "value".
354 var.get_list( object, name ): Get the object's variable "name"'s value list.
355 1st return value is the value list, 2nd return value is the text list.
356 var.create( object, name, value ): Create and set the object's variable "name"
357 to "value". Created vars can be of type float, string or bool.
359 var.add_callback( object, name, function, data ): Add a callback to the
360 object's "name" variable. Callback functions take 4 arguments: the
361 variable name, the old value, the new value and data.
362 var.del_callback( object, name, function, data ): Delete a callback to
363 the object's "name" variable. "function" and "data" must be the same as
364 when add_callback() was called.
365 var.trigger_callback( object, name ): Trigger the callbacks associated with the
366 object's "name" variable.
368 var.command( object name, name, argument ): Issue "object name"'s "name"
369 command with argument "argument".
370 var.libvlc_command( name, arguement ): Issue libvlc's "name" command with
375 video.fullscreen( [status] ):
376 * toggle fullscreen if no arguments are given
377 * switch to fullscreen 1st argument is true
378 * disable fullscreen if 1st argument is false
382 vlm(): Instanciate a VLM object.
385 v:execute_command( "new test broadcast" ) -- execute given VLM command
387 Note: if the VLM object is deleted and you were the last person to hold
388 a reference to it, all VLM items will be deleted.
392 volume.set( level ): Set volume to an absolute level between 0 and 1024.
394 volume.get(): Get volume.
395 volume.up( [n] ): Increment volume by n steps of 32. n defaults to 1.
396 volume.down( [n] ): Decrement volume by n steps of 32. n defaults to 1.