Overview
- Name: tv_viewer
- Title : Graphical user interface to view TV show details using the TV maze API
- Description:
GUI to view details of tv programs using TV maze application programming interface. Written in python 3 and PyQt 5, it also stores user favourites in an SQLite database. It uses python module pytvmaze to interface with API and python module prettytable to help display results.
-
Author: Gavin Lyons
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Upstream repository: Github
Table of contents
- Overview
- Table of contents
- Installation and Setup
- Usage
- Files
- Log file
- Configuration file
- Dependencies
- Features
- Screenshot
Installation and Setup
pip PyPi
The program is present in python package index, Pypi. Developed and tested on Linux as a Linux App. Make sure that python 3 and pip3 have been installed on your machine, then:
pip3 install tv_viewer --userNote: Dependency PyQt5 is not listed in setup.py script for pip so this must be installed separately, if installing via pip. It should already be installed on many Linux systems. pyqt info
Arch based Linux distribution
If you are using an arch Linux based system, the program is packaged in the AUR as 'tv_viewer'
Usage
type below in terminal to launch or select icon from Desktop app menus under Other( Linux only)
tv_viewer.py Files
| File Path | Description |
|---|---|
| 'HOME'/.config/tv_viewer/fav.db | Favourite Database, created by program on startup |
| 'HOME'/.config/tv_viewer/tvviewer.cfg | config file, created by program on startup |
| 'HOME'/.cache/tv_viewer/TVviewer_YYMMDD_HHMMSS.log | Log file Path can be adjusted in config |
| 'HOME'/.local/share/icons/tv_viewer.png | icon, Linux only |
| 'HOME'/.local/share/applications/tv_viewer.desktop | desktop entry, Linux only |
| tv_viewer.py | main executable python script |
| tv_qt_class.py | python module dealing with PyQt code |
| tv_sqllite.py | python module dealing with SQLite code |
| tv_api_work.py | python module dealing with Pytvmaze code |
| tv_logger_conf.py | python module dealing with logging and config file |
When the program starts for first time it creates a blank database and a config file
and (if installed by pip) downloads from github using curl the two files for the desktop entry and icon.
All files are placed in 'HOME'/.local/* . On Linux systems 'HOME' is defined by os.environ['HOME']
on windows os.environ['HOMEPATH']
Log file
A debug log file to store information outputted by program.
2017-12-04 15:03:32:INFO:__main__: Main Loop Start
2017-12-04 15:04:42:WARNING:tv_api_work.tv_api_work:No next episode data availableExceptions are generated by software as a result of missing and incomplete API data by TV maze for some shows. These are caught and outputted to log file and won't interfere with running of program. The software should catch most issues and output them there. Also displayed here are various other debug information. Logging can be switched on and off in and the output path can be changed.
Configuration file
The configuration file is created on startup and populated by default values
| Setting | Value | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| loggingonoff | on or off | off | Toggles logging output |
| logpath | File path to place log files | $HOME/.cache/tv_viewer/ | |
| networkcheckonoff | or or off | on | toggles network test uses ping |
| networkurl | url | www.tvmaze.com | url to test by network test |
Dependencies
| Dependencies | Usage | URL |
|---|---|---|
| prettytable 3.3.0 | Used to format Data into tables | Link |
| pytvmaze 2.0.8 | Python interface to TV Maze API | link |
| pyqt5 5.15.6 | GUI toolkit | Link |
Features
From the menu bar a user can select about and exit options. From here they can also view latest log file and configuration file contents. The TV maze API associates a unique ID with each TV show called the Maze_ID. On the main screen the user is prompted to enter name of show in input box. The software then returns a list of television shows based on the input. The user can then select the show by row number and is presented with various details of it. From here they select more detailed information by selecting one of the radio buttons and pressing details. Options include overview, seasons, cast, crew, episodes and more miscellaneous information. They can also view and/or toggle the favourite status of show by pressing delete or add favourite button.
The software also includes a favourite function where user can store favourites TV shows in a database. The database has one table show and two fields name and number. the maze_ID of the show is stored at number. The contents of the database can be displayed by pressing Favourites button. Favourites records can be added by entering a maze_id in input box and pressing add favourite button, records can be deleted by adding a maze_id of show in database and pressing delete favourite button. The favourite section will also show next episode date and days till next episode. You also access the tv show details screen from here by adding a maze_id and pressing search. A reset and exit button is also available. There is a status light with 3 colours
- Green : ready
- Yellow : busy , accessing network or files
- Red : network check failed, The network check is carried out at start up and when certain buttons fail it can turned off.
Screenshot
There are screenshots in this repository in documentation folder.
