[mythtv-users] Notice to Schedules Direct users

Tom Dexter digitalaudiorock at gmail.com
Sat Oct 18 18:41:03 UTC 2014


On Sat, Oct 18, 2014 at 12:09 PM, R. G. Newbury <newbury at mandamus.org> wrote:
> On 17/10/14 05:22 PM, Tom Dexter wrote:
>>
>> On Fri, Oct 17, 2014 at 4:33 PM, R. G. Newbury <newbury at mandamus.org>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> On 17/10/14 01:23 PM, Tom Dexter wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm curious :) So how does that data then get into the myth database
>>>>> so it can use it?
>>>>>
>>>>> Paul H.
>>>>>
>>>> Precisely...If listings are showing up, then it must be inserting /
>>>> updating the mythconverg database in addition to whatever it might be
>>>> doing in it's own.
>>>>
>>>> Like I said, count me out until there's some official means of using
>>>> the JSON service.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> So it would be fine if we had one of the present high priests put on the
>>> vestments, sacrifice a Rhode Island Red cockerel at the dark of the moon,
>>> and intone a spell in Latin, so that Robert Kulagowski would be
>>> *blessed*?.
>>>
>>> --
>>>               R. Geoffrey Newbury
>>
>>
>> So you think that the idea of leaving database updates to the software
>> for which it was designed, and the developers who are in change the
>> database design (and all of it's future changes) is some sort of
>> radical idea?...and do think you could possibly work on a slightly
>> more obnoxious fucking tone?
>>
>> I'm out of this one.
>> Tom
>
>
> You seem to be missing the install of font-sarcastic.
>
> It's a database. It's structure is known. Putting data into it is not rocket
> science which only the high priesthood can do.
>

I know I said I was out of this,but just to clarify my position on this one:

Just because it's a "known structure" doesn't mean mean that direct
updates to another applications database are the right thing to do,
because it really isn't, and the MythTV folks would agree for good
reasons...which brings me to:

> The mythtv devs have done and are doing a fantastic job. But none of them
> wish to deal with this particular situation, as none of them apparently need
> or use the SD service. Their focus is on XMLTV because that is what they
> need. Completely understandable.
>
> That leaves it to someone else. RK stepped up and focused on using the JSON
> server precisely because it has a richer and more extensive data feed. RE
> figured out a possibly less disruptive route by pointing at the new SD
> server.But Robert Eden's grabber is doing *exactly the same thing* as Robert
> Kulagowski's grabber, except that RE's produces XML format output on the new
> Schedules Direct server which the existing mfdb grabber can grab.
>

No...they very decidedly are *not* the same things at all, as the XML
format being sent by the replacement server is in a format guaranteed
to be supported by the application now and going forward, making it a
perfect solution to the current issue...one that we're all extremely
grateful for I might add.  Conversely, writing directly to another
applications core database is, I'm afraid, at best an unsupported, and
unsupportable hack.  While it may work, at least now, and while
everyone is free to do so if they want, it's not something that should
be encouraged, which is why it's use has been discouraged by the
MythTV folks.

> So RE should not do what he is doing as well? He is not an anointed 'dev'
> either.
>
> I completely fail to understand how or why it is such s sin for someone
> *else* to write code which pushes data into a known structure. If the 'devs'
> determine to change the schema, then BOTH of the parsing code setups will
> have to change. Big deal.
>
>
>
>              R. Geoffrey Newbury

It's not a "sin", but it's certainly not a good idea.

Anyway...that's all I have to say on it.

Tom


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