[SOLVED] Creating a podcast program

[HaLo2FrEeEk]

Ok, here is my issue.  I have a podcast for my site/group, it's a gaming group, so we talk about gaming stuff, and stuff having to do with the site.

 

Right now I'm hosting my podcast on Mypodcast.com, and I don't like it.  I wanted to have a podcast page on my site that would show the information, only way for me to do that though was to parse the XML feed that mypodcast.com provides, and that's inconvenient because sometimes that site is down and the feed isn't available.  I want to move the podcast over to my own server, and store the info in my own database.

 

Basically, I have the database set up with the information I need, and I have a page that will display that info, and I have the directory where the file will go.  I record my podcast, generally, in Sony Vegas 7, or if I'm interviewing someone, we'll do a dual-record where he'll record his voice on his computer and I'll record mine on my computer and we'll have a conversation over MSN, then I'll put the clips together.

 

So I've got this file.  Mypodcast.com provides a nice little application to upload, and post information about your podcast.  I want to have one.

 

My knowledge of programming this type of thing is very little, the Java I learned in High School has leaked out of my ears, and it wasn't styled toward this, what we learned, anyway.

 

I have the putty shell file called pscp, to securely upload a file to a webserver.  I can use that to upload the file, but I'm completely stumped on how I would go about adding the information to the database.  Is there a small command-line program I could use to access a internet mysql server and upload the information to it?  I'm sure I could write a little batch function where when I right click on an mp3 file, it gives me the option to upload it as a podcast, then when I do that, it prompts for a title, and a description, and a clean/explicit rating.  I could probably do that.

 

Another thing I had in mind was HTA's (HTML Applications), I don't know if they have the power to do something like this, since really all they are is HTML documents with more privelages.  I suppose if it REALLY came down to it, I could call up a web-based php file inside the HTA to upload the information and the file, but that defeats the purpose because then I could just load that page in my browser.

 

So, you see my dilema, can anyone here please help me out with this?  I've heard good things about Python, but I can't get it to work with the MySQL plugin on my Vista Ultimate x64 machine, for whatever reason.

 

Any help will be appreciated!  Thank you!

[HaLo2FrEeEk]

Ok this is bull.  I posted this 2 days ago and it's gotten nothing, and someone posts a question about something google could have given him and he gets 3 replies.  What the crap, am I seriously just being ignored?  Is my question so obscenely difficult to answer that no one will help me out?  I knowit isn't.  I need help, this isn't a whim or something stupid.  This isn't for no reason that I asked, I legitmately and truly need help with the question I asked, otherwise, I would not have asked it.  SOMEONE knows how to help me with what I'm trying to do, even if it's only one part you know how to do, I NEED HELP WITH IT!

[corbin]

Ok this is bull.  I posted this 2 days ago and it's gotten nothing, and someone posts a question about something google could have given him and he gets 3 replies.  What the crap, am I seriously just being ignored?  Is my question so obscenely difficult to answer that no one will help me out?  I knowit isn't.  I need help, this isn't a whim or something stupid.  This isn't for no reason that I asked, I legitmately and truly need help with the question I asked, otherwise, I would not have asked it.  SOMEONE knows how to help me with what I'm trying to do, even if it's only one part you know how to do, I NEED HELP WITH IT!

 

 

Yes.  That is the correct way to get someone to help you.  Definitely.  I partly don't want to post because then you might think that your reply worked.  But, I guess I'll go ahead and respond.

 

 

 

I would write the entire uploading interface in PHP.  In fact, I would do most of it in PHP.  The only non PHP thing I would use would be a flash player or something to show the podcasts.

 

I would probably do the DB schema something like this:

 

CREATE TABLE podcasts (

    podcast_id UNSIGNED INT PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,

    user_id UNSIGNED INT NOT NULL,

    name VARCHAR(255),

    description TEXT,

    date_recorded INT(10) DEFAULT 0,

    date_added INT(10) NOT NULL,

    file_location VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL

);

 

 

Then, I would have the files stored somewhere not in the DB, and file_location would just be a path.

[HaLo2FrEeEk]

I understand how to display the files, I wasn't asking how to do that, I already have the directory and the database set up, along with the player.  I have all that already, the reason I posted this in the "other languages" section and titled it "podcast program" and asked how I could write a program to upload the files, and put the information in the database, without making it web based.  I do appreciate your reply, and the reason I replied as such before is because I hate posting asking for help, it shows when there are new replies when you log on, it wouldn't have been difficult to give me a little help.

[corbin]

So essentially you want a GUI (not web based) for uploading videos?  That's a huge waste of time in my opinion, but what ever floats your boat.

 

It would be easiest to code in Java (in my opinion), but you could do it in basically any language.

 

I would still use the HTTP protocol.  I would make requests to backend pages.  That way, support for uploading files is already handled (although you could use FTP or something), and you would have an SQL portal.

 

Can I ask why you want a standalone program for this?  Why doesn't a webpage suffice?

[HaLo2FrEeEk]

Because my server has an upload limit, and I don't feel like going through the trouble of compiling my own php.ini again.  And I'm not uploading videos, I'm uploading audio.  And i"m sorry if this seems out of line, but honestly, what does it matter that my request is unusual, sometimes people need things that are not 100% normal.  I need a GUI program, a compiled executable application that runs completely independent of a webpage or browser that will upload an audio file with a certain name to a certain folder, then it will insert data that I specify into a database table that I have already made and specified beforehand.

 

As I said before, I have the database table made, I have the display page made, I have the folder ready for uploads.  I just do not want to manually enter the information into the database everytime I want to add a new podcast, I'm trying to make the site very user-friendly for anyone that ends up running it after I leave.  Please just help me, it shouldn't matter that my request is unusual, I have a reason for wanting it to be as such.

 

My knowledge of Java is very little, I took 2 years of it in High School, but I hated it.  I've heard Python would work, but like I said in the first post, I can't get the mysql module to work under Vista.

[corbin]

Because my server has an upload limit, and I don't feel like going through the trouble of compiling my own php.ini again.  And I'm not uploading videos, I'm uploading audio.  And i"m sorry if this seems out of line, but honestly, what does it matter that my request is unusual, sometimes people need things that are not 100% normal.  I need a GUI program, a compiled executable application that runs completely independent of a webpage or browser that will upload an audio file with a certain name to a certain folder, then it will insert data that I specify into a database table that I have already made and specified beforehand.

 

As I said before, I have the database table made, I have the display page made, I have the folder ready for uploads.  I just do not want to manually enter the information into the database everytime I want to add a new podcast, I'm trying to make the site very user-friendly for anyone that ends up running it after I leave.  Please just help me, it shouldn't matter that my request is unusual, I have a reason for wanting it to be as such.

 

My knowledge of Java is very little, I took 2 years of it in High School, but I hated it.  I've heard Python would work, but like I said in the first post, I can't get the mysql module to work under Vista.

 

Recompile a php.ini?  php.ini isn't compiled (in the traditional sense); it's interpreted when PHP starts.

 

You could either make a full out GUI, where you put in a file path, or if you wanted to get lazy, you could do like you said earlier and make a right click entry (easily done in the registry), which would launch an app, passing it the file name as an argument, and then it would upload it.

 

To be honest, the reason I said Java was because GUIs are easy to make in Java.  I can't stand making GUIs in C++, but then again, I suck at C++.

 

The way I would do it is this:

 

-The app on the user's computer uploads the file through FTP (or something similar).

-The app contacts a web page, such as http://site.com/blah/bleh.php?file=<file>&name=...&author=... so on

-The web page returns either 1 or 0, depending on whether or not it was successfully added to the DB.

-That's just about it.

 

I would use a web page so you don't have to give each client computer SQL access.  Then again, you'll already be giving them FTP (or what ever) access.

 

 

 

Let's start this where we should've.  What languages do you know?

 

 

 

(P.S.  About being annoyed at me asking the reason...  When I respond to a post on the forums, I personally feel that I have the right to ask any question [related to the project] that I think will help the poster.  Like wise, you have the right to not answer.  I don't get why you got all grrrr when I asked why not just use a webpage.  lol.)

[HaLo2FrEeEk]

I'm sorry, I was stressed about other things when I replied.

 

Ok, so the languages that I know, basically web-based languages.  I'm willing to learn Python, like I said, and I know how to create a batch "program".  I have a commandline program that will upload a file, I can compile that into the program and have it upload there, but I need something that will pass along information that I specify to the database.  I'd rather not make a webpage for it so that someone can't get access to it and mess around and put in their own things.  The only client computer that will be using it is me, mainly, at least for now.  I know VERY little Java, what I learned a few years back in high school, and I've forgotten most of it, and we never did learn how to communicate with servers or anything.  Is there a way to compile this program with the commandline program to upload files and have one that will let me enter information to be put into the database.  Even if it asks for it in a command prompt, I know how to do that, so I'd just need the program to send it along to the server.

[corbin]

You're going to want to look into sockets and a MySQL library for what ever language you choose.  Once you get that going, it should be fairly simple.

 

"Is there a way to compile this program with the commandline program to upload files and have one that will let me enter information to be put into the database"

 

You could either copy and paste the CLI app into the new one, or you could change the CLI one around to be a DLL (or just a lib, and then compile the lib in), and then you would just import it.  (That's assuming you're using a language that compiles down to byte code.)

[HaLo2FrEeEk]

Yeah, I didn't understand a word of that last sentence...sorry.  I'll probably end up making this web-based and requiring a password for access, but I don't want to go that route.

[corbin]

It would be a thousand times easier web-based.  Anyway, which ever route you go, I'll try to help if ya need it.

[HaLo2FrEeEk]

Thank you.  I'm sure I'll be able to do web-based, I just hate it because anyone can still get to it (what if someone guesses my password?), and there are still the limits set in place by my hosts for uploading files.

[corbin]

"Thank you.  I'm sure I'll be able to do web-based, I just hate it because anyone can still get to it (what if someone guesses my password?), and there are still the limits set in place by my hosts for uploading files."

 

 

What if someone guessed your FTP/MySQL password?  Same risk.

 

 

"...the limits set in place by my hosts for uploading files."

 

Could you get them to change the limit, or do you have access to php.ini files?  (Can max_upload_size or what ever the directive is be set in a .htaccess file or at run time?)

 

 

If you want to write an app for your computer, it would be fairly simple (it could even be written in PHP if you used the PHP graphical stuff, but it would still require the PHP engine ;p).  It would even make for a decent first project in a lot of languages, but if you need it done soon, or you want to do it easily, I would suggest going with a web app.

 

 

Actually, if you could find a decent FTP and a decent MySQL library (wouldn't have problems finding a MySQL library, and an FTP library should be almost as easy, if you couldn't just code a small one your self), if the app were a CLI instead of a GUI, then it would be quite short.

[HaLo2FrEeEk]

Yeah, all I need to find is the mysql CLI, I know how to send variable's in a BAT file and to complie that into an executable, too.  I already have the FTP upload CLI, though.

[corbin]

It would be a lot more elegant to use the MySQL library for what ever language you code it in, but what ever works, I guess.

[HaLo2FrEeEk]

Well, I wan't planning on making an actual GUI, once I thought about it.  I was just planning on making a BAT file that would utilize the ftp upload CLI that I have, and a MySQL CLI that I would have to find, and some variables to let me enter data to be sent.

[corbin]

Oh.

 

There's a way to pass variables to batch files, but I don't remember it.

 

I think it's like:

 

something.bat hi

 

Then hi would be in %1 in the batch file.

[HaLo2FrEeEk]

This is what i'd use:

 

set /p t=Title

set /p d=Description

 

Then pass the variable like this:

 

[mysql lib] %t% %d%

 

That's what I thought it was.

[corbin]

Yeah, but then you have to issue lots of cmds.  It's easier to just save a batch file and call it like:

 

C:\Users\Corbin>Upload "C:\Users\Corbin\Desktop\tobeuploaded.blah" "Some Title" "Some Description"

 

Then the batch file would look something like:

 

Upload.bat

@echo off
UploadProgram.exe server.com:21 -usomeuser -psomepassword %1
MySQLLib.exe -hserver.com -usomething -psomething %2 %3

[HaLo2FrEeEk]

That's what I was planning on doing, only letting you set your own title and description within the batch file using the variables, that way I wouldn't have to edit the  bat everytime I was going to upload, if I was going to do that, I might as well just upload the file and put in the info manually.  I was going to save a bat file, then edit the registry and add the option to upload .mp3 files to the right folder on the server, and have those variables to set the title and description, that way all I'd have to do is right click the mp3 file, click upload podcast, and enter the title and description.

[corbin]

Oh.  The way I was doing it would allow you to pass variables to a bat file, but if you plan on adding an option to your context menu then your way would be better.  (Obviously you've already figured that out ;p)

[HaLo2FrEeEk]

Yeah, lol, and if I pass the variables to the bat file in the command, then I'll have to actually go into command when I want to upload the file, and I'll have the write out the code everytime, and I hate that, I want to be able to set this.

 

I'll go ahead and mark this as solved for now, if I need more help I'll create a new thread specific to this project.

 

Thank you for all your help on this.

[corbin]

No problem.