[RFC} New Commanline Syntax for Telnet interface

[Jean-Paul Saman]

Telnet command interface syntax
===============================
The commandline syntax for the VLS telnet interface will change. In the 
current implementation most commands need a combination of program and 
input used to stream. This information is really only needed to start a 
stream. For stopping a stream it is not nescesary, because one wants to 
stop a stream to a destination (aka channel) and is not interested in 
which program/input actually was used.

The sugestion is to drop the requirement of knowing the (program,input) 
combination of parameters where ever possible. For instance in the 
commands: stop, suspend, resume, forward, rewind. It is replaced by the 
notion of destination (aka channel).

In this way it becomes possible to start a stream from a certain input 
to a channel (destination) and later on stop the stream using the 
channel name.

Here is the new definition:

Start
The start command has new options: --rtp.

start <program> <channel> <input> [--loop] [--rtp] [--end] [--jump n]

Resume
The resume command will only need the channel name as parameter. Thus 
the original command "resume <input> <program>" will be dropped in 
favour of this one:

resume <channel>

Suspend
The same goes for suspend. The old syntax "suspend <input> <program>" 
will be dropped in favour of:

suspend <channel>

Forward
Also forward command will be simpeler. The syntax "forward <input> 
<program> <speed>" will be dropped in favour of:

forward <channel> <speed>

Rewind
Again rewind command will follow the new philosophy. The syntax "rewind 
<input> <program> <speed>" will be dropped in favour of:

rewind <channed> <speed>

Stop
The stop command "stop <input> <program>" syntax will also be dropped in 
favour of:

stop <channel>

Configuration
=============
The configuration of VLS will become more dynamic, so there is no need 
to write a complete vls.cfg and input.cfg. A default one should be 
sufficient.

Currently only programs can be dynamically added. In addition to that we 
also need dynamic channel and input configuration. So new commands need 
to be specified. In an earlier adaption we named the dynamic program 
configuration command "config". In ligth of new requirements that naming 
was not well choosen, so it must be renamed to 'program'. The dynamic 
channel and input configuration commands will be named "channel" and 
"input" after their section names in vls.cfg.

Config
The config command will be deprecreated in favour of another command 
which fits better in the philosophy of naming a command after what it 
really does. In fact "config will be renamed to "program".

*deprecreated: config <input> <program> <filename> <type>*

The config command will reemerge as loading and saving the current 
dynamic configuration.

config <file=[mostly vls.cfg]> [--load] [--save]

Input
There are currently three types of inputs present in vls: local, dvb and 
video. All of them have a different syntax. The only common ground they 
have is a name and type. There will be three uses of this command:

general:
input <name> <type=[local|dvb|video> [dir]
    [device] [format (Mpeg2-PS|Mpeg1-PS|Mpeg2-TS)]
    [cardnr] [freq] [pol] [rate] [diseqc] [lnb_lof1] [lnb_lof2] lnb_slof]
    [--add] [--delete]

type=local
input <name> local [dir] [--add] [--delete]

type=video
input <name> video [device] [format (Mpeg2-PS|Mpeg1-PS|Mpeg2-TS)] [--add 
] [--delete]

type=dvb
input <name> dvb [cardnr [freq] [pol] [rate] [diseqc] [lnb_lof1] 
[lnb_lof2] [lnb_slof] [--add] [--delete]

Program
The program command is the incarnation of the former config command. The 
syntax does not really change. Here it is:

program <name> <input> <filename> <type> [--add] [--delete]

Channel
The channel command adds a new destination definition to VLS. It needs 
client ipaddress or FQDN and destination port. Here is the complete syntax:

channel <name> <channeltype=[local|network]> 
<dest_host=[FQDN|ipaddress]> <dest_port> <type 
(unicast|multicast|broadcast)> [domain (inet4|inet6)] [ttl] [intf] 
[--add] [--delete]

For example:

channel bogey network bogey.humprey.com 1234 unicast domain inet4 --add

Browse
The syntax of this command stays the same. It gives an overview of all 
programs available in all or a specific input.

browse [input]

Help
Help command does not change.

help

Logout
The logout command does not change.

logout

Shutdown
The shutdown command does not change.
shutdown

-- 
Kind greetings,

Jean-Paul Saman



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