Sorting VLC playlist using HTTP request based on their API

When i tried to sort the VLC media from browser based on their API it just returns me an invalid search key error.

This is their API.

The http request i used to sort the playlist is :

After i send the request VLC returns me this error:

This help would be a life saving

Solution

Introduction

Let's consider VLC media player 3.0.13-8-g41878ff4f2 as the current version.

HTTP interface: Sort playlist items

Analysis

It seems that, currently, the following documentation sources are outdated:

VLC HTTP requests - VideoLAN Wiki.

vlc/README.txt at 3.0.17.4 · videolan/vlc:

> sort playlist using sort mode <val> and order <id>:
  ?command=pl_sort&id=<id>&val=<val>
  If id=0 then items will be sorted in normal order, if id=1 they will be
  sorted in reverse order
  A non exhaustive list of sort modes:
    0 Id
    1 Name
    3 Author
    5 Random
    7 Track number

It seems that the «Invalid search key» error is detected by the following piece of source code: vlc/playlist.c at f32f289264fd4a08c8b5f04d8395ea78f358f291 · videolan/vlc:

    /* allow setting the different sort keys */
    int i_mode = vlc_sort_key_from_string( luaL_checkstring( L, 1 ) );
    if( i_mode == -1 )
        return luaL_error( L, "Invalid search key." );

Please, note that the vlc_sort_key_from_string() function validates the provided val parameter value.

Solution

The valid val parameter values may be found in the vlc_sort_key_from_string() function: vlc/playlist.c at f32f289264fd4a08c8b5f04d8395ea78f358f291 · videolan/vlc:

    static const struct
    {
        const char *psz_name;
        int i_key;
    } pp_keys[] =
        { { "id", SORT_ID },
          { "title", SORT_TITLE },
          { "title nodes first", SORT_TITLE_NODES_FIRST },
          { "artist", SORT_ARTIST },
          { "genre", SORT_GENRE },
          { "random", SORT_RANDOM },
          { "duration", SORT_DURATION },
          { "title numeric", SORT_TITLE_NUMERIC },
          { "album", SORT_ALBUM },
          { NULL, -1 } };

I have run a quick check: performed an HTTP GET request to sort items in a random order:

GET /requests/status.xml?command=pl_sort&id=0&val=random

It has worked correctly: the order of the playlist items has been changed appropriately.

Autosave playlist upon application exit: Absent feature

This feature has been requested many times, but it has not been implemented yet:

Please, note that it does not matter which type of user interface is used (for example, graphical user interface or HTTP interface).

Workaround?

It might be a case that a workaround for your particular use case may be implemented.

For example, it seems to be possible to perform the following operations by using the HTTP interface:

To get the playlist and its items (GET /requests/playlist.xml).
To clear the playlist (GET /requests/status.xml?command=pl_empty).
To enqueue an item into the playlist (GET /requests/status.xml?command=in_enqueue&input=<mrl>).

Therefore, it looks like:

The operation #1 may be used to implement the playlist items export functionality.
The operations #2 and #2 may be used to implement the playlist items import functionality.

Please, consider asking a separate question with the detailed use case description.