FrancoToile

Copied all the data files from Marie-Claude's computer to mine for backup, then uploaded them into the eXist db on lettuce.

Modified the xslt code in player.xsl so that only the description attribute of the persTrait element is displayed on the page (beneath the video title and above the video player object).

The current system addresses QuickTime exclusively with a function called QTMovie in movie.js. There is a RealPlayer function in the movie.js file (RPMovie), but Mike reports that he was unable to overcome the browser's built-in handler for mpg streams. If this can be resolved (perhaps using the Half-Baked prefs control panel that M&S built?) RealPlayer can be offered as an option as well. But that isn't why I'm creating this post.

The VLC plugin seems to be working now! See here: http://altair.videolan.org/~dionoea/vlc-plugin-demo/
Which means that we can offer a completely cross-platform solution for deploying Francotoile-like applications. I haven't exhaustively tested the VLC solution, but it shouldn't be too hard.

Just to be complete, a listing of what I know about movie.js and links to APIs and so forth:

QT uses (from movie.js in francotoile)
getCurrentTime
setTime
movieId
GetTime
GetTimeScale
cSeconds
newTimeScale
SetTime
QT JS ref here: http://developer.apple.com/documentation/QuickTime/Conceptual/QTScripting_JavaScript/index.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001526

VLC API (note that this covers UP TO 0.8.5. Reports suggest that *some* breakage may occur on 0.8.6 and above. I haven't found a new API description yet) is here: http://www.videolan.org/doc/play-howto/en/ch04.html#id293635
*play() : Start playing media in the plugin.
*pause() : Pause playback.
*stop() : Stop media playback.
*fullscreen() : Switch the video to full screen.
*set_volume(vol) : Set the volume. vol has to be an int in the 0-200 range.
*get_volume() : Get the current volume setting.
*mute() : Toggle volume muting.
*set_int_variable(var_name, value) :
*set_bool_variable(var_name, value) :
*set_str_variable(var_name, value) :
*get_int_variable(var_name) :
*get_bool_variable(var_name) :
*get_str_variable(var_name) :
*clear_playlist() : Clear the playlist.
*add_item(mrl) : Append an item whose location is given by the Media Resource Locator to the playlist.
*next()
*previous()
*isplaying() : return true if the plugin is playing something.
*get_length() : Get the media's length in seconds.
*get_position() : Get the current position in the media in percent.
*get_time() : Get the current position in the media in seconds.
*seek(seconds,is_relative) : If is_relative is true, seek relatively to current time, else seek from beginning of the stream. Seek time is specified in seconds.

RealPlayer API (from 2001) is here: http://service.real.com/help/library/guides/extend/embed.htm

Wrote the xsl to distinguish two types of ref tags in francotoile data (one for links and another for popup notes). Testing took longer than I thought because the data had an illegal character in it. Sorted that out and then tests worked.

Then went through data files and modified those refs which were actually links to urls. Posted revised data files to server and to development computer and informed Catherine and Marie-Claude.

Copied data files from Spartan to StewsCube. Discovered there were four files recently edited, but Marie-Claude asked to upload only three, so sent email for clarification. When trying to upload, I failed to find the codebase for the JNLP client, so after testing a bit I asked Greg if this was a problem anywhere else or just on my machine. We confirmed the problem was on my machine, so I trashed the exist.jnlp on my machine, downloaded a new one from exist-db.org, configured it and it ran fine, so I uploaded the three files Marie-Claude specified.

I made the change on files prmf2, prmf3, accf1. They should be more synchronize: video and trancript. I ask stewart to change the files. I still have to change the personal traits for the heading on the web.

Include more images in the cycling, randomly choose a different one every time page is loaded. Test layout in IE.

Noticed that Francotoile site and eXist client could not establish connection to eXist db. After testing and confirming problem, reported it to Greg who worked with me for a few minutes before I had to leave for appointment. Greg had problem fixed by time I returned. Involved killing relevant tasks and then starting them up again - problem likely caused by work done by sys admins over weekend on surrounding framework.

Backed up transcript files from Spartan (rather than from my mac, so there should not be any permission issues).

Commented out code in player page that was displaying the timestamp for each utterance in the "show all utterances" view - Didn't want to delete code as it includes a piece of xpath that I'll likely want to use again and might not be able to recreate from scratch.

Uploaded the three data files modified by Marie-Claude to the database.

for next week, I have to fix the personnal trait so they will be the only things that appear as the description under the title for the web site. I adjust 3 files so they should be synchronize with de video. I send this information to Stewart so he can change the file. The change are made on prmf1,pscf1, secf1. We decided that we don't need the time on the full texte on the web page.