Information Plugins

An information plugin is an external program to GTKtalog. Its goal is to retrieve file type specific information e.g. ID3 tags for mp3, encoding format for avi files ....

It can only be used when the option "Retrieve informations about file" is checked. See the Section called Retrieve information about files.

GTKtalog calls the information plugin when the file type is found. This is done either by the MIME or by the file extension. See the Section called Try to get the mime

The default information plugins which are installed are :

• mp3info gets ID3 tags of mpeg layer 3 encoded audio files : Artist, Album, Title, Year, Genre, Comment

• modinfo

• mpeginfo

• mpgtx

• htmltitle gets the title of the html page (the value inside the <TITLE> </TITLE> tags).

• aviinfo gets the resolution, number total of frames and the format (like DIV4) of the avi file

Enable or disable an information plugin individually by double-clicking on its light. Green = enabled. Red = disabled.

You can add your own information plugin for any file type. It must take a file name as its last parameter and return a description string of the file on the standard output when you run it from a shell.

You can add an information plugin only if you check the "Retrieve informations about files" option. See the Section called Scan mime type

• Click on the "Add" button : If an information plugin was selected in the list, the fields are already filled in.

• File type : Type a valid MIME type (See Chapter 5 guessing a valid mime type).

• Plugin to get information about files : Type directly the path to the information plugin or use the "browse" button

• Plugin option : Specify any option the information plugin needs (if any)

• Submit this dialog box.

• If the typed mime type is invalid, you'll get the following message "The specified MIME is not valid. Nothing will be done.". This means the information plugin will not be added.

If all is OK, you should see the new information plugin in the list. If this is the case, from now on, GTKtalog s able to get information from the files matching the file type you specified.

The edit of an information plugin is similar to the addition of one except that the fields are already filled in.

All the previously scanned CDs won't be affected in any way by an edition or a removal of an information plugin. Future scans only will be effected.