e2MDB – Skinner: sources and requirements
The plugin supplies the E2MDBEventInfo converter. It reads metadata already supplied by its source. Skin widgets do not call internet providers or perform SQL queries. The following appendices describe generic integration for a compatible OpenATV skin.
Choose the correct source
Section titled “Choose the correct source”The skin XML examples are an integral part of this handbook:
- Cover and InfoLine with
E2MDBEventInfo - Picon fallback with
HasCoverandConditionalShowHide - Optional panels and switching between base and media layouts
- Native service-list template with
ImageOrPicon1
The example panel names are names chosen by a skin author. The XML contracts and their explanations apply independently of a skin’s product name.
| Context | Source or data path |
|---|---|
| Live-TV InfoBar | session.Event_Now for the current event when InfoBar integration is enabled. |
| EPG/channel selection | Event, if that screen supplies e2MDB metadata through it. |
| Media information | The event/metadata source actually exposed by that screen. Do not assume the live-TV source represents a selected recording. |
| Native ServiceList | Event-related template indices such as Image1 and ImageOrPicon1. This is a different contract from an individual converter widget. |
| Plugin-owned sources | Direct pixmap/text sources only with names actually provided by the screen. |
Writing source="Event" does not create metadata. The source needs a getMeta interface or enrichment by e2MDB integration. Renaming a StaticText source or a service reference does not make it a complete media source.
Keep the integration optional
Section titled “Keep the integration optional”- Check for both the plugin and converter. Feed packages can contain only
.pycrather than.py. - Keep the normal skin usable without e2MDB.
- Observe the database and live/EPG master switches, plus the relevant InfoBar or ChannelSelection switch.
- Check availability before loading the converter. ConditionalShowHide alone cannot prevent an import error when the plugin is absent.
- Saved style preferences must not make a screen unusable after plugin removal.
A skin can define a base panel and a media panel and select them by condition. Repeated components remain shared panels or templates. The following XML snippets demonstrate this approach; they are not complete skin.xml files.
When porting a skin, verify sources, attributes and template indices against the target OpenATV version. Do not copy names from older media-database skins without checking the current interface.