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A cross-platform GUI for YouTube-dl

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Re: A cross-platform GUI for YouTube-dl

#51

That's perfect. It is funny how this is better than youtube in so many ways. If only it could be taken mainstream.

> ...If only it could be taken mainstream.

A part of me actually wishes for utilities like this GUI app and the underlying youtube-dl to stay a tad under the radar, only to avoid getting them blocked somehow by the powers-that-be...i know that is selfish because at the same time i do like for as many folks as possible to have access to all the cool tools (after all i love to spread the gospel of open source software)...but, man, youtube-dl (and by extension, anything else built on top of it) has been such an awesomely amazing thing that i never want it to go away or get blocked, etc. Sorry if that sounds mean; don't mean to be. :-)

Re: A cross-platform GUI for YouTube-dl

#52
post #30

An idea that anyone is free to take: JSON-definable UI for command-line apps. Define checkboxes for flags, inputs for arguments, buttons for commands and file pickers / droppable wells for file input. Allow some customization of layout of these elements. Have in-app "store" to download these JSON definitions, maybe even suggest them based on `which` output. Electron app, obviously.

Why JSON? Just use a simplified subset of HTML and ignore styling+scripts for commandline. And for GUI/Web you can still offer the full HTML+CSS+Scripting-experience.

Can be XML as well, but I think HTML is too complex. The goal, for me, is simplicity.

    
It shouldn't be a hassle at all to convert a man page to a UI that speeds up actions and avoids common errors.

Anyway, this idea is free, so feel free to take it and do whatever, even full HTML (:

Re: A cross-platform GUI for YouTube-dl

#54
post #28
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a CLI app, it doesn't need "an app" for it.

I think it's matter of usability and taste. As a programmer who uses CLI applications daily I still find GUI applications far superior to those tasks for which I don't have the CLI commands imprinted in my tactile memory. And I forget any CLI functions I don't use daily reaaallly fast.

$ man foo

Now tell me where the swipe-from-the-left and swipe-from-the-right and pull-down-from-the-top and long-press and double-tap and trippple-tap and pinch vertically and pinch horizontally and triple-finger tap for "modern" apps are documented?

Re: A cross-platform GUI for YouTube-dl

#55
post #50

I built my own personal version where it runs in the background and automatically downloads stuff I like (I highly curate my likes) or send to select playlists. Too often I go through my favorites and see deleted videos so I just cooked up something one weekend. I have an entire hard drive dedicated as an offline archive where I can playback at anytime, search the library and it even alerts me if any video or audio I…

Do you really need Electron for this? I would implement what you describe in a headless Python (which is native to YouTube-dl and where YouTube-dl itself is available as a library) script.

Re: A cross-platform GUI for YouTube-dl

#56
post #50

I built my own personal version where it runs in the background and automatically downloads stuff I like (I highly curate my likes) or send to select playlists. Too often I go through my favorites and see deleted videos so I just cooked up something one weekend. I have an entire hard drive dedicated as an offline archive where I can playback at anytime, search the library and it even alerts me if any video or audio I…

Do you really need Electron for this? I would implement what you describe in a headless Python (which is native to YouTube-dl and where YouTube-dl itself is available as a library) script.

I just use a shell script.

Re: A cross-platform GUI for YouTube-dl

#59
post #44
post #30

An idea that anyone is free to take: JSON-definable UI for command-line apps. Define checkboxes for flags, inputs for arguments, buttons for commands and file pickers / droppable wells for file input. Allow some customization of layout of these elements. Have in-app "store" to download these JSON definitions, maybe even suggest them based on `which` output. Electron app, obviously.

So like a modern day VB3 but built on Electron. Would be nice to have!

preferably not electron :)

Re: A cross-platform GUI for YouTube-dl

#60
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why JSON? Just use a simplified subset of HTML and ignore styling+scripts for commandline. And for GUI/Web you can still offer the full HTML+CSS+Scripting-experience.

Can be XML as well, but I think HTML is too complex. The goal, for me, is simplicity. It shouldn't be a hassle at all to convert a man page to a UI that speeds up actions and avoids common errors. Anyway, this idea is free, so feel free to take it and do whatever, even full HTML (:

I don't see how yet another ui-definition-format will help to make things simpler. And what UI does a manpage need? Manpages are documents, they have no real ui.
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