VLC HTTP requests
There is a set of remote-control commands for VLC over HTTP.
This is probably the most convenient and reliable interface for developers to use to control VLC.
The commands ARE listed - but the list is tucked away in a README file, in the http subfolder of the little HTTP server under the VLC executables folder.
How the Commands & Status Queries Work
The commands below are all applied by submitting an HTTP-GET for one of the XML files stored in the VLC http/requests folder. For example, VLC will report back the current playlist when you submit a MRL of the form
http://127.0.0.1:9090/requests/playlist.xml (that is for a VLC which was started, listening on port 9090).
Similarly,
http://127.0.0.1:9090/requests/status.xml
will report back the player status. Commands TO the player are sent by appending a trailing command parameter (following a '?' separator) to this latter status query command.
Examples
SHOW CURRENT PLAYLIST:
http://127.0.0.1:9090/requests/playlist.xml
SHOW STATUS:
http://127.0.0.1:9090/requests/status.xml
STOP
http://127.0.0.1:9090/requests/status.xml?command=pl_stop
CLEAR PLAYLIST
http://127.0.0.1:9090/requests/status.xml?command=pl_empty
PLAY AN RTSP STREAM URL:
http://127.0.0.1:9090/requests/status.xml?command=in_play&input=rtsp://user:pass@somewebcameraaddress.com:9552/cam1/mpeg4
By the bye: to start VLC's control HTTPD service on a specific port, use the syntax
vlc --intf http --http-host 10.1.1.156:9090
Full command list
HERE IS the FULL http-remote-control command list (as listed in README.txt in the VLC http subfolder) :-
Commands available through the requests/ path:
Lines starting with < describe what the page sends back
Lines starting with > describe what you can send to the page
All parameters need to be URL encoded.
Examples:
# -> %23 % -> %25 + -> %2B space -> + ...
status.xml:
< Get VLC status information, current item info and meta.
> add <mrl> to playlist and start playback:
?command=in_play&input=<mrl>
> add <mrl> to playlist:
?command=in_enqueue&input=<mrl>
> play playlist item <id>:
?command=pl_play&id=<id>
NB: ?command=pl_play also works (no ID needed).
> toggle pause. If current state was 'stop', play item <id>:
?command=pl_pause&id=<id>
NB: ?command=pl_pause NB: seems largely ignored ? stream often continues. (May depend on whether camera obeys pause command - NB this command may only cause a PAUSE to be sent out to the video stream source, so result will depend on whether source obeys.)
> stop playback:
?command=pl_stop
NB: seems not to clear the playlist. If in doubt clear the playlist and reload to start.
> jump to next item:
?command=pl_next
> jump to previous item:
?command=pl_previous
> delete item <id> from playlist:
?command=pl_delete&id=<id>
> empty playlist:
?command=pl_empty
> 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
> toggle random playback:
?command=pl_random
> toggle loop:
?command=pl_loop
> toggle repeat:
?command=pl_repeat
> toggle enable service discovery module <val>:
?command=pl_sd&val=<val> Typical values are: sap shoutcast podcast hal
> toggle fullscreen:
?command=fullscreen
> set volume level to <val> (can be absolute integer, percent or +/- relative value):
?command=volume&val=<val> Allowed values are of the form: +<int>, -<int>, <int> or <int>%
> seek to <val>:
?command=seek&val=<val> Allowed values are of the form: [+ or -][<int><H or h>:][<int><M or m or '>:][<int><nothing or S or s or ">] or [+ or -]<int>% (value between [ ] are optional, value between < > are mandatory) examples: 1000 -> seek to the 1000th second +1H:2M -> seek 1 hour and 2 minutes forward -10% -> seek 10% back
playlist.xml:
< get the full playlist tree
browse.xml:
< ?dir=<dir>
> get <dir>'s filelist
vlm.xml:
< get the full list of VLM elements
vlm_cmd.xml:
< execute VLM command <cmd>
?command=<cmd>
> get the error message from <cmd>
