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 URL 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>