DVBsVCR2 Record Filename Creation
This section describes the how the program creates the actual file name for a recording from the filename given in the File/Path field in the recorder page or the mpg_file parameter on the command line.
The program will never overwrite an existing file. Whenever the file name creation results in the name of a file that exists already it appends "[1]", "[2]", etc. to the file name until it is unique.
The given filename can contain a directory path, a filename and an extension. It can also contain variable fields that are evaluated to the final name based on the conditions at start time of the recording. The following sections describes the various parts of the filename that can be used.
Directory Path
A directory path can be specified. In this case the file is created in this directory. If the directory or the path does not exist, it is created. When the creation of the path fails, the program behaves as if no path has been specified.
When no path is specified, the program will use the following locations for the recording file:
- The directories specified in the list of Alternate recording locations in the Recording Options dialog box, from the first one to the last one specified. Please note that this list is only available when the option Split files at disk full is enabled.
- The personal files folder of the current user.
- The current working directory.
To start recording in a specific location, there must be sufficient free space, at least 30 Mbytes plus the amount of free space given in the option Reserve minimum free disk space in the Recording Options dialog box. When there is not enough free space, another recording location (in the order shown above) is selected.
The directory path can contain variable fields.
When no file name is given and the specified directory does not exist, make sure to end the directory with a back-slash character, otherwise it will be used as the file name.
File Name
The file name can contain variable fields.
When no file name is specified, a default name is used. The default name is built from the following templates:
- An individual default name for each sender can be specified in the
following registry settings:
Name: RecordDefaultName Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\DVB Software\DVB-s VCR\Settings\program_name Type: String - If no individual default name is found, the default name for the
program is used which is located at the following registry setting:
Name: RecordDefaultName Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\DVB Software\DVB-s VCR\Settings Type: String - If also this setting is not found, the default name is built from
the following string:
"%date:yyyy-MM-dd% %time:HH.mm% %chnl% %name:(s)%"
Extension
When an extension is specified, it will determine the file format that is used for recording. An extension of .mpg will select MPEG output, an extension of .pva will select PVA output format. Other extensions are not accepted an will be treated as part of the file name.
Variable Fields
Variable fields have the following syntax:
| % var_name [ : format ] % |
Currently the following variable fields can be specified for var_name: date, date-short, date-long, time, chnl, name, desc. Each variable has unique formatting options that can be specified in the format string. If the format string is omitted, a default output is used.
Variable fields can appear in any number in the filename specification. The same field can also appear more than once, if required.
After expansion, all non-printable characters will be removed. The characters *, ?, ", <, >, and | are removed. The character : is removed unless it describes a drive letter. The character / is replaced by \ to form a valid directory separator.
%date-short% Variable Field
Output the current date, formatted as the current user's short date format specifies. A format string is not permitted with this variable.
%date-long% Variable Field
Output the current date, formatted as the current user's long date format specifies. A format string is not permitted with this variable.
%date% Variable Field
Output the current date. The format string is optional. If it is omitted, the output is equivalent to the %date-short% variable.
The format string can consist of any character. The following characters and character sequences have special meaning and are replaced by the variable's value. All other characters are output literally. Characters must be quoted in single quotes to output them literally if they have special meaning otherwise (e.g., like the % or ' character).
| Character sequence | Replacement |
| d | Day of month as digits with no leading zero for single-digit days. |
| dd | Day of month as digits with leading zero for single-digit days. |
| ddd | Day of week as a three-letter abbreviation. The function uses the LOCALE_SABBREVDAYNAME value associated with the specified locale. |
| dddd | Day of week as its full name. The function uses the LOCALE_SDAYNAME value associated with the specified locale. |
| M | Month as digits with no leading zero for single-digit months. |
| MM | Month as digits with leading zero for single-digit months. |
| MMM | Month as a three-letter abbreviation. The function uses the LOCALE_SABBREVMONTHNAME value associated with the specified locale. |
| MMMM | Month as its full name. The function uses the LOCALE_SMONTHNAME value associated with the specified locale. |
| y | Year as last two digits, but with no leading zero for years less than 10. |
| yy | Year as last two digits, but with leading zero for years less than 10. |
| yyyy | Year represented by full four digits. |
| gg | Period/era string. The function uses the CAL_SERASTRING value associated with the specified locale. This element is ignored if the date to be formatted does not have an associated era or period string. |
Example:
"%date:yyyy-MM-dd%" results in "2004-04-29"
%time% Variable Field
Output the current time. The format string is optional. If it is omitted, the output is equivalent with the format string "HH.mm".
The format string can consist of any character. The following characters and character sequences have special meaning and are replaced by the variable's value. All other characters are output literally. Characters must be quoted in single quotes to output them literally if they have special meaning otherwise (e.g., like the % or ' character).
| Character sequence | Replacement |
| h | Hours with no leading zero for single-digit hours; 12-hour clock. |
| hh | Hours with leading zero for single-digit hours; 12-hour clock. |
| H | Hours with no leading zero for single-digit hours; 24-hour clock. |
| HH | Hours with leading zero for single-digit hours; 24-hour clock. |
| m | Minutes with no leading zero for single-digit minutes. |
| mm | Minutes with leading zero for single-digit minutes. |
| s | Seconds with no leading zero for single-digit seconds. |
| ss | Seconds with leading zero for single-digit seconds. |
| t | One character time-marker string, such as A or P. |
| tt | Multicharacter time-marker string, such as AM or PM. |
The character : is replaced with . during evaluation of the %time% variable field.
Example:
"%time:HH.mm%" results in "18.30"
%chnl% Variable Field
Output the channel name (sender name). The format string is optional. If it is omitted, the output is equivalent with the format string "s".
The format string can consist of any character. The following characters and character sequences have special meaning and are replaced by the variable's value. All other characters are output literally. Characters must be quoted in single quotes to output them literally if they have special meaning otherwise (e.g., like the % or ' character).
| Character sequence | Replacement | Notes |
| s | Channel name. | |
| ss... | Channel name converted to lower case characters. | Two or more consecutive s characters. |
| S... | Channel name converted to upper case characters. | One or more consecutive S characters. |
| snn ss...nn S...nn |
Channel name as described above, but truncated to nn characters. | nn is a sequence of the letters 0-9 forming an integer number. |
If the channel name is empty, the output will evaluate to an empty string, regardless of the format string.
%name% Variable Field
Output the event name. The format string is optional. If it is omitted, the output is equivalent with the format string "s".
The format string is equivalent to the %chnl% variable. Please check the description of the %chnl% variable for a list of format options.
If the event name is empty, the output will evaluate to an empty string, regardless of the format string.
Example:
Filename specification When event name is "nano" When event name is empty string "%name:(s)%" "(nano)" "" (empty string) "(%name%)" "(nano)" "()"
%desc% Variable Field
Output the event's text description. The format string is optional. If it is omitted, the output is equivalent with the format string "s".
The format string is equivalent to the %chnl% variable. Please check the description of the %chnl% variable for a list of format options.
If the event's text description is empty, the output will evaluate to an empty string, regardless of the format string.
