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(Want to use this code? Send an email to nprapps@npr.org!)

Tiny Desk Concerts Roku app

Setup

Put your Roku into Dev Mode.

Your Roku will tell you its IP address and have you set a developer password. Set these in your .bash_profile:

export ROKU_IP="10.0.1.2"
export ROKU_PASSWORD="mypassword"

Install the Python requirements:

$ mkvirtualenv roku-tinydesk
$ pip install requirements.txt

Generate JSON feed

This step is not necessary to run the app.

To regenerate the API feed you will need a superuser NPR API key and our AWS keys. Set the API key in your .bash_profile like so:

export NPR_API_KEY="SUPERUSER_KEY_HERE"

Install s3cmd and configure it with the nprapps AWS keys:

$ s3cmd --configure

To generate (and deploy) the Tiny Desk API feed:

$ workon roku-tinydesk
$ ./update_feed.py

Package & Deploy

To package up the code and deploy it to your Roku:

$ ./install.sh

Enjoy!

Distribute the app

Note: If this process isn't completed with Chris' Roku keys, users of the app will lose their registry data. The way around this is to "rekey" each developer's Roku with the same RSA key. Read more here:

http://sdkdocs.roku.com/display/RokuSDKv48/Channel+Packaging+And+Publishing#ChannelPackagingAndPublishing-30PackagingApplications

Note part 2: This is probably irrelevant anyway, because you would need Chris' Roku credentials to access the upload page. Ergo, these docs are really just for him.

Distributing the app to Roku requires jumping through additional hoops. First, you'll need to generate crypotgraphic keys on your Roku. Do this like so:

$ telnet $ROKU_IP 8080
> genkey

Your password will be print out: save it. Exit the telnet session by typing quit.

Add this new password to your ~/.bash_profile:

export ROKU_GENKEY_PASSWORD="YOUR_PASSWORD_HERE"

Now to generate a shippable zip, simply run:

$ ./ship.sh 1.0

You must supply a version number as the first argument.

Now take your new package and upload it at: https://owner.roku.com/Developer/Apps/Packages/23962

Debugging

To connect to your Roku for debugging:

$ telnet $ROKU_IP 8085

Google Analytics

The following events are tracked in Google Analytics:

Category	Action	Label	Value	Custom 1	Custom 2
Tiny Desk	Startup			rokuModel	rokuFirmware
Tiny Desk	Shutdown		sessionDuration	numWatched	numFinished
Tiny Desk	Start	title		fromList	searchTerm
Tiny Desk	Continue	title		fromList	searchTerm
Tiny Desk	Finish	title
Tiny Desk	Stop	title	playtime	stoppedAtPct
Tiny Desk	Search	term
Tiny Desk	Feed Unavailable
Tiny Desk	Completion	percent

Notes:

• The Shutdown action isn't recorded until the next time the application is run, because there is no reliable shutdown event in a Roku app. As a result, sessionDuration will always be approximate.
• The Stop action is reported alongside the Finish action when a video is completed, for purposes of tracking playtimes.
• There is no concept of a ping in this event model, so users will appear inactive on the Google Analytics dashboard while in the middle of a long video or sitting on a menu. Their sessionDuration recorded in the Shutdown event will correctly include the this time.
• The Feed Unavailable action occurs if the feed.json file can not be downloaded from S3 after several attempts. (Do to an error or poor connectivity.)
• Completion added in April, 2015. Reported values are [25, 50, 75, 100].

Code conventions

Because Roku dev lacks strong (or any) code conventions, I'm defining my own.

Syntax

• Constants: UPPERCASE
• Variables, public members and public functions: camelCase
• Objects/Constructors: TitleCase
• Public member functions: GridScreen.refreshLists = GridScreen_refreshLists
• Private member functions GridScreen._initLists = _GridScreen_initLists
• Private member vars: _underscorePrefixed
• Keywords: lowercase, e.g. function and end function

All rules for function names also apply when calling case-insensitive built-in functions, e.g. createObject() and count().

Code organization

Leave a line of whitespace after function and before end function

Never use sub. Always use function.

Classes

In class constructors define the class object as this. In member functions redefine the class object as this = m. Never use m to refer to the global namespace.

Comments

Comments describing a functions purpose should precede the function defintion.

Modules should begin with a block comment explaning their purpose:

'
' Explainer goes here
'

function main()
    blah blah