Provided by: libcddb-perl_1.222-3_all 
NAME
CDDB.pm - a high-level interface to cddb protocol servers (freedb and CDDB)
VERSION
version 1.222
SYNOPSIS
use CDDB;
### Connect to the cddbp server.
my $cddbp = new CDDB(
Host => 'freedb.freedb.org', # default
Port => 8880, # default
Login => $login_id, # defaults to %ENV's
) or die $!;
### Retrieve known genres.
my @genres = $cddbp->get_genres();
### Calculate cddbp ID based on MSF info.
my @toc = (
'1 0 2 37', # track, CD-i MSF (space-delimited)
'999 1 38 17', # lead-out track MSF
'1000 0 0 Error!', # error track (don't include if ok)
);
my (
$cddbp_id, # used for further cddbp queries
$track_numbers, # padded with 0's (for convenience)
$track_lengths, # length of each track, in MM:SS format
$track_offsets, # absolute offsets (used for further cddbp queries)
$total_seconds # total play time, in seconds (for cddbp queries)
) = $cddbp->calculate_id(@toc);
### Query discs based on cddbp ID and other information.
my @discs = $cddbp->get_discs($cddbp_id, $track_offsets, $total_seconds);
foreach my $disc (@discs) {
my ($genre, $cddbp_id, $title) = @$disc;
}
### Query disc details (usually done with get_discs() information).
my $disc_info = $cddbp->get_disc_details($genre, $cddbp_id);
my $disc_time = $disc_info->{'disc length'};
my $disc_id = $disc_info->{discid};
my $disc_title = $disc_info->{dtitle};
my @track_offsets = @{$disc_info->{offsets}};
my @track_seconds = @{$disc_info->{seconds}};
my @track_titles = @{$disc_info->{ttitles}};
# other information may be returned... explore!
### Submit a disc via e-mail. (Requires MailTools)
die "can't submit a disc (no mail modules; see README)"
unless $cddbp->can_submit_disc();
# These are useful for prompting the user to fix defaults:
print "I will send mail through: ", $cddbp->get_mail_host(), "\n";
print "I assume your e-mail address is: ", $cddbp->get_mail_address(), "\n";
# Actually submit a disc record.
$cddbp->submit_disc(
Genre => 'classical',
Id => 'b811a20c',
Artist => 'Various',
DiscTitle => 'Cartoon Classics',
Offsets => $disc_info->{offsets}, # array reference
TrackTitles => $disc_info->{ttitles}, # array reference
From => 'login@host.domain.etc', # will try to determine
);
DESCRIPTION
CDDB protocol (cddbp) servers provide compact disc information for programs that need it. This allows
such programs to display disc and track titles automatically, and it provides extended information like
liner notes and lyrics.
This module provides a high-level Perl interface to cddbp servers. With it, a Perl program can identify
and possibly gather details about a CD based on its "table of contents" (the disc's track times and
offsets).
Disc details have been useful for generating CD catalogs, naming mp3 files, printing CD liners, or even
just playing discs in an automated jukebox.
Despite the module's name, it connects to FreeDB servers by default. This began at version 1.04, when
cddb.com changed its licensing model to support end-user applications, not third-party libraries.
Connections to cddb.com may still work, and patches are welcome to maintain that functionality, but it's
no longer officially supported.
PUBLIC METHODS
new PARAMETERS
Creates a high-level interface to a cddbp server, returning a handle to it. The handle is not a
filehandle. It is an object. The new() constructor provides defaults for just about everything, but
everything is overrideable if the defaults aren't appropriate.
The interface will not actually connect to a cddbp server until it's used, and a single cddbp
interface may actually make several connections (to possibly several servers) over the course of its
use.
The new() constructor accepts several parameters, all of which have reasonable defaults.
Host and Port describe the cddbp server to connect to. These default to 'freedb.freedb.org' and
8880, which is a multiplexor for all the other freedb servers.
Utf8 is a boolean flag. If true, utf-8 will be used when submitting CD info, and for interpreting the
data reveived. This requires the Encode module (and probably perl version at least 5.8.0). The
default is true if the Encode module can be loaded. Otherwise, it will be false, meaning we fall back
to ASCII.
Protocol_Version sets the cddbp version to use. CDDB.pm will not connect to servers that don't
support the version specified here. The requested protocol version defaults to 1 if Utf8 is off, and
to 6 if it is on.
Login is the login ID you want to advertise to the cddbp server. It defaults to the login ID your
computer assigns you, if that can be determined. The default login ID is determined by the presence
of a LOGNAME or USER environment variable, or by the getpwuid() function. On Windows systems, it
defaults to "win32usr" if no default method can be found and no Login parameter is set.
Submit_Address is the e-mail address where new disc submissions go. This defaults to
'freedb-submit@freedb.org'. Note, that testing submissions should be done via
"test-submit@freedb.org".
Client_Name and Client_Version describe the client software used to connect to the cddbp server.
They default to 'CDDB.pm' and CDDB.pm's version number. If developers change this, please consult
freedb's web site for a list of client names already in use.
Debug enables verbose operational information on STDERR when set to true. It's normally not needed,
but it can help explain why a program is failing. If someone finds a reproduceable bug, the Debug
output and a test program would be a big help towards having it fixed. In case of submission, if
this flag is on, a copy of the submission e-mail will be sent to the From address.
get_genres
Takes no parameters. Returns a list of genres known by the cddbp server, or undef if there is a
problem retrieving them.
calculate_id TOC
The cddb protocol defines an ID as a hash of track lengths and the number of tracks, with an added
checksum. The most basic information required to calculate this is the CD table of contents (the CD-i
track offsets, in "MSF" [Minutes, Seconds, Frames] format).
Note however that there is no standard way to acquire this information from a CD-ROM device.
Therefore this module does not try to read the TOC itself. Instead, developers must combine CDDB.pm
with a CD library which works with their system. The AudioCD suite of modules is recommended: it has
system specific code for MacOS, Linux and FreeBSD. CDDB.pm's author has used external programs like
dagrab to fetch the offsets. Actual CDs aren't always necessary: the author has heard of people
generating TOC information from mp3 file lengths.
That said, see parse_cdinfo() for a routine to parse "cdinfo" output into a table of contents list
suitable for calculate_id().
calculate_id() accepts TOC information as a list of strings. Each string contains four fields,
separated by whitespace:
offset 0: the track number
Track numbers start with 1 and run sequentially through the number of tracks on a disc. Note: data
tracks count on hybrid audio/data CDs.
CDDB.pm understands two special track numbers. Track 999 holds the lead-out information, which is
required by the cddb protocol. Track 1000 holds information about errors which have occurred while
physically reading the disc.
offset 1: the track start time, minutes field
Tracks are often addressed on audio CDs using "MSF" offsets. This stands for Minutes, Seconds, and
Frames (fractions of a second). The combination pinpoints the exact disc frame where a song starts.
Field 1 contains the M part of MSF. It is ignored for error tracks, but it still must contain a
number. Zero is suggested.
offset 2: the track start time, seconds field
This field contains the S part of MSF. It is ignored for error tracks, but it still must contain a
number. Zero is suggested.
offset 3: the track start time, frames field
This field contains the F part of MSF. For error tracks, it contains a description of the error.
Example track file. Note: the comments should not appear in the file.
1 0 2 37 # track 1 starts at 00:02 and 37 frames
2 1 38 17 # track 2 starts at 01:38 and 17 frames
3 11 57 30 # track 3 starts at 11:57 and 30 frames
...
999 75 16 5 # leadout starts at 75:16 and 5 frames
Track 1000 should not be present if everything is okay:
1000 0 0 Error reading TOC: no disc in drive
In scalar context, calculate_id() returns just the cddbp ID. In a list context, it returns an array
containing the following values:
(
$cddbp_id,
$track_numbers,
$track_lengths,
$track_offsets,
$total_seconds
) = $cddbp->calculate_id(@toc);
print(
"cddbp ID = $cddbp_id\n", # b811a20c
"track numbers = @$track_numbers\n", # 001 002 003 ...
"track lengths = @$track_lengths\n", # 01:36 10:19 04:29 ...
"track offsets = @$track_offsets\n", # 187 7367 53805 ...
"total seconds = $total_seconds\n", # 4514
);
CDDBP_ID
The 0th returned value is the hashed cddbp ID, required for any queries or submissions involving this
disc.
TRACK_NUMBERS
The 1st returned value is a reference to a list of track numbers, one for each track (excluding the
lead-out), padded to three characters with leading zeroes. These values are provided for
convenience, but they are not required by cddbp servers.
TRACK_LENGTHS
The 2nd returned value is a reference to a list of track lengths, one for each track (excluding the
lead-out), in HH:MM format. These values are returned as a convenience. They are not required by
cddbp servers.
TRACK_OFFSETS
The 3rd returned value is a reference to a list of absolute track offsets, in frames. They are
calculated from the MSF values, and they are required by get_discs() and submit_disc().
TOTAL_SECONDS
The 4th and final value is the total playing time for the CD, in seconds. The get_discs() function
needs it.
get_discs CDDBP_ID, TRACK_OFFSETS, TOTAL_SECONDS
get_discs() asks the cddbp server for a summary of all the CDs matching a given cddbp ID, track
offsets, and total playing time. These values can be retrieved from calculade_id().
my @id_info = $cddbp->calculate_id(@toc);
my $cddbp_id = $id_info->[0];
my $track_offsets = $id_info->[3];
my $total_seconds = $id_info->[4];
get_discs() returns an array of matching discs, each of which is represented by an array reference.
It returns an empty array if the query succeeded but did not match, and it returns undef on error.
my @discs = $cddbp->get_discs( $cddbp_id, $track_offsets, $total_seconds );
foreach my $disc (@discs) {
my ($disc_genre, $disc_id, $disc_title) = @$disc;
print(
"disc id = $disc_id\n",
"disc genre = $disc_genre\n",
"disc title = $disc_title\n",
);
}
DISC_GENRE is the genre this disc falls into, as determined by whoever submitted or last edited the
disc. The genre is required when requesting a disc's details. See get_genres() for how to retrieve
a list of cddbp genres.
CDDBP_ID is the cddbp ID of this disc. Cddbp servers perform fuzzy matches, returning near misses as
well as direct hits on a cddbp ID, so knowing the exact ID for a disc is important when submitting
changes or requesting a particular near-miss' details.
DISC_TITLE is the disc's title, which may help a human to pick the correct disc out of several close
mathches.
get_discs_by_toc TOC
This function acts as a macro, combining calculate_id() and get_discs() calls into one function. It
takes the same parameters as calculate_id(), and it returns the same information as get_discs().
get_discs_by_query QUERY_STRING
Fetch discs by a pre-built cddbp query string. Some disc querying programs report this string, and
get_discs_by_query() is a convenient way to use that.
Cddb protocol query strings look like:
cddb query $cddbp_id $track_count @offsets $total_seconds
get_disc_details DISC_GENRE, CDDBP_ID
This function fetches a disc's detailed information from a cddbp server. It takes two parameters:
the DISC_GENRE and the CDDP_ID. These parameters usually come from a call to get_discs().
The disc's details are returned in a reference to a fairly complex hash. It includes information
normally stored in comments. The most common entries in this hash include:
$disc_details = get_disc_details( $disc_genre, $cddbp_id );
$disc_details->{"disc length"}
The disc length is commonly stored in the form "### seconds", where ### is the disc's total playing
time in seconds. It may hold other time formats.
$disc_details->{discid}
This is a rehash (get it?) of the cddbp ID. It should match the CDDBP_ID given to
get_disc_details().
$disc_details->{dtitle}
This is the disc's title. I do not know whether it will match the one returned by get_discs().
$disc_details->{offsets}
This is a reference to a list of absolute disc track offsets, similar to the TRACK_OFFSETS returned
by calculate_id().
$disc_details->{seconds}
This is a reference to a list of track length, in seconds.
$disc_details->{ttitles}
This is a reference to a list of track titles. These are the droids you are looking for.
$disc_details->{"processed by"}
This is a comment field identifying the name and version of the cddbp server which accepted and
entered the disc record into the database.
$disc_details->{revision}
This is the disc record's version number, used as a sanity check (semaphore?) to prevent simultaneous
revisions. Revisions start at 0 for new submissions and are incremented for every correction. It is
the responsibility of the submitter (be it a person or a program using CDDB.pm) to provide a correct
revision number.
$disc_details->{"submitted via"}
This is the name and version of the software that submitted this cddbp record. The main intention is
to identify records that are submitted by broken software so they can be purged or corrected.
$disc_details->{xmcd_record}
The xmcd_record field contains a copy of the entire unprocessed cddbp response that generated all the
other fields.
$disc_details->{genre}
This is merely a copy of DISC_GENRE, since it's otherwise not possible to determine it from the hash.
parse_xmcd_file XMCD_FILE_CONTENTS, [GENRE]
Parses an array ref of lines read from an XMCD file into the disc_details hash described above. If
the GENRE parameter is set it will be included in disc_details.
can_submit_disc
Returns true or false, depending on whether CDDB.pm has enough dependent modules to submit discs. If
it returns false, you are missing Mail::Internet, Mail::Header, or MIME::QuotedPrint.
get_mail_address
Returns what CDDB.pm thinks your e-mail address is, or what it was last set to. It was added to
fetch the default e-mail address so users can see it and have an opportunity to correct it.
my $mail_from = $cddb->get_mail_address();
print "New e-mail address (or blank to keep <$mail_from>): ";
my $new_mail_from = <STDIN>;
$new_mail_from =~ s/^\s+//;
$new_mail_from =~ s/\s+$//;
$new_mail_from =~ s/\s+/ /g;
$mail_from = $new_mail_from if length $new_mail_from;
$cddbp->submit_disc(
...,
From => $mail_from,
);
get_mail_host
Returns what CDDB.pm thinks your SMTP host is, or what it was last set to. It was added to fetch the
default e-mail transfer host so users can see it and have an opportunity to correct it.
my $mail_host = $cddb->get_mail_host();
print "New e-mail host (or blank to keep <$mail_host>): ";
my $new_mail_host = <STDIN>;
$new_mail_host =~ s/^\s+//;
$new_mail_host =~ s/\s+$//;
$new_mail_host =~ s/\s+/ /g;
$mail_host = $new_mail_host if length $new_mail_host;
$cddbp->submit_disc(
...,
Host => $mail_host,
);
parse_cdinfo CDINFO_FILE
Generates a table of contents suitable for calculate_id() based on the output of a program called
"cdinfo". CDINFO_FILE may either be a text file, or it may be the cdinfo program itself.
my @toc = parse_cdinfo("cdinfo.txt"); # read cdinfo.txt
my @toc = parse_cdinfo("cdinfo|"); # run cdinfo directly
The table of contents can be passed directly to calculate_id().
submit_disc DISC_DETAILS
submit_disc() submits a disc record to a cddbp server. Currently it only uses e-mail, although it
will try different ways to send that. It returns true or false depending on whether it was able to
send the submission e-mail.
The rest of CDDB.pm will work without the ability to submit discs. While cddbp submissions are
relatively rare, most CD collections will have one or two discs not present in the system. Please
submit new discs to the system: the amazing number of existing discs got there because others
submitted them before you needed them.
submit_disc() takes six required parameters and two optional ones. The parameters are named, like
hash elements, and can appear in any order.
Genre => DISC_GENRE
This is the disc's genre. It must be one of the genres that the server knows. See get_genres().
Id => CDDBP_ID
This is the cddbp ID that identifies the disc. It should come from calculate_id() if this is a new
submission, or from get_disc_details() if this is a revision.
Artist => DISC_ARTIST
This is the disc's artist, a freeform text field describing the party responsible for the album. It
will need to be entered from the disc's notes for new submissions, or it can come from
get_disc_details() on subsequent revisions.
DiscTitle => DISC_TITLE
This is the disc's title, a freeform text field describing the album. It must be entered from the
disc's notes for new submissions. It can come from get_disc_details() on subsequent revisions.
Offsets => TRACK_OFFSETS
This is a reference to an array of absolute track offsets, as provided by calculate_id().
TrackTitles => TRACK_TITLES
This is a reference to an array of track titles, either entered by a human or provided by
get_disc_details().
From => EMAIL_ADDRESS
This is the disc submitter's e-mail address. It's not required, and CDDB.pm will try to figure one
out on its own if an address is omitted. It may be more reliable to provide your own, however.
The default return address may not be a deliverable one, especially if CDDB.pm is being used on a
dial-up machine that isn't running its own MTA. If the current machine has its own MTA, problems
still may occur if the machine's Internet address changes.
Host => SMTP_HOST
This is the SMTP host to contact when sending mail. It's not required, and CDDB.pm will try to
figure one out on its own. It will look at the SMTPHOSTS environment variable is not defined, it
will try 'mail' and 'localhost' before finally failing.
Revision => REVISION
The revision number. Should be 1 for new submissions, and one higher than the previous one for
updates. The previous revision number is available as the "revision" field in the hash returned by
get_disc_details().
PRIVATE METHODS
Documented as being not documented.
EXAMPLES
Please see the cddb.t program in the t (tests) directory. It exercises every aspect of CDDB.pm,
including submissions.
COMPATIBILITY
CDDB.pm uses standard Perl modules. It has been tested at one point or another on OS/2, MacOS and
FreeBSD systems, as well as the systems listed at:
http://testers.cpan.org/search?request=dist&dist=CDDB
If you want to submit disc information to the CDDB, you will need to install two other modules:
Mail::Internet will allow CDDB.pm to send email submissions, and it
automagically includes Mail::Header.
MIME::QuotedPrint will allow CDDB.pm to send non-ASCII text
unscathed. Currently only ISO-8859-1 and ASCII are supported.
All other features will work without these modules.
KNOWN TEST FAILURES
The last test in the "make test" suite will try to send a sample submission to the CDDB if MailTools is
present. It expects to find an SMTP host in the SMTPHOST environment variable. It will fall back to
"mail" if SMTPHOST doesn't exist. If neither works, the test will be skipped. To see why it's skipped:
make test TEST_VERBOSE=1
Some of the tests (most notably numbers 25, 27 and 29) compare data returned by a cddbp server against a
stored copy of a previous query. These tests fail occasionally since the database is constantly in flux.
Starting with version 1.00, the test program uses fuzzy comparisons that should fail less. Version 1.04
saw even fuzzier comparisons. Please report any problems so they can be fixed.
LINKS
BUG TRACKER
https://rt.cpan.org/Dist/Display.html?Status=Active&Queue=CDDB
REPOSITORY
http://github.com/rcaputo/cddb-perl http://gitorious.org/cddb-freedb-perl
OTHER RESOURCES
http://search.cpan.org/dist/CDDB/
CONTACT AND COPYRIGHT
Copyright 1998-2013 Rocco Caputo. All rights reserved. This program is free software; you can
redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
perl v5.36.0 2023-01-22 CDDB(3pm)