Hof Plexexport Bundle Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation Add the bundle via Composer:

   composer require devjoghurt/hof-plexexport-bundle:dev-master
   

   Register the bundle in app/AppKernel.php:

   new Hof\PlexExportBundle\HofPlexExportBundle(),
   

2. Basic Configuration Add minimal config in app/config/config.yml (optional if defaults suffice):

   hof_plex_export:
       config:
           plex_url: "http://your-plex-server:32400"
           data_dir: "%kernel.root_dir%/../web/data/plex"
   

3. First Use Case Render Plex media in a Twig template:

   {{ plex_export() }}
   

   Verify the output displays your Plex library (movies/shows) with thumbnails.

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflows

1. Dynamic Export Rendering Use the plex_export() Twig function to display media in any template:

   {% for item in plex_export() %}
       <h2>{{ item.title }}</h2>
       <img src="{{ item.thumbnail }}" />
   {% endfor %}
   

2. Custom Templates Override the default template by passing a custom path:

   {{ plex_export("AppBundle:Media:custom_plex.html.twig") }}
   

3. Configuration Overrides Pass runtime options to modify behavior:

   {{ plex_export("AppBundle:Media:plex.html.twig", {
       "sections": ["movies", "shows"],
       "thumbnail_width": 300
   }) }}
   

4. Integration with Symfony Forms Use the bundle to populate forms or grids with Plex metadata:

   $plexData = $this->get('hof_plex_export.plex_export')->getData();
   foreach ($plexData as $item) {
       $form->add('media_item', EntityType::class, [
           'class' => 'App\Entity\Media',
           'choices' => [$item->id => $item->title],
       ]);
   }
   

5. Scheduled Exports Trigger exports via a Symfony command (extend the bundle or create a custom one):

   // src/Command/ExportPlexCommand.php
   class ExportPlexCommand extends Command {
       protected function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output) {
           $export = $this->getContainer()->get('hof_plex_export.plex_export');
           $export->export(); // Hypothetical method (check bundle for actual API)
       }
   }
   

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Plex Server Authentication

   • The bundle assumes unauthenticated access. If your Plex server requires authentication, extend the PlexExport service to include headers:

     hof_plex_export:
         config:
             plex_url: "http://user:pass@your-plex-server:32400"
     

   • Alternatively, override the Hof\PlexExportBundle\Service\PlexExport class to add custom auth logic.

2. File Permissions

   • Ensure data_dir is writable by the web server:

     chmod -R 755 %kernel.root_dir%/../web/data/plex
     

3. Thumbnail Generation

   • Thumbnails are generated on first export. Large libraries may cause timeouts. Adjust thumbnail_width/height or disable thumbnails:

     thumbnail_width: 0  # Disables thumbnails
     

4. Section Filtering

   • The sections config accepts "all" or an array of section names (e.g., ["movies", "shows"]). Verify your Plex library’s section names match exactly.

5. Caching Issues

   • The bundle does not cache exports by default. For performance, implement a cache layer (e.g., Symfony Cache component) around the getData() method.

Debugging

1. Check Plex API Response

   • Enable debug mode and inspect the raw Plex API response:

     $client = $this->get('hof_plex_export.plex_export')->getClient();
     $response = $client->request('GET', '/library/sections');
     var_dump($response->getContent());
     

2. Log Export Errors

   • Add logging to the PlexExport service:

     $this->logger->error('Plex export failed', ['error' => $e->getMessage()]);
     

3. Validate Config

   • Use Symfony’s parameter validation to ensure data_dir and plex_url are correct:

     # app/config/validation.yml
     services:
         hof_plex_export.validator:
             class: Symfony\Component\Validator\Validator\ValidatorInterface
             arguments: [@validator]
             calls:
                 - [validate, [%hof_plex_export.config%]]
     

Extension Points

1. Custom Exporters

   • Extend the bundle to support additional Plex features (e.g., ratings, genres):

     // src/Hof/PlexExportBundle/Service/CustomPlexExport.php
     class CustomPlexExport extends PlexExport {
         public function getGenres() {
             // Custom logic to fetch genres
         }
     }
     

   • Register the service in services.yml:

     services:
         hof_plex_export.custom_export:
             class: App\Service\CustomPlexExport
             arguments: [%hof_plex_export.config%]
             tags: [hof_plex_export.exporter]
     

2. Twig Extensions

   • Add custom Twig filters for Plex data:

     // src/Twig/PlexExtension.php
     class PlexExtension extends \Twig_Extension {
         public function getFilters() {
             return [
                 new \Twig_SimpleFilter('plex_duration', [$this, 'formatDuration']),
             ];
         }
     }
     

   • Register the extension in services.yml:

     services:
         app.twig.plex_extension:
             class: App\Twig\PlexExtension
             tags: [twig.extension]
     

3. Event Listeners

   • Listen for export events to modify data pre-render:

     // src/EventListener/PlexExportListener.php
     class PlexExportListener {
         public function onPlexExport(ExportEvent $event) {
             $event->setData($this->modifyData($event->getData()));
         }
     }
     

   • Bind the listener in services.yml:

     services:
         app.plex_export_listener:
             class: App\EventListener\PlexExportListener
             tags:
                 - { name: kernel.event_listener, event: hof_plex_export.export, method: onPlexExport }