Since a long time, I wanted to find a service that mails you to remind about the new episode to be aired. As I couldn't find one, I sat and wrote one for myself using Google Apps script.
Why I chose Google Apps script?
- I could use a RSS feed but it also contains info about the episodes I am not intereseted in. To use the RSS and filter the episodes I wanted and get them mailed to me is also a choice but for that I would need a computer on which the script will be running. So, it won't work if my desktop/laptop is switched off.
- I don't own a VPS so I cannot run the script on that too. This script runs on google's servers.
- I wanted to get started with javascript. (So, my code may look crappy to an experienced javascript programmer)
Basically, I use macros in Google Docs spreadsheet to do the stuff.
Using the macros, I read the name of the series from the cells (column 1) & then use tvrage.com to scrap the data from. Other cells are also updated accordingly.
Video of script in action (Sorry for thu blurry video, youtube is the culprit):-
Requirements:-
Name of the series should be according to the link of tvrage. For ex, for Breaking Bad, it should be Breaking_Bad.
A typical spreadsheet looks like this:
Setting Up:-
- Goto this link and do File->Make a copy.
- Before running the script first time, make sure that column D is empty because values from that column are used to see if the email should be sent or not.
- First time you run it, you will need to authorize the script. It's a one time only thing.
- Goto GDocs spreadsheet menu and select Tools->Script Editor. Then, Triggers->Current Script Triggers.
- Add a trigger as shown in the image. It just means that run the main function every 6 hours. (main function actually checks from the site and send the email).
- Now, goto Run->main to execute the main function. As it's the first time, Column D should not anything Row 2 onwards. I have configured the script to send an email around 24 hours prior to starting of episode. You can play with the time_limit variable & Triggers to suit your needs.
- After the main function is executed, Column D should now be filled with EMAIL_SENT or EMAIL_NOT_SENT. All the series for which the time remeaning is less than time_limit, an email will also be sent to your email id.
- If a script is run again, email will not be sent again because now the cell has EMAIL_SENT written.
If you want to have a quick look at the script:-
var emailAddress = Session.getUser().getEmail();
var time_limit = 24 //In hours
var ep_no = Array() //I know it's dirty but be it.
var time_rem = Array()
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
function onOpen() {
var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
var menuEntries = [ {name: "Calculate", functionName: "main"}];
ss.addMenu("Manual", menuEntries);
}
function getEpisodeList(){
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
var all_episodes = new Array();
for (var i=2; i<=sheet.getLastRow(); i++) //This loop gets all the labels
{
var cell = sheet.getRange("A"+i);
all_episodes = all_episodes.concat(cell.getValue());
}
return all_episodes;
}
function main() {
var all_episodes = getEpisodeList();
sheet.getRange("B2:C"+sheet.getLastRow()).setValue("Calculating...");
SpreadsheetApp.flush();
for (var i=2; i<=all_episodes.length+1; i++){
time_rem = getTimeRemaining(all_episodes[i-2]);
sheet.getRange(i,2).setValue(time_rem);
sheet.getRange(i,3).setValue(ep_no);
if (isSendNoti(time_rem,i) == true){
if (sheet.getRange(i,4).getValue() != "EMAIL_SENT"){
sendEmail(all_episodes[i-2], ep_no, time_rem);
sheet.getRange(i,4).setValue("EMAIL_SENT");
}
}
else sheet.getRange(i,4).setValue("EMAIL_NOT_SENT");
SpreadsheetApp.flush();
}
}
function getTimeRemaining(series_name){
var response = UrlFetchApp.fetch("http://www.tvrage.com/"+series_name);
var content = response.getContentText();
var pos = content.search(series_name+"/episodes");
var link_end_pos = pos+series_name.length+20;
link = content.substring(pos,link_end_pos);
ep_no = content.substring(link_end_pos+2,link_end_pos+6);
var response = UrlFetchApp.fetch("http://www.tvrage.com/"+link);
var content = response.getContentText();
var start = content.search("Voting Closed") + 67;
if (start == 66) return "Season recently finished";
var end = content.indexOf("<",start);
return content.substring(start,end);
}
function isSendNoti(time_left,i){
var days = time_left.match(/^(\d+) Days/i);
var hours = time_left.match(/^(\d+) Hours/i);
var mins = time_left.match(/(\d+) Min.$/i);
if (days != null) {
//Means reset the email thing
sheet.getRange(i,4).setValue("EMAIL_NOT_SENT");
return false; //No notification if no_of_days included in time remaining
}
if ((hours == null) && (mins == null)) return false;
if (parseInt(hours[1]) <= time_limit) return true;
else return false;
}
function sendEmail(series_name, ep_no){
Logger.log(series_name, ep_no);
MailApp.sendEmail(emailAddress, "EPISODE ALERT: " +series_name+ " : "+ep_no, "Episode to be aired in : "+time_rem);
}
