MovieLabs Digital Distribution Framework—MDDF

1 What's New

2 Overview

3 Status

4 Software Organization & Roadmap

5 Executable Packages

6 Installing and Running

1. Downloading
2. Java
3. OS-X
4. Windows
5. Linux

7 Past Releases

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What's New

• mddf-tool v1.3.1 has been released.

Overview:

This repository contains Java software supporting the creation and usage of MDDF files including

• Avails
• Common Media Manifest (CMM)
• Media Manifest Core (MMC)
• Media Entertainment Core (MEC)

Information on the MovieLabs Digital Distribution Framework and the various MDDF standards is available at http://www.movielabs.com/md/

Status and Relationship to Other MovieLabs Github Repositories:

The software in this repository is intended to replace that contained in the following MovieLabs repositories:

• availslib
• availstool
• cpe-preprocessing

Software Organization & Roadmap:

There are two projects within this repository:

• mddf-lib: this implements all core (i.e., non-UI) functionality that can be used to generate, validate, or transform MDDF files.
• mddf-tools: implements standalone applications for performing MDDF-related tasks.

The applications in mddf-tools are implemented on top of mddf-lib and any developers intending to develop their own mddf support applications are encouraged to do the same.

The mddf-tools software currently implements two applications:

• Avails Validator Tool: may be used to

  • validate an Avails file specified as either XML or XLSX
  • translate an XLSX-formatted Avails to the equivalent XML
  • translate an XML-formatted Avails to the equivalent XLSX

• Manifest Validator: validates that a CMM, MMC, or MEC file conforms with:

  • the CMM schema
  • recommended 'Best Practices'
  • a specific profile

Executables

Available Formats:

Binary releases are available in two forms:

• as Native Executables for Windows, OS-X, and Linux systems. Each executable is specific to the processing of either Avails or Manifest files.

• as an executable Java jar which supports the processing of either Avails or Manifest files. [NOTE: Version prior to v1.1.3 were not released as executable jars.]

Note that the executable jar provides all of the capabilities available via the two native excutable packages. In addition, the jar provides a command line interface (CLI) that may be used either from a terminal window or in conjunction with scheduled jobs (e.g., via crontab).

Refer to ChangeLog.md for a list of specific enhancements and bug fixes for any given release.

Versioning:

mddf-lib and Java jars:

Stable releases of the mddf-lib will have a two-part version or a three-part version ID. Interim development and evaluation (i.e., BETA) releases will include an "rcN" suffix.

Examples:

• v1.3 or v2.0 identify stable releases
• v2.0.1.rc2 is a Beta release of v2.0.1

Executable jars are created for both stable and BETA releases and track the version number of the underlying mddf-lib.

Example: mddf-tool-v3.1.jar would based on, and compatible with, v3.1 of mddf-lib.

Native executables:

Beginning with the release of v1.3 of mddf-lib, native executables are assigned versions that append a letter to the the underlying mddf-lib version.

Examples:

• an Avails Validator with a version of v1.3.a is based on v1.3 of the mddf-lib.
• a Manifest Validator with a version of v1.3.2.c is based on v1.3.2 of the mddf-lib.

Prior to July 2017 and the release of v1.3 of the mddf-lib, the native executables were assigned a version ID independent of the mddf-lib version.

Installing and Running:

The use of the Java executable Jar is highly recommended as it is always the most up-to-date version and provides the full range of capabilities. Native executables for OS-X, Windows, and Linux are also provided but will not be available for all developmental candidate releases. A single Java jar file provides support for both the Avails and Manifest Validators. This is in contrast to the OS-specific executables in which there is a separate executable for each validation tool.

See Available Formats for download locations for all versions.

Downloading:

Executable jar files may be downloaded from the ./binaries directory of this repository. The native executables may be downloaded from one of two sources:

• The latest stable releases may be downloaded from the MovieLabs web site:

  • Manifest Validator: http://movielabs.com/md/manifest/validator/
  • Avails Validator: http://movielabs.com/md/avails/validator/

• Development releases (i.e., release candidates) are distributed via Dropbox. For access, contact the appropriate individuals at MovieLabs.

Java Executable Jar:

The mddf-tool jar may be used on any machine that supports Java 1.8 or a more recent jvm. A single jar file provides support for both the Avails and Manifest Validators. This is in contrast to the OS-specific executables in which there is a separate executable for each validation tool.

Once the jar file has been downloaded, it may be run using the standard Java command:

java -jar ./{path-to-directory}/mddf-tool-v{version}.jar -i

The -i argument indicates the toolkit should be started in interactive mode. A Tool Launcherdialog will appear that allows the user to select the MDDF tool they wish to use (e.g., the Avails Validator). To see all supported arguments, use -h

OS-X:

Due to issues with Apple's Gatekeeper security mechanism and JavaFX applications, OS-X executables are provided in the form of zip files. Unlike with the Java jars, a separate file must be downloaded and installed for each MDDF tool.

1. unzip the downloaded file(s) to the desired location (e.g. /Applications)
2. make the applications executable. Open a terminal and enter the following:

  cd {install-directory}
  chmod -R a+x ./AvailsValidator.app
  chmod -R a+x ./ManifestValidator.app

The application may now be launched via the Finder. An error message that “the application can’t be opened” indicates Step #2 was not performed correctly.

Windows:

Executables for Windows environments are provided in the form of standard .exe files and require no special steps to install or run. The .msi formatted distro is not supported.

Linux:

Linux executables are provided in bothrpm and deb distro formats.

Release History:

• 2017-Dec-18: mddf-tool v1.3.1 released.

• 2017-Nov-13: mddf-tool v1.3 released.

• 2017-Oct-13: mddf-tool v1.3.rc4 released for testing and evaluation.

• 2017-Sep-21: mddf-tool v1.3.rc3 released for testing and evaluation.

• 2017-May-09: mddf-tool v1.2 released.

• 2017-May-01: mddf-tool v1.1.3.rc8 released as an executable jar for testing and evaluation.

• 2017-Apr-21: mddf-tool v1.1.3.rc6 released as an executable jar for testing and evaluation.

• 2017-Apr-18: mddf-tool v1.1.3.rc4 released as an executable jar for testing and evaluation.

• 2017-Mar-29: mddf-tool released as an executable jar. Processing of either Avails or Manifest files is supported.

• 2017-Mar-02: mddf-lib v1.1.2 released.

• 2017-Feb-13: mddf-lib v1.1.1 released. This provides several fixes relating to the translation of Avails from XLSX to XML.

• 2017-Jan-30: mddf-lib v1.1 released.