play: add --random option

beetsplug/play.py

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 from beets import util
 from os.path import relpath
 from tempfile import NamedTemporaryFile
+from beetsplug import random
 import subprocess
 
 # Indicate where arguments should be inserted into the command string.
@@ -81,6 +82,29 @@ def commands(self):
             action='store',
             help=u'add additional arguments to the command',
         )
+        play_command.parser.add_option(
+            u'-r', u'--random',
+            action='store_true',
+            help=u'play random item',
+        )
+        play_command.parser.add_option(
+            u'-n', u'--number',
+            action='store',
+            type="int",
+            help=u'with -r: number of random items to choose',
+            default=1,
+        )
+        play_command.parser.add_option(
+            u'-e', u'--equal-chance',
+            action='store_true',
+            help=u'with -r: each artist has the same chance',
+        )
+        play_command.parser.add_option(
+            u'-t', u'--time',
+            action='store',
+            type="float",
+            help=u'with -r: total time in minutes of random items to choose',
+        )
         play_command.func = self._play_command
         return [play_command]
 
@@ -95,9 +119,15 @@ def _play_command(self, lib, opts, args):
         # Perform search by album and add folders rather than tracks to
         # playlist.
         if opts.album:
-            selection = lib.albums(ui.decargs(args))
-            paths = []
 
+            # Send query to random plugin.
+            if opts.random:
+                selection = random.random_func(lib, opts, args,
+                                               print_list=False)
+            else:
+                selection = lib.albums(ui.decargs(args))
+
+            paths = []
             sort = lib.get_default_album_sort()
             for album in selection:
                 if use_folders:
@@ -109,7 +139,12 @@ def _play_command(self, lib, opts, args):
 
         # Perform item query and add tracks to playlist.
         else:
-            selection = lib.items(ui.decargs(args))
+            if opts.random:
+                selection = random.random_func(lib, opts, args,
+                                               print_list=False)
+            else:
+                selection = lib.items(ui.decargs(args))
+
             paths = [item.path for item in selection]
             if relative_to:
                 paths = [relpath(path, relative_to) for path in paths]

beetsplug/random.py

@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ def random_objs(objs, album, number=1, time=None, equal_chance=False):
         return _take(perm, number)
 
 
-def random_func(lib, opts, args):
+def random_func(lib, opts, args, print_list=True):
     """Select some random items or albums and print the results.
     """
     # Fetch all the objects matching the query into a list.
@@ -125,9 +125,14 @@ def random_func(lib, opts, args):
     # Print a random subset.
     objs = random_objs(objs, opts.album, opts.number, opts.time,
                        opts.equal_chance)
-    for obj in objs:
-        print_(format(obj))
 
+    if print_list:
+        for obj in objs:
+            print_(format(obj))
+
+    # Return random subset to be used by other plugins.
+    else:
+        return objs
 
 random_cmd = Subcommand('random',
                         help=u'choose a random track or album')

docs/plugins/play.rst

@@ -95,6 +95,12 @@ example::
 indicates that you need to insert extra arguments before specifying the
 playlist.
 
+The ``--random`` (or ``-r``) flag will choose a random song (or album, when
+used with ``-a``) from your library and play it. This option uses the
+``random`` plugin, so options available to the ``random`` plugin are also
+available to the ``play`` plugin (``--number`` (``-n``), ``--time`` (``-t``),
+and ``--equal-chance`` (``-e``), see :doc:`random`).
+
 Note on the Leakage of the Generated Playlists
 ----------------------------------------------