# Stalker Portal EPG Architecture This document describes the current EPG implementation for Stalker/Ministra ITV channels in IPTVnator. Related architecture docs: - [Stalker Portal Architecture](./stalker-portal.md) - [Remote Control Architecture](./remote-control.md) ## Overview Stalker now uses two EPG paths with different purposes: - The active channel EPG panel uses `get_epg_info` as a bulk endpoint, fetches a 7-day window once per playlist session, caches programs by channel id, and renders the selected channel through the shared `app-epg-list` component. - Channel rows no longer send preview EPG requests during initial category load. They stay empty until bulk EPG has been fetched once, then derive their current program and progress bar from the cached bulk map. - If a portal does not return usable bulk data for the selected channel, the active panel falls back to `get_short_epg`. This keeps the live list cheap while giving the active panel the same date-navigator UI used in the M3U/Xtream flows. ## Architecture ```text ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ StalkerLiveStreamLayoutComponent │ │ libs/portal/stalker/feature/src/lib/stalker-live-stream-layout/ │ │ │ │ sidebar rows active channel panel │ │ ──────────── ─────────────────── │ │ row preview map playChannel() │ │ from bulk cache │ │ │ │ ▼ │ │ │ ensureBulkItvEpg(168) │ │ │ selectedItvEpgPrograms() │ │ ▼ │ │ │ current program preview ├── bulk hit → app-epg-list │ │ after first bulk load └── empty/unsupported → short fallback │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ │ ▼ ▼ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ with-stalker-epg.feature │ │ │ │ bulkItvEpgByChannel: Record │ │ bulkItvEpgPlaylistId / bulkItvEpgPeriodHours / bulkItvEpgLoaded │ │ ensureBulkItvEpg() selectedItvEpgPrograms() │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ │ ▼ ▼ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Stalker Portal API │ │ │ │ action=create_link action=get_short_epg action=get_epg_info │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` ## Stalker EPG API ### `get_short_epg` (active-panel fallback) **Request** ```text GET load.php?type=itv&action=get_short_epg&ch_id={channel_id}&size={n}&JsHttpRequest=1-xml ``` **Current usage** - Active panel fallback path: `size=10` **Response** ```json { "js": { "data": [ { "id": "123", "ch_id": "45", "name": "Program Title", "descr": "Program description", "time": "2025-01-15 14:00:00", "time_to": "2025-01-15 14:30:00", "duration": "1800", "start_timestamp": "1736949600", "stop_timestamp": "1736951400" } ] } } ``` **Notes** - The response is normalized into shared `EpgItem[]` - The list-preview path uses this directly - The active-panel fallback maps the result into controlled `EpgProgram[]` ### `get_epg_info` (bulk active-panel source) **Request** ```text GET load.php?type=itv&action=get_epg_info&period={hours}&JsHttpRequest=1-xml ``` **Current usage** - Fetched once with `period=168` - Scoped to the current playlist session - Not refetched on active-channel change **Expected response** ```json { "js": { "data": { "45": [ { "id": "1", "name": "Program Title", "descr": "Program description", "time": "2025-01-15 14:00:00", "time_to": "2025-01-15 16:00:00", "start_timestamp": "1736949600", "stop_timestamp": "1736956800" } ] } } } ``` **Notes** - The store supports the channel-keyed bulk shape above as the primary contract - For weak or mock-style portals that still return array-style data, the store treats the result as compatibility input and leaves the short-EPG fallback path available ## Data Mapping ### Fallback data (`get_short_epg`) → `EpgItem` The short EPG path now exists only for the active-panel fallback flow. Key mapped fields: | Stalker field | `EpgItem` field | | ----------------- | ----------------- | | `id` | `id` | | `ch_id` | `channel_id` | | `name` | `title` | | `descr` | `description` | | `time` | `start` | | `time_to` | `end`, `stop` | | `start_timestamp` | `start_timestamp` | | `stop_timestamp` | `stop_timestamp` | ### Active panel data (`get_epg_info` / fallback) → `EpgProgram` The active panel uses controlled `EpgProgram[]` because `app-epg-list` filters and groups by day. Normalization rules: - `start` / `end` are converted to ISO strings - `startTimestamp` / `stopTimestamp` are always populated - Programs are sorted by start time per channel - `selectedItvId` is used to project cached bulk data to the active channel ## Implementation Details ### Key files | File | Purpose | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | | `libs/portal/stalker/data-access/src/lib/stores/features/with-stalker-epg.feature.ts` | bulk cache and fallback handling | | `libs/portal/stalker/feature/src/lib/stalker-live-stream-layout/stalker-live-stream-layout.component.ts` | active-channel EPG loading and controlled `app-epg-list` wiring | | `libs/portal/stalker/feature/src/lib/stalker-live-stream-layout/stalker-live-stream-layout.component.html` | active panel template | | `libs/portal/stalker/feature/src/lib/stalker-collection-channels-list/stalker-collection-channels-list.component.ts` | row preview loading | | `libs/ui/shared-portals/src/lib/epg-list/epg-list.component.ts` | shared controlled EPG list with date navigator | ### Store API The Stalker EPG feature exposes one bulk method plus the short-EPG fallback: ```ts fetchChannelEpg(channelId: number | string, size?: number): Promise ensureBulkItvEpg(periodHours = 168): Promise ``` It also exposes: - `selectedItvEpgPrograms` - `clearBulkItvEpgCache()` Bulk state is keyed by playlist so cached results do not leak between Stalker playlists. ### Active panel flow 1. User activates a live channel 2. The component ensures playback link resolution as before 3. The component calls `ensureBulkItvEpg(168)` on first use for the playlist 4. `selectedItvEpgPrograms()` feeds `app-epg-list` 5. If the selected channel has no bulk programs, the component falls back to `get_short_epg` The active panel no longer uses local EPG pagination or a "Load more" button. When Stalker live TV is playing through an internal player, the active panel is wrapped in the shared collapsible live EPG panel. The collapsed/expanded state uses the shared `live-epg-panel-state` preference and is only applied after a stream URL has been resolved; external playback keeps the full EPG-only panel. ### Channel row preview flow Before the first live-channel playback, channel rows do not fetch EPG at all. After bulk EPG has been loaded once for the playlist, visible row previews are derived locally from `bulkItvEpgByChannel`: - pick the current program for the channel, if one exists - compute progress from the cached program timestamps - leave the row in its existing placeholder state when no current program exists ## Cache Lifecycle - Bulk EPG is fetched once per playlist session - Channel switches only read from `bulkItvEpgByChannel` - The cache is cleared when the Stalker playlist changes - This implementation does not add TTL-based refresh or background polling ## Authentication EPG requests follow the standard Stalker request path: | Portal type | Auth path | | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | Full Stalker portal | `StalkerSessionService.makeAuthenticatedRequest()` | | Simple Stalker portal | generic IPC request path via Electron | No EPG-specific backend transport was needed; the Electron Stalker request handler forwards portal params directly. ## Fallback Behavior Some providers do not implement `get_epg_info` consistently. The active panel therefore falls back to `get_short_epg` when: - the bulk request fails - the bulk response is empty - the selected channel has no programs in the cached bulk map This keeps the panel usable even on limited portals, while still taking advantage of the richer bulk API when it is available. Row previews do not fallback to per-channel requests in this mode; they remain empty until bulk EPG is available. ## Future Enhancements - add cache refresh / invalidation for long-running live sessions - add Stalker catch-up support to `app-epg-list` once the playback flow exists - optionally add category-level prefetch timing metrics for bulk EPG