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Hi,
Can you please explain how you created the file Interop.iTunesLib.dll ?
I'm trying to list the playlists using C#. When I add a reference to iTunes.exe, I see that Visual Studio does not recognize many of the types like IITPlayList. However, when I compile anyway using types like IITPlayList, I get errors. I think this is because my Reference to "iTunes.exe" may not be the correct approach. I am therefore wondering how you created Interop.iTunesLib.dll.
Thanks,
Sumedha
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you need to add the itunes files as references to your project.
open your project, click the project menu and select add reference. on the COM tab you should see the itunes interfaces. add the "iTunes 1.13 Type Library" and the "ITDetector 1.0 Type Library", the version numbers seem to stay the same across versions, i have v10 installed and it still exposes them as 1.13 and 1.0, however the detector lib is now and OCX file not DLL.
not certain whether you will then need the include files for C which come with the SDK, to get that if you have not already got it you will have to register on the apple developer site, link address below, once in select downloads, developer tools and scroll for the itunes sdk for windows.
https://connect.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MemberSite.woa/wa/promo?source=ADCLOG&code=ADCLOG-NEX
good luck.
Rabtok.
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I'm not sure if any of you guys have noticed, but the track name doesn't update itself when the song switches
To control things like that (as well as like, resetting the trackbar of the current time w/o getting a null response)
all i did was set a timer to tick with a frequency of 10, then put in an if statement like so:
For the sake of convenience, we'll call the timer Timer1
Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
Handles Timer1.Tick
If iTunesApp.PlayerState = ITPlayerState.ITPlayerStatePlaying Then
lInfo.Text = iTunesApp.CurrentTrack.Name
Else
lInfo.Text = ""
End If
If you neglect to include that particular if statement, the program will be very unhappy with you 
Seeing as, upon loading the program, the 'Current Song' doesn't always exist, it's rather understandable
I decided to sit down and figure this out due to my OCD haha it just wouldn't let me leave it alone.
Now you don't have to rely on the relatively useless Play or TrackChange events or whatever
-Courtesy of I, the Deceiver
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Great code, I am using this in a touch screen hardware project as well.
Would you be able to provide some code/ideas on listing all songs in the library and not just specific playlists?
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Here is a block of code that will do it for you. The order the tracks enumerate in appears to be either backwards or random so you need to sort any lists to make them sensible.
The code uses IITTrack (had to stop visual studio from selecting IITTrackCollection by default as IITTrack is not available but it is a valid type). You do not have to use IITTrack you can do it long hand as AllTracks.Item(i).{paramtername} instead if you want, just simplifies and makes readable.
This will get you started but i will play with it a bit more as not sure this strictly answers the question because it accesses tracks on libraryplaylists, my library is over 7000 tracks and all are on playlists need to know if a track is not on a list will it appear in this list - takes so long to load... maybe you can have a go and share.
Dim AllTracks As IITTrackCollection = iTunesApp.LibraryPlaylist.Tracks
Dim aTrack As IITTrack
For i = 1 To AllTracks.Count
aTrack = AllTracks.Item(i)
'
' Put your code here us aTrack.Name etc. to get track paramters
'
Next
Michael.
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This isn't really an article since you don't explain any of the code, iTunes object model, concepts, ... nothing really.
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the itunes sdk does all the explaining but is very short on examples, you can get it from itunes site if you hunt for it.
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Hi Michael,
I'm using your example to develop my custom itunes client.
I've only a problem; when I run my example (in VS 2005 using C#), system opens iTunes main windows and I don't know a trick to solve this problem.
In my code I put this line:
app.BrowserWindow.Visible = true;
but I've Exception:
System.InvalidCastException not managed
Message="Cast specified not valid"
Source="Interop.iTunesLib"
StackTrace:
in iTunesLib.IITBrowserWindow.set_Visible(Boolean isVisible)
in iTunesSample.Form1.cmdExit_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) in C:\Documents and Settings\valeriose\Documenti\Visual Studio 2005\Projects\iTunesSample\iTunesSample\Form1.cs:riga 203
in System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
in System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)
in System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)
in System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
in System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
in System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)
in System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
in System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
in System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
in System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.DebuggableCallback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)
in System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessageW(MSG& msg)
in System.Windows.Forms.Application.ComponentManager.System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.IMsoComponentManager.FPushMessageLoop(Int32 dwComponentID, Int32 reason, Int32 pvLoopData)
in System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoopInner(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
in System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoop(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
in System.Windows.Forms.Application.Run(Form mainForm)
in iTunesSample.Program.Main() in C:\Documents and Settings\valeriose\Documenti\Visual Studio 2005\Projects\iTunesSample\iTunesSample\Program.cs:riga 17
in System.AppDomain._nExecuteAssembly(Assembly assembly, String[] args)
in System.AppDomain.ExecuteAssembly(String assemblyFile, Evidence assemblySecurity, String[] args)
in Microsoft.VisualStudio.HostingProcess.HostProc.RunUsersAssembly()
in System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)
in System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
in System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()
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hi,
just tried to use the visible property in the VB code and i get same exception, seems that though the property is declared as boolean it does not like false or true. tried a number and anything but zero works but has no effect... go figure. there is nothing of any detail in the sdk either
found several articles where people are using this property and no complaints.
there is a forum in japanese that has an example C code on it that uses the property, not sure as i can not see your start up code to see if there is a difference in approach but here is the url:
http://www11.ocn.ne.jp/~ikalu/cs_itunes/code/csit_code003.html
the comments are in japanese but the code parts are english so you can make sense of it.
in my code i just set the browser window to minimised so never hit the issue.
good luck
michael.
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further to my other reply...
realised i had old sdk files so downloaded the latest and found details on browserwindow which may help, it does make a statement about the property and i do not think it will do what you want, it is simply there to bring itunes to the foreground if it is minimised not actually hide the window. (get the sdk from the apple site (google "itunes sdk" it is quicker)).
to hide the window you would have to locate the iTunes process and set the visible attribute manually remembering to put it back before you exit.
anyhwo here is the sdk statement.
HRESULT IITWindow::Visible ( [in] VARIANT_BOOL shouldBeVisible )
Hide or show the window.
Note that the main browser window cannot be hidden using COM. However, if the user has minimized the main browser window to the system tray, it will appear to be hidden (as well as minimized). In this case, the main browser window can be restored by setting either the IITWindow::Visible property to true or the IITWindow::Minimized property to false.
Parameters:
shouldBeVisible True if the window should be shown.
Return values:
S_OK The operation was successful.
E_NOINTERFACE This is the main browser window.
ITUNES_E_OBJECTDELETED This window has been deleted.
E_FAIL An unexpected error occurred.
HRESULT IITWindow::Visible ( [out, retval] VARIANT_BOOL * isVisible )
Returns true if the window is visible.
Parameters:
isVisible Returns true if the window is visible.
Return values:
S_OK The operation was successful.
E_POINTER isVisible is NULL.
ITUNES_E_OBJECTDELETED This window has been deleted.
E_FAIL An unexpected error occurred.
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Hi there. I spent all day procrastinating making a VB.net app to make two itunes on two computers play the same song at the same time, Finaly got the network code done then hit a block
Is there a way to play a specific song without all that complicated library extraction stuff?
IE just a iTunes.Play(TrackID) kind of thing
it would be most helpfull indeed
Thanks a Mill
Theron Burger
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Hi,
I have not used it before but you can get an object using an ID. So your source machine would get the ID of the next track to play and send it to the target, the target can then find the track object using the ID information.
So long as your two libraries were the same it should work, otherwise a different track would play on the target.
I do not know if you have it or not but the iTunes SDK might help, a little...
For the Source use the following function:
HRESULT IITObject::GetITObjectIDs ( [out] long * sourceID,
[out] long * playlistID,
[out] long * trackID,
[out] long * databaseID
)
Returns the four IDs that uniquely identify this object.
This method is not usable from scripting clients, since it returns multiple output parameters. Scripting clients must use the IITObject::SourceID(), IITObject::PlaylistID(), IITObject::TrackID(), and IITObject::TrackDatabaseID() properties instead.
These are runtime IDs, they are only valid while the current instance of iTunes is running.
Parameters:
sourceID Returns the ID that identifies the source. Valid for a source, playlist, or track.
playlistID Returns the ID that identifies the playlist. Valid for a playlist or track. Will be zero for a source.
trackID Returns the ID that identifies the track within the playlist. Valid for a track. Will be zero for a source or playlist.
databaseID Returns the ID that identifies the track, independent of its playlist. Valid for a track. Will be zero for a source or playlist.
Return values:
S_OK The operation was successful.
E_POINTER sourceID, playlistID, trackID, or databaseID is NULL.
ITUNES_E_OBJECTDELETED The source, playlist, or track corresponding to this object has been deleted.
E_FAIL An unexpected error occurred.
For the target use to following function:
HRESULT IiTunes::GetITObjectByID ( [in] long sourceID,
[in] long playlistID,
[in] long trackID,
[in] long databaseID,
[out, retval] IITObject ** iObject
)
Returns an IITObject corresponding to the specified IDs.
The object may be a source, playlist, or track.
Parameters:
sourceID The ID that identifies the source. Valid for a source, playlist, or track.
playlistID The ID that identifies the playlist. Valid for a playlist or track. Must be zero for a source.
trackID The ID that identifies the track within the playlist. Valid for a track. Must be zero for a source or playlist.
databaseID The ID that identifies the track, independent of its playlist. Valid for a track. Must be zero for a source or playlist.
iObject Returns an IITObject object corresponding to the specified IDs. Will be set to NULL if no object could be retrieved.
Return values:
S_OK The operation was successful.
S_FALSE An object with the specified IDs could not be found.
E_INVALIDARG Invalid combination of IDs.
E_POINTER iObject is NULL.
E_FAIL An unexpected error occurred.
Cast the iObject to an IITTrack and execute the play method.
Good luck.
M.
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Thanks for the speedy reply Michael
Ill give it a try as asap.
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Actually, no matter if the two libraries are the same, this will NOT work.
The ID's you list here are runtime, session specific - they exist only for the session that iTunes is running. They are different each time iTunes loads its library.
There is an invariant, persistent identifier for a track, but it exists only in the XML library itself, and it's not available through the COM API, neither for reading or executing, so it's not going to help you.
If the files have exact same path of both computers, or if both paths are known to you, you could use PlayFile:
HRESULT IiTunes::PlayFile ( [in] BSTR filePath )
Play the specified file path, adding it to the library if not already present.
Parameters:
filePath Full path to the file to be played.
Return values:
S_OK The operation was successful.
E_POINTER filePath is NULL.
E_INVALIDARG filePath is invalid.
E_FAIL An unexpected error occurred.
If not, there's also a Find API where you specify a Source (Library, Playlist, etc) and some song specifics. If you know something unique about both songs (ie, if the search is only going to return one song on each computer), you could use that. You'll need to do some work, though. First, you need to get the iTunes COM SDK and read the documentation .
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nice work, i like it! and, i just need an itunes control that makes only play/pause and volume control.but i wanna control running itunes, not in my exe. and, a big problem is, i'm using visual basic 6. can you help me how to do this?
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Hi,
Never used VB6, so not much help there, there is a posting in messages for this source titled iTDetector who is using VB6 he may be useful.
Sorry I can not help.
Michael.
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Hi, thanks for this piece of code,
Just need some work with the graphics, I am doing that, if you want I can send the graphics to you.
let me know.
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... inspiring!  can i use it?
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Sorry been away in India...
Yep, no restrictions this end, no need even to mention my name...
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This is great code. I'm working with Visual Basic 6 for various reasons. Anyone know how to access this ITDETECTORLib feature to detect if iTunes is running via VB6? I can't seem to get it to work. Thanks!
(FYI: I don't know VB.NET so I could be missing something obvious).
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Hi,
Glad you like it, hope you find it useful. What version of itunes do you have installed, itdetector appeared somewhere around version 7.
I am not familiar with VB6 I am afraid so I do not know how you import a reference, guess you must have imported iTunes library and then done the same for itdetector.
Whereas iTunes library refers to the executable iTunes.exe, iTdetector is an activex control, check you can see the file ITDetector.ocx in your iTunes install directory then do what needs to be done for VB6 to use an activex control.
I have also added an update to the code to fix a bug I introduced when I put the try blocks in, not online yet, at the end of the form load remove the iTunesApp=Nothing.
Let me know the outcome.
M.
-- modified at 6:30 Monday 27th November, 2006
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Hey. In the interim I discovered that ITDetector was an activex control (tha part was not clear to me). However, I also figured it's much easier to just determine if the process itunes.exe is running, so I used this latter approach rather than ITDetector.
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Excellent, more than one way to skin a cat as they say.
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iTunesApp is set to Nothing in the Load event and its properties are accessed in later events (specifically the tree view's AfterSelect).
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