YouTube Playlist Tracker

recover deleted video titles

If YouTube would just show the titles of deleted videos i wouldn't had to create this app!

sqlite database
youtube-dl to parse playlists (no API-key needed)
node and express powered server
ejs frontend templates

Setup

Add environment variables

YPT_APP_TITLE="YouTube Playlist Tracker"
YPT_APP_PORT=8080
YPT_APP_BASE_URL=/some/url/path/ # <- add trailing slash (default: /)
YPT_YOUTUBE_DL_PATH=/path/to/youtube-dl (default: __dirname/youtube-dl)
YPT_DATABASE_PATH=/path/to/db.sqlite (default: __dirname/dev.sqlite)

Install packages

npm install

Setup database

cp empty.sqlite <my-db-name>

Download youtube-dl and make it executable

./update-youtube-dl
chmod +x youtube-dl

Start server

node server.js

(Optional) Run scripts

npm run updateAllPlaylists
npm run updatePlaylist <id>
npm run addPlaylist <id>

Lessons learned

ls -X sorts by filetype
sqlite3 is limited in how many variables you can pass the query (search SQLITE_MAX_VARIABLE_NUMBER)
Access script arguments in your node app via process.argv (the first two are node and filepath
Javascript has something called labeled statements This can be used to break from try..catch block!
Add charset meta tag: <meta charset="utf-8">
Add stylesheet in head <link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css">
Javascript has in the latest spec Promise.allSettled which only resolves (with all values) after all passed Promises are finished
In vim Ctrl-O jumps to the last cursor position after a move command. And * jumps to the next occurrence of whatever word is below the cursor. To manipulate folds use zO,zC,zA,zR,zM (the last two manipulate all folds in the file)
express: always return after res.send, res.render, etc. whatever... save yourself some nerves :D
Always make sure to call views, scripts, etc. with the absolute path on the system using __dirname. Because your node app will be called from a supervisor process from a different directory. so check your paths.
ALWAYS use opening and closing brackets when writing if..else. You will add some lines later on and then you have to add them anyways.
There exists something called N-API which serves as an interface for low level programms written in C/C++. Read more
You can reduce the current tabindex with Shift-Tab.
Maximize windows in gnome with Alt-F10.
To return an Object from oneline arrow functions put the obj in parenthesis so the parser handles it as an an expression and not a block statement. a.map(x => ({ a:1, b:2 })).

youtube-dl

parse playlist and dump json to file

youtube-dl --dump-single-json --flat-playlist <playlist_id> > playlist.json

playlist.json

{
    "_type": "playlist",
    "entries": [
        {"_type": "url", "url": "uv98Gf_HHRQ", "ie_key": "Youtube", "id": "uv98Gf_HHRQ", "title": "Sokrates - Ahnherr der Philosophen"},
        {"_type": "url", "url": "v4KJt3LgaOg", "ie_key": "Youtube", "id": "v4KJt3LgaOg", "title": "Seneca - Das Leben ist kurz"},
        {"_type": "url", "url": "ltty-_xLMwE", "ie_key": "Youtube", "id": "ltty-_xLMwE", "title": "Platon   Ein Gastmahl der Liebe"},
        {"_type": "url", "url": "9qar-dVOUNE", "ie_key": "Youtube", "id": "9qar-dVOUNE", "title": "Hypatia - Eine au\u00dfergew\u00f6hnliche Philosophin"},
        {"_type": "url", "url": "oKVCFrt-TY4", "ie_key": "Youtube", "id": "oKVCFrt-TY4", "title": "Heraklit - Das Weltbild des antiken Denkers"},
        {"_type": "url", "url": "nDQ_L0RmYaw", "ie_key": "Youtube", "id": "nDQ_L0RmYaw", "title": "Diogenes   Lebensphilosoph und Provokateur"},
        {"_type": "url", "url": "JAjTXKMGXpE", "ie_key": "Youtube", "id": "JAjTXKMGXpE", "title": "Zenophon - Die Lebenskunst der Stoa"}
    ],
    "id": "PL6cI1_8BvV-Yb9hCB_8AoFSAbF8gIyVVC",
    "title": "Philosophie der Antike",
    "uploader": "Philosophie",
    "uploader_id": "UCt4EMbT6U53314MvMRUpFnw",
    "uploader_url": "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt4EMbT6U53314MvMRUpFnw",
    "extractor": "youtube:playlist",
    "webpage_url": "PL6cI1_8BvV-Yb9hCB_8AoFSAbF8gIyVVC",
    "webpage_url_basename": "PL6cI1_8BvV-Yb9hCB_8AoFSAbF8gIyVVC",
    "extractor_key": "YoutubePlaylist"
}

errors

playlist is private

err: { Error: Command failed: youtube-dl --dump-single-json --flat-playlist PLKBVIiQPPtyi_6r4buI4ZsiW39eBsjjXl
ERROR: This playlist is private, use --username or --netrc to access it.

    at ChildProcess.exithandler (child_process.js:273:12)
    at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:180:13)
    at maybeClose (internal/child_process.js:936:16)
    at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:220:5)
    killed: false,
    code: 1,
    signal: null,
    cmd: 'youtube-dl --dump-single-json --flat-playlist PLKBVIiQPPtyi_6r4buI4ZsiW39eBsjjXl' }
stderr: ERROR: This playlist is private, use --username or --netrc to access it.
undefined:1

on4r / youtube-playlist-tracker