Specify output filename

[dashorst]

Adds the ability to specify an output file name to the script.

When transcoding a TV series (from DVD) it is necessary to be able to specify the output format. For example the disc for The X-Files Season 1 Eps 1-4 is named "XFILES_DISC1" and when you want to transcode all episodes you have to manually rename the generated files. Being able to specify the output name solves this.

I have made the option such that it remains the current functionality, but allows to override the default name generation.

[lisamelton]

Martijn, after thinking about this for a few days and also waiting to see if anyone else would comment on your pull request, I've decided to say "no" to this feature.

For a command line tool like transcode-video.sh, I can think of no case where it's not possible to rename its output, even in a batch script, on the line following the invocation of that command. Especially with the predictability of the output filename.

So, I'm not convinced of the need for this feature with your example case. Since you would have to invoke the script four times for that DVD disc image folder, you can simply rename the output four times. And this can easily be done automatically. I do this myself all the time.

I hate to be harsh, but I don't want to complicate transcode-video.sh and my other scripts with a feature like this. Why is it complicated? Let's look at your patch.

While you inserted the change in the correct place (and picked an excellent name for the option), you're not doing any validation of the output name argument. Why is this important?

• What happens if the current output format is MP4 and the user has chosen a name that ends with .mkv? The HandBrakeCLI command would accept that, of course, but it would screw up logic elsewhere in the script without detecting that first and properly resetting state.
• What happens if the user picks an output filename that doesn't end in .mp4, .mkv or .m4v? The HandBrakeCLI command can accept quite a few others, but something like .mpg would really hose things. And many filename extensions wouldn't be valid at all.
• What happens if the output filename matches an existing directory name? What does the user want to happen in that case?

And these are only a few issues to resolve in what would likely be many lines of code that would also complicate testing.

As always, thanks for the patch and thanks for making me think about this. I really appreciate it.

[hdready]

Martijn, in my Form of These scripts you find The crop-Transcode-batch.sh. I started using commands to make inputs like "do you want to move this file" & "where?" and "do you want to use big transcoding rates?". It would be easy to Implement a renamer with this logic as well. So before transcoding it would ask you to input the name of the output file. That said, you'd have to adapt the script yourself because I did a lot of tinkering on the transcode-video.sh to have it 'my way'. But I guess this would be an easy one-liner in the batch script.

[lisamelton]

Martijn, I'm now reconsidering your request. I actually have a simple patch now which handles this reasonably well, including the edge cases. But I'm still on the fence about whether to land it. I've asked folks on Twitter to weigh in with their opinions on it.

[lisamelton]

OK, the --output option just landed. Enjoy. :)

[command-tab]

:+1: Thank you!

[dashorst]

:100: :+1: