Special Attributes: validate ? What does it do, what is is good for ?

[gitttt54]

Searching the wiki for validate throws 2 hits, unfortunately without examples or usecase or anything I would understand what that attribute is good for.

Anyone here who can tell the exact purpose?

Thank you ;-)

[chazlarson]

This collection:

collections:
  validate-test:
    plex_search:
      all:
        any:
          genre: 
            - Family
            - Children
          any: 
            - content_rating: [U, PG]    

Fails when PMM attempts to validate it, and the collection doesn't get created.

|=============================== Validating validate-test Attributes ================================|
|                                                                                                    |
| Validating Method: smart_label                                                                     |
| Value: originally_available.desc                                                                   |
|                                                                                                    |
| Validating Method: plex_search                                                                     |
| Value: {'all': {'any': {'genre': ['Family', 'Children'], 'any': [{'content_rating': ['U', 'PG']}]}}} |
...
| modules.util.Failed: Plex Error: genre: Children not found                                         |
|                                                                                                    |
| Plex Error: genre: Children not found                                                              |

later in log:

|        Title         |   +   |   =   |   -   | Run Time | Status                                   |
|======================|=======|=======|=======|==========|==========================================|
| validate-test        |     0 |     0 |     0 |  0:00:00 | PMM Failure                              |
| Plex Error: genre: Children not found                                                              |

If, however, you set validate: false

collections:
  validate-test:
    plex_search:
      validate: false
      all:
        any:
          genre: 
            - Family
            - Children
          any: 
            - content_rating: [U, PG]    

Then PMM proceeds past that validation failure and creates the collection:

|=============================== Validating validate-test Attributes ================================|
|                                                                                                    |
| Looking for: validate-test                                                                         |
|                                                                                                    |
| Validating Method: smart_label                                                                     |
| Value: originally_available.desc                                                                   |
|                                                                                                    |
| Validating Method: plex_search                                                                     |
| Value: {'validate': False, 'all': {'any': {'genre': ['Family', 'Children'], 'any': [{'content_rating': ['U', 'PG']}]}}} |
| Plex Error: genre: Children not found                                                              |
| Plex Error: content_rating: U not found                                                            |
|                                                                                                    |
| Validating Method: url_poster                                                                      |
| Value: https://theposterdb.com/api/assets/168695                                                   |
|                                                                                                    |
| Validation Successful                                                                              |

later in log:

|        Title         |   +   |   =   |   -   | Run Time | Status                                   |
|======================|=======|=======|=======|==========|==========================================|
| validate-test        |     5 |     0 |     0 |  0:00:01 | Created and Updated Metadata, Image      |

[gitttt54]

Now THAT is an understandable and elaborately example, which I definately got in my mind!

I wish, more of the examples in the wiki were at that great length.

Thank you very much !!

[gitttt54]

Just for others to know, here is an example to use:

I build smart collections for Record Labels for my music library.

Before knowing about the validate attribute, I had 3 different templates, like:

templates:
  Record_Label_1x:
    builder_level: album
    smart_filter:
      type: album
      sort_by: title.desc
      any:
        album_record_label.is: 
          - <<RL1>>
  Record_Label_2x:
    builder_level: album
    smart_filter:
      type: album
      sort_by: title.desc
      any:
        album_record_label.is: 
          - <<RL1>>
          - <<RL2>>
  Record_Label_4x:
    builder_level: album
    smart_filter:
      type: album
      sort_by: title.desc
      any:
        album_record_label.is: 
          - <<RL1>>
          - <<RL2>>
          - <<RL3>>
          - <<RL4>>

Each of them had a different amount of statements for the smart filter (RL1, RL2, RL3 and RL4):

Those templates were filled, each, with:

collections:
  "New Identity Recordings":
    template: {name: "Record_Label_1x", RL1: "New Identity Recordings"}
  "Strictly Rhythm":
    template: {name: "Record_Label_2x", RL1: "Strictly Rhythm", RL2: "Strictly Rhythm UK"}
  "Bonzai":
    template: {name: "Record_Label_4x", RL1: "Bonzai", RL2: "Bonzai Records", RL3: "Bonzai Jumps", RL4: "Bonzai Trance Progressive UK"}

So I had 3 templates (Record_Label_1x, Record_Label_2x and Record_Label_4x) which needed to be filled serperately.
Dependend of the Record Label needed to be build from 1, 2 or 4 different Recordlabels.

Now, with the fine help of validate (and @chazlarson) , I only need one single template, which can take all Recordlabes at once and therefore I only need to call that single template, not 3 different templates to get the same result.

templates:
  Record_Label:
    builder_level: album
    smart_filter:
      type: album
      sort_by: title.desc
      any:
        album_record_label.is: 
          - <<RL1>>
          - <<RL2>>
          - <<RL3>>
          - <<RL4>>
          - <<RL5>>
      validate: false

collections:
  "New Identity Recordings":
    template: {name: "Record_Label", RL1: "New Identity Recordings"}
  "Strictly Rhythm":
    template: {name: "Record_Label", RL1: "Strictly Rhythm", RL2: "Strictly Rhythm UK"}
  "Bonzai":
    template: {name: "Record_Label", RL1: "Bonzai", RL2: "Bonzai Records", RL3: "Bonzai Jumps", RL4: "Bonzai Trance Progressive UK"}

If I ever need 5 Record Labels, I just add them to the template (as in the example above) and to the call of the template.

Thats easy.
Thank you! ;-D

[gitttt54]

Actually, well, sadly excited too soon,

PMM creates crazy Plex collections like:

fortunately, they still work, because <<RL*>> are no existing Record Labels and I used any for the smart filter,
so I leave it as it is, knowing this is not the final wisdom...

EDIT: Added Log:

[2023-06-23 08:37:39,015] [builder.py:198]            [INFO]     |========================================================================================================================================================================================================|
[2023-06-23 08:37:39,016] [builder.py:198]            [INFO]     |                                                                                    Nasty Vinyl Collection in Musik                                                                                     |
[2023-06-23 08:37:39,017] [builder.py:198]            [INFO]     |========================================================================================================================================================================================================|
[2023-06-23 08:37:39,018] [builder.py:199]            [INFO]     |                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:37:39,019] [builder.py:210]            [INFO]     |================================================================================== Building Definition From Templates ==================================================================================|
[2023-06-23 08:37:39,020] [builder.py:211]            [DEBUG]    |                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:37:39,021] [builder.py:221]            [DEBUG]    | Templates Called: Record_Label                                                                                                                                                                         |
[2023-06-23 08:37:39,022] [builder.py:222]            [DEBUG]    |                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:37:39,026] [meta.py:562]               [DEBUG]    |====================================================================================== Final Template Attributes =======================================================================================|
[2023-06-23 08:37:39,027] [meta.py:563]               [DEBUG]    |                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:37:39,028] [meta.py:564]               [DEBUG]    | {'sort_title': '+++10_1_Nasty Vinyl', 'builder_level': 'album', 'smart_filter': {'type': 'album', 'sort_by': 'title.desc', 'any': {'album_record_label.is': ['Nasty Vinyl', '<<RL2>>', '<<RL3>>', '<<RL4>>', '<<RL5>>']}, 'validate': False}} |
[2023-06-23 08:37:39,029] [meta.py:565]               [DEBUG]    |                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:37:39,030] [builder.py:238]            [INFO]     |================================================================================== Validating Nasty Vinyl Attributes ===================================================================================|
[2023-06-23 08:37:53,198] [builder.py:457]            [DEBUG]    |                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:37:53,199] [builder.py:458]            [DEBUG]    | Validating Method: builder_level                                                                                                                                                                       |
[2023-06-23 08:37:53,201] [builder.py:462]            [DEBUG]    | Value: album                                                                                                                                                                                           |
[2023-06-23 08:37:53,202] [builder.py:2143]           [INFO]     |                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:37:53,204] [builder.py:2144]           [INFO]     | Validating Method: smart_filter                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:37:53,205] [builder.py:2150]           [DEBUG]    | Value: {'type': 'album', 'sort_by': 'title.desc', 'any': {'album_record_label.is': ['Nasty Vinyl', '<<RL2>>', '<<RL3>>', '<<RL4>>', '<<RL5>>']}, 'validate': False}                                    |
[2023-06-23 08:37:53,207] [builder.py:2337]           [DEBUG]    | Smart URL: ?type=9&sort=titleSort%3Adesc&push=1&album.studio%3D=Nasty Vinyl&or=1&album.studio%3D=%3C%3CRL2%3E%3E&or=1&album.studio%3D=%3C%3CRL3%3E%3E&or=1&album.studio%3D=%3C%3CRL4%3E%3E&or=1&album.studio%3D=%3C%3CRL5%3E%3E&pop=1 |
[2023-06-23 08:37:53,208] [builder.py:958]            [DEBUG]    |                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:37:53,210] [builder.py:962]            [DEBUG]    | Validating Method: sort_title                                                                                                                                                                          |
[2023-06-23 08:37:53,211] [builder.py:963]            [DEBUG]    | Value: +++10_1_Nasty Vinyl                                                                                                                                                                             |
[2023-06-23 08:38:01,245] [builder.py:1142]           [INFO]     |                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:38:01,247] [builder.py:1143]           [INFO]     | Validation Successful                                                                                                                                                                                  |
[2023-06-23 08:38:01,248] [plex_meta_manager.py:695]  [INFO]     |                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:38:01,249] [plex_meta_manager.py:697]  [INFO]     |==================================================================================== Running Nasty Vinyl Collection ====================================================================================|
[2023-06-23 08:38:01,250] [plex_meta_manager.py:703]  [INFO]     |                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:38:01,251] [plex_meta_manager.py:704]  [INFO]     | Smart Album Filter                                                                                                                                                                                     |
                                                                 | Sort By: ['title.desc']                                                                                                                                                                                |
                                                                 | Validate: False                                                                                                                                                                                        |
                                                                 | Filter:                                                                                                                                                                                                |
                                                                 |   Match any of the following:                                                                                                                                                                          |
                                                                 |     Album Record Label is Nasty Vinyl                                                                                                                                                                  |
                                                                 |     Album Record Label is <<RL2>>                                                                                                                                                                      |
                                                                 |     Album Record Label is <<RL3>>                                                                                                                                                                      |
                                                                 |     Album Record Label is <<RL4>>                                                                                                                                                                      |
                                                                 |     Album Record Label is <<RL5>>                                                                                                                                                                      |
[2023-06-23 08:38:01,261] [plex_meta_manager.py:705]  [INFO]     |                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:38:01,261] [plex_meta_manager.py:706]  [INFO]     | Items Found: 18                                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:38:14,009] [builder.py:2951]           [INFO]     |                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:38:14,011] [builder.py:2952]           [INFO]     |============================================================================== Updating Details of Nasty Vinyl Collection ==============================================================================|
[2023-06-23 08:38:14,012] [builder.py:2953]           [INFO]     |                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:38:14,013] [builder.py:3007]           [INFO]     | +++10_1_Nasty Vinyl                                                                                                                                                                                    |
[2023-06-23 08:38:14,122] [builder.py:3027]           [INFO]     | Collection Metadata Edits                                                                                                                                                                              |
[2023-06-23 08:38:15,401] [plex_meta_manager.py:839]  [INFO]     |                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
[2023-06-23 08:38:15,403] [plex_meta_manager.py:840]  [INFO]     |========================================================================================================================================================================================================|
[2023-06-23 08:38:15,404] [plex_meta_manager.py:840]  [INFO]     |                                                                                    Finished Nasty Vinyl Collection                                                                                     |
[2023-06-23 08:38:15,405] [plex_meta_manager.py:840]  [INFO]     |                                                                                      Collection Run Time: 0:00:36                                                                                      |
[2023-06-23 08:38:15,407] [plex_meta_manager.py:840]  [INFO]     |========================================================================================================================================================================================================|