Stremio PHP Add-on Example

This example add-on uses files from Stremio Static Add-on Example

Important: Remote Stremio Add-ons only work through HTTPS

What this example covers:

• Configuring Apache Web Server's .htaccess to route the HTTP(s) requests that are expected from Stremio Add-ons to our PHP files
• Declaring the Add-on Manifest with PHP's stdClass and converting it to a JSON string in order to reply with it when requested
• Reading from static JSON files and replying with their contents on request
• Setting correct Headers for responses (CORS, Content-Type)
• Getting request parameters from requests

What this example does not cover:

• Getting information from a DB in order to reply to requests
• Searching for items in catalogs
• Responding to subtitle requests

Configuring Apache Web Server's .htaccess

.htaccess file contents:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /

RewriteRule ^manifest.json manifest.php

RewriteRule ^catalog/(.*)/(.*)/(.*).json catalogs.php?type=$1&id=$2&extra=$3 [B]
RewriteRule ^meta/(.*)/(.*)/(.*).json meta.php?type=$1&id=$2&extra=$3 [B]
RewriteRule ^stream/(.*)/(.*)/(.*).json streams.php?type=$1&id=$2&extra=$3 [B]

RewriteRule ^catalog/(.*)/(.*).json catalogs.php?type=$1&id=$2
RewriteRule ^meta/(.*)/(.*).json meta.php?type=$1&id=$2
RewriteRule ^stream/(.*)/(.*).json streams.php?type=$1&id=$2

This will route all required requests for catalog, meta and stream to the PHP files that will handle the requests.

Note:

• you can also add subtitle requests in the same pattern as the others, this is not part of .htaccess as this resource is not handled in this example
• if you want to add this example in a sub-folder on your server, it will need to be specified in the RewriteBase, for example, if this add-on is uploaded to /stremio-php-addon-example/ on your server, then set RewriteBase /stremio-php-addon-example/ instead of RewriteBase / in your .htaccess file

Declaring the Add-on Manifest

manifest.php file contents:

<?php
include 'helpers.php';

// enable CORS and set JSON Content-Type

setHeaders();

// declare manifest

$manifest = new stdClass();
$manifest->id = "com.stremio.phpexample";
$manifest->version = "1.0.0";
$manifest->name = "PHP Add-on Example";
$manifest->description = "Example Add-on made with PHP that server the Big Buck Bunny video.";
$manifest->resources = array("catalog", "meta", "stream");
$manifest->types = array("movie");


// define catalog

$catalog = new stdClass();
$catalog->type = "movie";
$catalog->id = "BigBuckBunnyCatalog";
$catalog->name = "Big Buck Bunny Catalog";


// set catalogs in manifest

$manifest->catalogs = array($catalog);


// print manifest in JSON format

echo json_encode((array)$manifest);
?>

This will create an stdClass (PHP Object Class) with the required manifest.json parameters and respond with a JSON string based on the PHP object.

For the complete list of parameters that can be set in manifest.json, please see this page.

Reading from static JSON files

catalogs.php file contents:

<?php
include 'helpers.php';

// get request parameters
$catalog = getRequestParams();

// returns $catalog->type , $catalog->id and (if applicabale) $catalog->extra

// we will not go into the details of using a database, instead we will serve JSON files located at: 
// "./catalog/" . $catalog->type . "/" . $catalog->id . ".json"
// ex: "./catalog/movie/BigBuckBunnyCatalog.json"

$jsonPath = dirname(__FILE__) . '/catalog/' . $catalog->type . '/' . $catalog->id . '.json';

if (realpath($jsonPath)) {

	// file exists

	// enable CORS and set JSON Content-Type
	setHeaders();

	// respond with json file from file system
	echo file_get_contents($jsonPath);

} else {

	// respond with 404 page
	page404();

}
?>

meta.php, catalogs.php and streams.php all work with this same pattern, they simply read from a JSON file on disk and reply with it's contents in case it exists, otherwise it shows a 404 page.

This add-on example does not go in the details of using a database, although, based on $catalog->type and $catalog->id a database query could be easily added to this example.

This add-on also does not show an example of handling search requests, which would normally be implemented in catalogs.php by checking for the existence of a search query in $catalog->extra->search. Searching would also require a change in the manifest, more specifically setting $catalog->extraSupported = array('search') to the catalog definition.

All requests expect a response in the JSON string format.

Testing the add-on

Simply upload this example to an Apache Web Server with PHP support. If you add this example to a sub-folder instead of the main web server folder, make sure to make the required .htaccess changes as mentioned above.

Then open Stremio, go to the add-ons page (puzzle icon button in the top right), and write your manifest.json URL in the top left side input field (where it writes "Add-On Repository Url").

Your manifest.json URL should be relative to the directory where you uploaded the example on your web server, for example it would be https://www.mydomain.com/manifest.json if you uploaded to your primary folder, or https://www.mydomain.com/stremio-php-addon-example/manifest.json if you uploaded to the /stremio-php-addon-example/ folder.

Don't know where to add the Add-on Repository URL?