Use Kodi python APIs in C#, and write rich addons using the .NET framework

• Download this repo as zip or clone the repo and zip it.

  Make sure the zip contains a top level folder in the format plugin.[type].[name], example plugin.video.test

• Install this ZIP with kodi

• Go to the kodi addons folder and open the solution (TestPlugin.sln).

  To make new plugins you can copy the solution and rename the TestPlugin project to fit your needs.

  Make sure you edit addon.xml aswell

• Events support (xbmc.Monitor)
• Python interfaces
  • Code eval
  • Variable management
  • Value escaping
  • Function calls
  • Python console logging
• C# Bindings of Kodi modules (xbmc, xbmcgui, ...)
• URL Routing (handlers for different sections of the plugin)
• Support for Service addons (executed in background, as defined in addon.xml)
• Static variables persisting across script invocations (made possible by the .NET CLR that persists in the Kodi process). You can keep variables in a static class instance without having to pass them around

See the TestPlugin project for a working sample

To debug the C# code under visual studio, change this line in default.py

Initialize(MessageCallbackFunc, False)

to

Initialize(MessageCallbackFunc, True)

Then run the plugin again. The second argument indicates whether the debugger should be launched.

If you have the project already opened, you can select it in the debugger selection window that will pop up.

You should then see a breakpoint on

Debugger.Launch()

and you can continue from there with the normal plugin execution

• The project must target either x86 or x64 for UnmanagedExports to generate the proper code (NOT AnyCpu). If you use the wrong architecture type you may have issues like "[your plugin] is not a valid win 32 application". On windows, kodi builds are generally x86.
• If you want to make a new project from scratch, make sure to:
  • Clone this repo to your new addon solution
  • Add the KodiInterop shared project to the solution
  • Add a reference to the KodiInterop project to your Addon project
  • Install the nuget packages "Newtonsoft.Json" and "UnmanagedExports"
  • Copy default.py and addon.xml to your new addon folder, then add them to your solution as link. Edit them accordingly to change the DLL path and the addon name/author

• Mono support (involves getting rid of UnmanagedExports)
• Implement remaining builtins
• Implement remaining modules functionality (xbmc, xbmcgui, ...)
• Implement a JSON interface (via executeJSONRPC)