Automating the Download of Old Time Radio Shows with XOJO

Growing Up Out of Era

When I was young, I remember when Old Time Radio (OTR) was on the local radio station every weekend. Listening to the best like "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show," "Yours Truly Johnny Dollar," and "The Shadow," to name a few. These programs captured the imagination of listeners across generations.

Well, I stumbled across a website a while back that had backed up some OTR shows in MP3 format. I thought to grab a couple, but with style. That’s when I decided to create a basic downloader for these using a language called XOJO.

The Idea

The idea was simple: 1. Parse the website's HTML to extract all MP3 links. 2. Decode the filenames from their URL-encoded form (like %20 into spaces). 3. Save the MP3 files into a neatly organized folder. 4. Add error handling and a clean user interface for selecting a folder and initiating the download.

Building the DownloadManager Class in XOJO

To streamline downloading files in our application, we created a versatile DownloadManager class in XOJO. This class handles file downloads using XOJO's URLConnection and ensures files are saved seamlessly to the destination folder specified during initialization.

The class includes: 1. A Constructor to initialize the destination folder:

   Public Sub Constructor(destinationFile As FolderItem)
       Self.DestinationFile = destinationFile
   End Sub
Public Sub StartDownload(fileURL As String)
    Try
        ' Set request headers (optional)
        Me.RequestHeader("Accept") = "*/*"

        ' Send the request and save the file to the destination folder
        Me.Send("GET", fileURL, DestinationFile)
    Catch e As IOException
        MessageBox("Failed to download: " + fileURL)
    End Try
End Sub

Why Use DownloadManager?

This approach encapsulates download functionality in a reusable class, making it easier to:

• Handle downloads in a structured and error-resilient manner.
• Extend the functionality (e.g., logging, retries, or progress tracking).
• Integrate seamlessly into larger projects.

Why XOJO?

XOJO is a fantastic tool for developing cross-platform applications quickly. Its straightforward syntax and powerful built-in libraries made it easy to handle tasks like HTTP requests and file management.

Learn More

The full source code and documentation for the downloader are available on GitHub. Feel free to explore and contribute!

Final Thoughts

This project combined nostalgia with modern technology, allowing me to preserve and enjoy these classic shows in a unique way. Whether you're an OTR enthusiast or just exploring XOJO, I hope this inspires you to create something of your own.

Happy Coding!