Roku Developer Program

[hotwebideas]

I have developed all my Roku channels with single categories that work well. Now, I tried to add a subcategory in the XML file and when I select a main category to view the subcategories, the channel just closes. When I have single channels pointing to videos, the channel works perfectly. I have read other forum posts on adding <categoryLeaf> and have entered those XML nodes exactly without success.

What am I doing wrong?
Do I need to make a change in my BRS files or just the XML files?

My XML files with subcategories:

categories.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<categories>
	<category title="The Molly Channel" description="Videos and photos of Molly and her friends!" sd_img="http://URL/roku/molly/category-sd-wordpress.jpg" 	hd_img="http://URL/roku/molly/category-hd-wordpress.jpg" >
		<categoryLeaf title="Browse movies" description="" feed="http://URL/roku/molly/category-1.xml" />
	</category>
</categories>

categories-1.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<feed>
 <item sdImg="http://URL/roku/molly/videos/video_molly_snow_1_sd.jpg" 
 hdImg="http://URL/roku/molly/videos/video_molly_snow_1_hd.jpg">
  <title>Molly Loves The Snow</title>
  <contentType>Talk</contentType>
  <contentId>1</contentId>
  <media>
   <streamFormat>MP4</streamFormat>
   <streamQuality>SD</streamQuality>
   <streamUrl>http://URL/roku/molly/videos/Molly1.mp4</streamUrl>
  </media>
  <media>
   <streamFormat>MP4</streamFormat>
   <streamQuality>HD</streamQuality>
   <streamUrl>http://URL/roku/molly/videos/Molly1.mp4</streamUrl>
  </media>
  <synopsis>It's snowing and she wants to go out and make a snow angel, but it's just not cat weather!</synopsis>
  <genres>Clip</genres>
 </item>
 <item sdImg="http://URL/roku/molly/videos/linus1_sd.jpg" 
 hdImg="http://URL/roku/molly/videos/linus1_hd.jpg">
  <title>Linus &amp; Betty</title>
  <contentType>Talk</contentType>
  <contentId>1</contentId>
  <media>
   <streamFormat>MP4</streamFormat>
   <streamQuality>SD</streamQuality>
   <streamUrl>http://URL/roku/molly/videos/linus_and_betty.mp4</streamUrl>
  </media>
  <media>
   <streamFormat>MP4</streamFormat>
   <streamQuality>HD</streamQuality>
   <streamUrl>http://URL/roku/molly/videos/linus_and_betty.mp4</streamUrl>
  </media>
  <synopsis>You know, it's funny. Linus always runs away from me, but if he gets a chance to be a ham in front of the camera, then he stays. Use me for my videography skills why don'tcha! And as for Betty, well, she's just a cutie pie.</synopsis>
  <genres>Clip</genres>
 </item>
 <item sdImg="http://URL/roku/molly/videos/video_mollyband_sd.jpg" 
 hdImg="http://URL/roku/molly/videos/video_mollyband_hd.jpg">
  <title>Molly gets caught on rubber band</title>
  <contentType>Talk</contentType>
  <contentId>1</contentId>
  <media>
   <streamFormat>MP4</streamFormat>
   <streamQuality>SD</streamQuality>
   <streamUrl>http://URL/roku/molly/videos/molly_and_her_band.mp4</streamUrl>
  </media>
  <media>
   <streamFormat>MP4</streamFormat>
   <streamQuality>HD</streamQuality>
   <streamUrl>http://URL/roku/molly/videos/molly_and_her_band.mp4</streamUrl>
  </media>
  <synopsis>Cats do funny things and getting caugh hanging from a door is no exception..</synopsis>
  <genres>Clip</genres>
 </item>
</feed>

[hotwebideas]

Can someone help me with this?

[hotwebideas]

I cannot believe that I have not gotten a response from this forum and that nobody else is having this issue. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to fix this?

[renojim]

You need to learn how to use the debugger. Your channel is almost certainly displaying an error message when it crashes.

-JT

[belltown]

Use an Xml validator to ensure your Xml files are valid.
Check your file-names: In one place you're referring to category-1.xml; in another you're using categories-1.xml.
Use the Roku Debugger to find out what error is causing your channel to stop.

[norcaljohnny]

"hotwebideas" wrote:
I have developed all my Roku channels with single categories that work well. Now, I tried to add a subcategory in the XML file and when I select a main category to view the subcategories, the channel just closes. When I have single channels pointing to videos, the channel works perfectly. I have read other forum posts on adding <categoryLeaf> and have entered those XML nodes exactly without success.

What am I doing wrong?
Do I need to make a change in my BRS files or just the XML files?

My XML files with subcategories:

categories.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<categories>
 <category title="The Molly Channel" description="Videos and photos of Molly and her friends!" sd_img="http://URL/roku/molly/category-sd-wordpress.jpg" hd_img="http://URL/roku/molly/category-hd-wordpress.jpg" >
 <categoryLeaf title="Browse movies" description="" feed="http://URL/roku/molly/category-1.xml" />
 </category>
</categories>

categories-1.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<feed>
 <item sdImg="http://URL/roku/molly/videos/video_molly_snow_1_sd.jpg" 
 hdImg="http://URL/roku/molly/videos/video_molly_snow_1_hd.jpg">
  <title>Molly Loves The Snow</title>
  <contentType>Talk</contentType>
  <contentId>1</contentId>
  <media>
   <streamFormat>MP4</streamFormat>
   <streamQuality>SD</streamQuality>
   <streamUrl>http://URL/roku/molly/videos/Molly1.mp4</streamUrl>
  </media>
  <media>
   <streamFormat>MP4</streamFormat>
   <streamQuality>HD</streamQuality>
   <streamUrl>http://URL/roku/molly/videos/Molly1.mp4</streamUrl>
  </media>
  <synopsis>It's snowing and she wants to go out and make a snow angel, but it's just not cat weather!</synopsis>
  <genres>Clip</genres>
 </item>
 <item sdImg="http://URL/roku/molly/videos/linus1_sd.jpg" 
 hdImg="http://URL/roku/molly/videos/linus1_hd.jpg">
  <title>Linus &amp; Betty</title>
  <contentType>Talk</contentType>
  <contentId>1</contentId>
  <media>
   <streamFormat>MP4</streamFormat>
   <streamQuality>SD</streamQuality>
   <streamUrl>http://URL/roku/molly/videos/linus_and_betty.mp4</streamUrl>
  </media>
  <media>
   <streamFormat>MP4</streamFormat>
   <streamQuality>HD</streamQuality>
   <streamUrl>http://URL/roku/molly/videos/linus_and_betty.mp4</streamUrl>
  </media>
  <synopsis>You know, it's funny. Linus always runs away from me, but if he gets a chance to be a ham in front of the camera, then he stays. Use me for my videography skills why don'tcha! And as for Betty, well, she's just a cutie pie.</synopsis>
  <genres>Clip</genres>
 </item>
 <item sdImg="http://URL/roku/molly/videos/video_mollyband_sd.jpg" 
 hdImg="http://URL/roku/molly/videos/video_mollyband_hd.jpg">
  <title>Molly gets caught on rubber band</title>
  <contentType>Talk</contentType>
  <contentId>1</contentId>
  <media>
   <streamFormat>MP4</streamFormat>
   <streamQuality>SD</streamQuality>
   <streamUrl>http://URL/roku/molly/videos/molly_and_her_band.mp4</streamUrl>
  </media>
  <media>
   <streamFormat>MP4</streamFormat>
   <streamQuality>HD</streamQuality>
   <streamUrl>http://URL/roku/molly/videos/molly_and_her_band.mp4</streamUrl>
  </media>
  <synopsis>Cats do funny things and getting caugh hanging from a door is no exception..</synopsis>
  <genres>Clip</genres>
 </item>
</feed>

Try adding this to the feeds xml where the category leafs are.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>

Also, as mentioned, make sure your xml file is name properly in the category.xml. You have it labeled as category-1.xml then refer to it as categories-1.xml.