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Fix inconsistent URL handling with improved inline validation UX #651

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Fix inconsistent URL handling with improved inline validation UX #651

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Copilot AI commented Aug 10, 2025 •
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This PR fixes a critical issue where Screenbox would crash on ARM64 devices and fail silently on x64 devices when users attempted to play YouTube URLs or other unsupported streaming platform URLs.

Problem

The application previously accepted any valid URI format without validating whether it was a supported media URL. This caused:

  • ARM64 devices: Access violation crashes when attempting to play YouTube URLs
  • x64 devices: Silent playback failures with no user feedback
  • All platforms: Inconsistent and confusing user experience

Solution

Implemented comprehensive URL validation with two layers of protection and improved user experience:

Primary Validation (OpenUrlDialog)

  • Inline validation: Real-time error messages displayed directly within the dialog as users type
  • Smart button states: "Open" button is disabled for invalid/unsupported URLs
  • No nested dialogs: Eliminated poor UX of modal-on-modal error dialogs
  • Prevents problematic URLs from entering the media processing pipeline

Fallback Validation (MediaListViewModel)

  • Defensive validation in case URLs bypass primary validation
  • Shows error notifications instead of attempting playback
  • Prevents crashes by catching validation errors early

URL Classification Logic

Blocked URLs:

  • YouTube (youtube.com, youtu.be, m.youtube.com)
  • Vimeo, Twitch, DailyMotion, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok
  • Other known streaming platforms that don't provide direct media access

Allowed URLs:

  • Direct media file URLs (.mp4, .mp3, .m3u8, .ts, etc.)
  • Local file URLs (file://)
  • Generic HTTP/HTTPS streaming URLs from unknown domains
  • Custom streaming servers and CDNs

User Experience Improvements

  • Real-time feedback: Error messages appear immediately as users type unsupported URLs
  • Clear guidance: Specific error messages explaining why a URL is not supported
  • Intuitive interface: No need to close multiple dialogs or deal with modal interruptions
  • Consistent behavior: Same experience across all architectures
  • No crashes or silent failures

Example

Before: User enters https://youtube.com/watch?v=abc123 → crashes on ARM64, fails silently on x64

After: User starts typing the URL → sees inline error message: "YouTube URLs are not supported. Please use direct media file URLs instead." → "Open" button remains disabled

The fix maintains full compatibility with legitimate media URLs while providing robust protection against unsupported streaming platforms and a significantly improved user experience.

Fixes #643.

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Copilot AI commented Aug 10, 2025

@huynhsontung 👋 This repository doesn't have Copilot instructions. With Copilot instructions, I can understand the repository better, work faster and produce higher quality PRs.

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Copilot AI changed the title [WIP] Inconsistent URL Handling in Screenbox Fix inconsistent URL handling to prevent crashes with unsupported streaming URLs Aug 10, 2025
Copilot AI requested a review from huynhsontung August 10, 2025 08:19
Copilot finished work on behalf of huynhsontung August 10, 2025 08:19
@United600
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@copilot Where does the UnsupportedUrlPatterns list comes from?

And are we really opening/creating a new ContentDialog, from the OpenUrlDialog, just to show an error message? Is that really the best course of action?

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Copilot AI commented Aug 10, 2025

@copilot Where does the UnsupportedUrlPatterns list comes from?

And are we really opening/creating a new ContentDialog, from the OpenUrlDialog, just to show an error message? Is that really the b...

The UnsupportedUrlPatterns list is a hardcoded collection of known streaming platform domains that don't provide direct media access (YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch, etc.). These were identified as problematic URLs causing crashes on ARM64 devices.

You're absolutely right about the ContentDialog UX issue - showing a modal dialog from within another modal dialog creates poor user experience. I'll fix this by implementing inline validation within the OpenUrlDialog instead of opening a nested dialog.

@United600
Improve URL validation UX with inline error messages
80fbdb4 
Replace nested ContentDialog with inline validation in OpenUrlDialog to provide better user experience. Users now see real-time feedback when entering unsupported URLs instead of modal-on-modal dialogs.

Co-authored-by: United600 <[email protected]>
Copilot AI changed the title Fix inconsistent URL handling to prevent crashes with unsupported streaming URLs Fix inconsistent URL handling with improved inline validation UX Aug 10, 2025
Copilot AI requested a review from United600 August 10, 2025 14:45
Copilot finished work on behalf of United600 August 10, 2025 14:45
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Inconsistent URL Handling in Screenbox

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