Digital Measurement iOS Simplified API: Difference between revisions
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=== Debug flag for development environment === | |||
Player application developers / integrators can use Debug flag to check whether an App SDK API call made is successful. To activate the Debug flag, | |||
Pass the argument <code>@"nol_devDebug":@"INFO"</code>, in the JSON string . The permitted values are: | |||
* '''INFO''': Displays the API calls and the input data from the application (validate player name, app ID, etc.). It can be used as certification Aid. | |||
* '''WARN''': Indicates potential integration / configuration errors or SDK issues. | |||
* '''ERROR''': Indicates important integration errors or non-recoverable SDK issues. | |||
* '''DEBUG''': Debug logs, used by the developers to debug more complex issues. | |||
Once the flag is active, it logs each API call made and the data passed. The log created by this flag is minimal. | |||
<blockquote>'''Note''': DO NOT activate the Debug flag in a production environment.</blockquote> | |||
<br> | |||
==== Sample SDK Initialization Code ==== | ==== Sample SDK Initialization Code ==== |
Revision as of 22:32, 18 September 2019
Overview
The App SDK is the framework for mobile application developers to integrate Nielsen Measurement into their media player applications. It supports a variety of Nielsen Measurement Products like Digital in TV Ratings, Digital Content Ratings (DCR & DTVR), and Digital Ad Ratings (DAR). Nielsen SDKs are also equipped to measure static content and can track key life cycle events of an application like:
- Application launch events and how long app was running
- Time of viewing a sub section / page in the application.
Prerequisites
To start using the App SDK, the following details are required:
- App ID (appid): Unique ID assigned to the player/site and configured by product.
- sfcode: Unique identifier for the environment that the SDK should point to.
- Nielsen SDK: The Nielsen SDK package contains a variety of sample players for your reference.
If you do not have any of these prerequisites or if you have any questions, please contact our SDK sales support team. Refer to Digital Measurement Onboarding guide for information on how to get a Nielsen App SDK and appid.
Simplified API
As part of making the SDK more user-friendly and reducing the number of app integration touch points, Nielsen has designed a simple interface to pass metadata to the SDK. The new trackevent() API has been implemented as a wrapper for the existing SDK and will be responsible for handling new API calls, performing validation, and translating new API calls to the existing Nielsen App SDK API methods. Applications which are already integrated with the existing SDK API are unaffected by this new API. In the Simplified API, one API call will be used to reference many methods. The key-value structure of this API call will provide information for proper crediting. The SDK will utilize the data received in this call and translate it into a sequence of calls linking to the existing API.
For iOS SDK framework package will contain 2 public header files. One header file will contain old SDK interface and will be used by existing clients (NielsenAppApi.h). New API will be defined in a new public header file (NielsenEventTracker.h).
For Android, a new wrapper class for AppSdk will be introduced (AppSdkTrackEvent). This class will be responsible for handling and translating new API calls into calls of the existing Nielsen App SDK API methods. A new public API will be introduced in this class, that accepts a JSONObject parameter.
Implementation
This guide covers implementation steps for iOS using Xcode.
Setting up your Development Environment
Prior to SDK Version 6.2.0.0 the IOS framework has been distributed as a static library packaged into framework bundle format. Apple recommends to use dynamic framework, it has some benefits over static libraries like less executable file size of an app, faster startup time and native support in xCode IDE. Nielsen AppSDK has been transformed into dynamic framework in this release (static framework is still available).
If migrating from the static library to this new dynamic framework, once implemented, unless your specific application requires, you can remove the following Frameworks that were once required: [AdSupport, JavascriptCore, SystemConfiguration, Security, AVFoundation, libc++]
The Dynamic framework is created as a fat framework. It means that it contains slices required for devices (armv7, arm64) as well as slices required for simulators (i386, x86_64). Simulator slices are needed to let clients build and debug their app on the simulators, but they should be removed before sending the app to the AppStore. The example of the shell script that should be added as a Run Script phase in the application can be found below.
How to obtain the NielsenAppApi.Framework
The Nielsen AppSDK can either be downloaded, or integrated directly within an application through the use of a CocoaPod.
Configuring Xcode Development Environment
Starting with SDK version 6.0.0.0, the Nielsen App SDK is compatible with Apple iOS versions 8.0 and above. In addition, the framework supports modules, so all the required frameworks are linked automatically as the are needed. More details can be found here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/24902787/dont-we-need-to-link-framework-to-xcode-project-anymore
Note: All communications between the SDK and the Census (Collection Facility) use HTTPS.
Download Framework
The first step is to download and copy the NielsenAppApi.framework bundle to the app project directory.
Add Framework
In the General tab for app configuration add NielsenAppApi.framework in the list of Embedded Binaries.
Add Path
Add path to the NielsenAppApi.framework in the Framework Search Paths build setting.
Import Framework
Add NielsenAppApi.framework module in the source file of your app:
Using Swift
You can use Objective-C and Swift files together in a single project, no matter which language the project used originally. This makes creating mixed-language app and framework targets as straightforward as creating an app or framework target written in a single language.
For more detailed information regarding importing Objective-C into Swift
Using Objective-C
Add the code to the View Controller’s header file.
#import <NielsenAppApi/NielsenEventTracker.h>
SDK Initialization
The latest version of the Nielsen App SDK allows instantiating multiple instances of the SDK object, which can be used simultaneously without any issue. The sharedInstance API that creates a singleton object was deprecated prior to version 5.1.1.
- Starting at version 6.0.0 of the SDK, there is no limit on the number of instances.
The following table contains the list of arguments that should be passed during initialization.
- The appid is provided by the Nielsen Technical Account Manager (TAM).
Parameter / Argument | Description | Source | Required? | Example |
---|---|---|---|---|
appid | Unique id for the application assigned by Nielsen.
It is GUID data type, provided by the Nielsen |
Nielsen-specified | Yes | PXXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX
|
appname | Name of the application | Client-defined | No | "Nielsen Sample App" |
appversion | Current version of the app used | Client-defined | No | "1.0.2" |
sfcode | Specifies the Nielsen collection facility to which the SDK should connect DTVR
Digital Audio
DCR
|
Nielsen-specified | Yes | "dcr" |
nol_devDebug | Enables Nielsen console logging and is only required for testing | Nielsen-specified | Optional | "DEBUG"
|
Debug flag for development environment
Player application developers / integrators can use Debug flag to check whether an App SDK API call made is successful. To activate the Debug flag,
Pass the argument @"nol_devDebug":@"INFO"
, in the JSON string . The permitted values are:
- INFO: Displays the API calls and the input data from the application (validate player name, app ID, etc.). It can be used as certification Aid.
- WARN: Indicates potential integration / configuration errors or SDK issues.
- ERROR: Indicates important integration errors or non-recoverable SDK issues.
- DEBUG: Debug logs, used by the developers to debug more complex issues.
Once the flag is active, it logs each API call made and the data passed. The log created by this flag is minimal.
Note: DO NOT activate the Debug flag in a production environment.
Sample SDK Initialization Code
Swift
Swift Example:
NielsenInit.swift
import Foundation
import NielsenAppApi
class NielsenInit : NSObject {
class func createEventTracker(delegate: NielsenEventTrackerDelegate) -> NielsenEventTracker?{
//Initialising the NielsenEventTracker class by passing app information which returns the instance of NielsenEventTracker.
var nielsenEventTracker: NielsenEventTracker?
let appInformation = [
"appid": "PDA7D5EE6-B1B8-4123-9277-2A788XXXXXXX",
"appversion": "1.0",
"appname": "Amazing app",
"sfcode": "dcr",
"nol_devDebug": "DEBUG"
]
nielsenEventTracker = NielsenEventTracker(appInfo:appInformation1, delegate:delegate)
return nielsenEventTracker
}
}
Sample code: ViewController
ViewController.swift
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
//Getting the instance of NielsenEventTracker
self.nielsenEventTracker = NielsenInit.createEventTracker(delegate: self)
Objective C
Initialize the Nielsen App object within the viewDidLoad view controller delegate method using initWithAppInfo:delegate:
If App SDK is initialized using init or new methods, it will ignore the API calls resulting in no measurement. The SDK will not return any errors.
Objective-C Example:
NielsenInit.m
#import "NielsenInit.h"
#import <NielsenAppApi/NielsenEventTracker.h>
@implementation NielsenInit
+ (NielsenEventTracker *)createNielsenEventTrackerWithDelegate:(id<NielsenEventTrackerDelegate>)delegate
{
//Initialising the NielsenEventTracker class by passing app information which returns the instance of NielsenEventTracker.
NSDictionary *appInformation = @{ @"appid": @"PDA7D5EE6-B1B8-4123-9277-2A788XXXXXXX",
@"appversion": @"1.0",
@"appname": @"Amazing app",
@"sfcode": @"dcr",
@"nol_devDebug": @"DEBUG"};
return [[NielsenEventTracker alloc] initWithAppInfo:appInformation delegate:delegate];
}
The ViewController.m file could then contain the following line(s):
//Getting the instance of NielsenEventTracker
nielsenEventTracker = [NielsenInit createNielsenEventTrackerWithDelegate:nil];
/////
}
APP SDK Error & Event Codes
To view the Error and Event codes for iOS and Android, please review the App SDK Event Code Reference page.
Simplified API Syntax
The existing API has a number of methods used for reporting player and application state changes to the SDK. The order of calls is important for the SDK in the existing API. In the new simplified API, all these calls will be replaced with one API call that will get one dictionary object with many key-value pairs, where any value could be another complex dictionary object. All the data provided in the older API in separate calls will be provided in one single call.
Main API call for the new NielsenEventTracker API:
- (void)trackEvent:(NSDictionary *)data;
Handling JSON Metadata
Parameter “data” is a JSON object with many key-value pairs that holds all information required by SDK.
Format of input object is the following:
{
"event": <event identifier>,
"type": <type of metadata>,
"metadata":{
"content": <content metadata object>,
"ad": <ad metadata object>,
"static": <static metadata object>
},
"playheadPosition":<playhead value | Unix Timestamp>,
"id3Data": <id3 payload>,
}
Event Types
The New API method supports the following event types:
Key | Description |
---|---|
playhead |
It is used to pass content, ad or static metadata, the current playhead value, Unix timestamp or id3 payload, OTT information to the SDK. |
pause |
This event should be used to in the following cases: application enters background, any application interruptions, content playback is paused. (Pause is detected by SDK automatically only if the time gap between commands exceeds 30 minutes.) |
complete |
This event should be called when the session is completed, ends, or the user initiates a stop. |
adStop |
This event should be called at the end of each ad and is required when advertisements have the same assetId. |
DCR and DTVR require various levels of data. Please select the tab for the product you are interested in reviewing.
DCR
Digital Content Ratings
Parameter | Description | Supported values | Example |
---|---|---|---|
event | Event identifier |
|
"event":"playhead"
|
type | Determines the metadata object
that should be used for crediting. |
|
"type":"content"
|
metadata | Object that holds metadata values of specific types Detailed in tables below |
Object
|
"metadata":{
"content": <content metadata object>,
"ad": <ad metadata object>,
"static": <static metadata object>
},
|
playheadPosition | Playhead value as reported by video player. Unix timestamp (seconds since Jan-01-1970 UTC) for live video. | String
|
Position value is Unix timestamp (live):
Position value is playhead:
|
Content Metadata
Content metadata sent for every playheadPosition update.
Key | Description | Example | Required |
---|---|---|---|
assetName | name of program (100 character limit) | "MyTest789" |
Yes |
assetid | unique ID assigned to asset | "B66473" | Yes |
length | length of content in seconds | "3600" (0 for live stream or unknown) |
Yes |
program | name of program (100 character limit) | "MyProgram" |
Yes |
segB | custom segment B ¹ | "CustomSegmentValueB" |
No |
segC | custom segment C ¹ | "segmentC" |
No |
title | name of program (100 character limit) | "S2,E3" |
Yes |
type | 'content', 'ad', 'static' |
'content' |
Yes |
section | Unique Value assigned to page/site section | "HomePage" |
Yes |
airdate | the airdate in the linear TV ² | "20180120 10:00:00" |
Yes |
isfullepisode | full episode flag | "y" - full episode, "n" - not a full episode |
Yes |
crossId1 | standard episode ID | "Standard Episode ID" | Yes |
crossId2 | content originator (only required for distributors) | Provided by Nielsen | Yes (if distributor) |
adloadtype | linear ("1") vs dynamic ("2") ad model | "1" | Yes |
¹ Custom segments (segB and segC) can be used to aggregate video and/or static content within a single brand to receive more granular reports.
² Acceptable Air Date Formats:
YYYYMMDD HH24:MI:SS
YYYYMMDDHH24MISS
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MI:SS
YYYY-MM-DDHH:MI:SS
YYYYMMDDHH:MI:SS
MM-DD-YYYY
YYYYMMDD HH:MI:SS
For USA all times should be EST, for all other countries Local Time.
Below is a sample event for DCR. If there are no ad or static values, the values for these keys can be left as blank/null.
{
"event": "playhead",
"type": "content",
"metadata": {
"content":{
"assetName":"Big Buck Bunny",
"assetid":"B66473",
"length":"3600",
"program":"MyProgram",
"segB":"CustomSegmentValueB",
"segC":"segmentC",
"title":"S2,E3",
"type":"content",
"section":"cloudApi_app",
"airdate":"20180120 10:00:00",
"isfullepisode":"y",
"crossId1":"Standard Episode ID",
"crossId2" :"Content Originator",
"adloadtype":"2"},
"ad": {},
"static": {}
},
"playheadPosition": "",
}
DTVR
Digital TV Ratings info
Parameter | Description | Supported values | Example |
---|---|---|---|
event | Event identifier |
|
"event":"playhead"
|
type | Determines the metadata object that should be used for crediting. |
|
"type":"content"
|
metadata | Object that holds metadata values of specific types. Detailed in tables below |
Object
|
"metadata":{
"content": <content metadata object>,
"ad": <ad metadata object>,
"static": <static metadata object>
},
|
playheadPosition | Playhead value or Unix timestamp | String
|
Position value is Unix timestamp:
Position value is playhead:
|
id3Data | Nielsen ID3 payload | String
|
|
Content Metadata
Content metadata sent for every playheadPosition update.
Key | Description | Example | Required |
---|---|---|---|
channelName | name of program (32 character limit) | "MyTest789" |
Yes |
type | 'content', 'ad', 'static' | "content" | Yes |
adModel | linear ("1") vs dynamic ("2") ad model | "1" | Yes |
Below is a sample event for DTVR. If there are no ad or static values, the values for these keys can be left as blank/null.
{
"event": "playhead",
"type": "content",
"metadata": {
"content":{
"adModel":"1",
"channelname":"channel1"
},
"ad": {},
"static": {}
},
"playheadPosition": "",
"id3Data": "www.nielsen.com/065H2g6E7ZyQ5UdmMAbbpg==/_
EMc37zfVgq_8KB7baUYfg==/ADQCAmgV1Xyvnynyg60kZO_Ejkcn
2KLSrTzyJpZZ-QeRn8GpMGTWI7-HrEKzghxyzCyBEoIDv2kA2g1Q
JmeYOl5GnwfrLDVK2bNLTbQxr1z9VBfxahBcQP5tqbjhyMzdVqrMK
uvvJO1jhtSXa9AroChb11ZUnG1WVJx2O4M=/33648/22847/00"
}
DCR & DTVR
Applies to DCR and DTVR
Parameter | Description | Supported values | Example |
---|---|---|---|
event | Event identifier |
|
"event":"playhead"
|
type | Determines the metadata object that should be used for crediting. |
|
"type":"content"
|
metadata | Object that holds metadata values of specific types Detailed in tables below |
Object
|
"metadata":{
"content": <content metadata object>,
"ad": <ad metadata object>,
"static": <static metadata object>
},
|
playheadPosition | Playhead value or Unix timestamp (seconds since Jan-01-1970 UTC) | String
|
Position value is Unix timestamp:
Position value is playhead:
|
id3Data | Nielsen ID3 payload | Object
|
|
ottData | Object that holds OTT information | Object
|
"ottData": {
"ottStatus": 1,
"ottType": casting,
"ottDevice": chromecast,
"ottDeviceID": 1234
}
|
Content Metadata
Content metadata sent for every playheadposition update.
Keys | Description | Example | Required |
---|---|---|---|
length | length of content in seconds | seconds (0 for live stream) |
Yes |
type | "content", "ad", "static" |
"content" |
Yes |
adModel | linear vs dynamic ad model | 1=Linear
2=Dynamic Ads |
custom |
adloadtype | DCR Ad Model | 1=Linear
2=Dynamic Ads |
custom |
+ Custom segments (segB and segC) can be used to aggregate video and/or static content within a single Brand to receive more granular reports within a brand.
++ Acceptable Air Date Formats:
YYYYMMDD HH24:MI:SS
YYYYMMDDHH24MISS
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MI:SS
YYYY-MM-DDHH:MI:SS
YYYYMMDDHH:MI:SS
MM-DD-YYYY
YYYYMMDD HH:MI:SS
Below is a sample event for DCR/DTVR joint integration. If no ad or static values, these can be left as blank/null.
{
"event": "playhead",
"type": "content",
"metadata": {
"content":{
"type":"content",
"length":"0",
"adModel":"1",
"adloadtype":"1"},
"ad": {},
"static": {}
},
"playheadPosition": "",
"id3Data": "www.nielsen.com/065H2g6E7ZyQ5UdmMAbbpg==/_
EMc37zfVgq_8KB7baUYfg==/ADQCAmgV1Xyvnynyg60kZO_Ejkcn
2KLSrTzyJpZZ-QeRn8GpMGTWI7-HrEKzghxyzCyBEoIDv2kA2g1Q
JmeYOl5GnwfrLDVK2bNLTbQxr1z9VBfxahBcQP5tqbjhyMzdVqrMK
uvvJO1jhtSXa9AroChb11ZUnG1WVJx2O4M=/33648/22847/00"
}
Ad Metadata
The ad metadata (if applicable) should be passed for each individual ad, if ads are available during or before the stream begins.
Key | Description | Example | Required |
---|---|---|---|
assetid | unique ID assigned to ad (no Special Characters) | "AD12345" |
Yes |
title | unique name assigned to ad | "ADtitle" |
No |
adldx | ad index (See the "Managing Ads" section below) | "66478364" |
Yes |
type | type of ad ("preroll", "midroll", or "postroll") | "preroll" |
Yes |
length | length of ad, in seconds | "20" |
No |
Ad Metadata Sample
{
"ad": {
"assetid":"AD12345",
"title":"ADTestTitle",
"adldx":"1",
"type":"preroll",
"length":"20"
},
}
Managing Ads
If there is an Ad block within the playing content (such as a midroll) you need to:
- Reset the playhead position to 0 for each ad.
- Call the adStop event at the end of each ad or increment the adldx
The Simplified API can automatically detect the change from ad to content as well as ad to ad if the assetID changes; however, there could be situations where the same ad is played back to back.
Sometimes it is not possible for integrators to provide different assetId value for individual ads in a sequence of ads. Taking this into account, the Simplified API will support a new parameter for ad metadata: adIdx. This parameter is an index of an individual ad in a sequence of ads. Once the next ad is started the adIdx parameter should be changed and provided as part of ad metadata. You can either increment/change the adldx value, and/or call adStop at the end of each Ad.
// Example of passing both values
self.data.updateValue("adStop", forKey: "event")
self.data.updateValue("223", forKey: "adldx")
self.nielsenEventTracker.trackEvent(data)
Static Metadata
Key | Description | Values | Required |
---|---|---|---|
type | type identifier | "static" |
Yes |
assetid | unique ID assigned for each article/section | "AID885-9984" |
Yes |
section | Unique Value assigned to page/site section | "homeSection" |
Yes |
segA | name of program (25 character limit); limit to 25 unique values across custom segments (segA + segB + segC) | "CustomSegmentValueA" |
Yes |
segB | custom segment B; limit to 25 unique values across custom segments (segA + segB + segC) | "CustomSegmentValueB" |
No |
segC | custom segment C; limit to 25 unique values across custom segments (segA + segB + segC) | "CustomSegmentValueC" |
No |
{
"static":
{
"type": "static",
"section": "homeSection",
"assetid": "AID885-9984",
"segA": "CustomSegmentValueA",
"segB": "CustomSegmentValueB",
"segC": "CustomSegmentValueC",
}
},
Putting it all together
Swift
func loadPreRollAd() -> [String : Any] {
//Loading Ad data
url = NSURL(string: "http://www.nielseninternet.com/NWCC-3002/prog_index.m3u8")
let content = [
"assetName":"Big Buck Bunny",
"assetid":"B66473",
"length":"3600",
"program":"MyProgram",
"segB":"CustomSegmentValueB",
"segC":"segmentC",
"title":"S2,E3",
"type":"content",
"section":"app_Mainpage",
"airdate":"20180120 10:00:00",
"isfullepisode":"y",
"crossId1":"Standard Episode ID",
"crossId2" :"Content Originator",
"adloadtype":"2"
]
let staticObj = [
"type":"static",
"section":"homeSection",
"segA":"CustomSegmentValueA",
"segB":"CustomSegmentValueB",
"segC":"CustomSegmentValueC"
]
let ad = [
"assetid":"AD12345",
"title":"ADTestTitle",
"adldx":"1",
"type":"preroll",
"length":"20"
]
let metadata = [
"content" : content,
"ad" : ad,
"static" : staticObj
] as [String : Any]
let data = [
"metadata" : metadata,
"event": "playhead",
"playheadPosition": "0",
"type": "ad",
] as [String : Any]
return data
}
Objective C
#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
#import "SDKMethods.h"
@implementation SDKMethods
//Loading content Data
- (NSDictionary *)loadContentData
{
- (NSDictionary *)loadPreRollAd
{
self.url = [NSURL URLWithString:@"http://www.nielseninternet.com/NWCC-3002/prog_index.m3u8"];
//We should pass content dictionary also in Ad video.
NSDictionary *content = @{ @"assetName":@"ChromeCast1",
@"assetid":@"C77664",
@"length":@"3600",
@"program":@"MyProgram",
@"segB":@"CustomSegmentValueB",
@"segC":@"segmentC",
@"title":@"S2,E3",
@"type":@"content",
@"section":@"app_Mainpage",
@"airdate":@"20180120 10:00:00",
@"isfullepisode":@"y",
@"adloadtype":@"2",
@"channelName":@"My Channel 1",
@"pipMode":@"false" };
NSDictionary *ad = @{ @"assetid":@"AD12345",
@"title":@"ADTestTitle",
@"type":@"preroll",
@"length":@"20" };
NSDictionary *staticObj = @{ @"type":@"static",
@"section":@"homeSection",
@"segA":@"CustomSegmentValueA",
@"segB":@"CustomSegmentValueB",
@"segC":@"CustomSegmentValueC" };
//static data should be empty in Ad video
NSDictionary *metadata = @{ @"content" : content,
@"ad" : ad,
@"static" : @staticObj };
NSDictionary *data = @{ @"metadata" : metadata,
@"event": @"playhead",
@"type": @"ad",
@"playheadPosition": @"0" };
return data;
}
JSON examples
Additional JSON examples such as:
- Static Metadata Only
- Ad Metadata Example
- ID3 payload for DTVR
- Sample Pause Event
- Sample Complete Event
Handling Foreground and Background states
For iOS, background/foreground detection is handled by the app lifecylce APIs which are provided by Apple:
Foreground/Background state measurement is a requirement of Nielsen AppSDK implementation which is especially crucial for static measurement.
Privacy and Opt-Out
There are three primary methods for implementing user Opt-out preferences:
- OS-level Opt-out - managed by Limit Ad Tracking setting on device (preferred approach).
- Legacy Opt-out - Direct call to SDK; used only for older versions of Nielsen iOS SDK (< 5.1.1.18)
- App Level Opt-Out - Where Ad Framework cannot be leveraged
OS-level Opt-out
OS-level Opt-out method available on Nielsen iOS SDK Versions 5.1.1.18 and above.
The Nielsen SDK automatically leverages the iOS's Limit Ad Tracking setting. The user is opted out of demographic measurement if the OS-level "Limit Ad Tracking" ("Limit Ad Tracking" for Android) setting is enabled. As a publisher, you cannot override this setting.
Legacy Opt-out
The Legacy opt-out method is only necessary for Nielsen iOS SDK versions less than 5.1.1.18.
Nielsen iOS SDK 5.1.1.17 and above will check for OS-level opt-out first, if available. The user will be opted out if indicated at the OS-level OR the App-level.
The legacy opt-out method works as follows:
- Get the legacy Nielsen opt-out URL via optOutURL
- Display a WebView element whose loadUrl is set to the value obtained from optOutURL
- Detect if the WebView URL changes to a special URL that indicates Opt-in, or Opt-out and close the WebView
- Opt-out if the WebView URL =
nielsenappsdk://1
- Opt-in if the WebView URL =
nielsenappsdk://0
- Opt-out if the WebView URL =
- Pass the detected URL to the userOptOut function
- Example:
NielsenAppApi?.userOptOut("nielsenappsdk://1"); // User opt-out
- Example:
Legacy Opt-out example code
var webView: WKWebView!
var NIELSEN_URL_OPT_OUT : String = "nielsenappsdk://1"
var NIELSEN_URL_OPT_IN : String = "nielsenappsdk://0"
func webView(_ webView: WKWebView, decidePolicyFor navigationAction: WKNavigationAction, decisionHandler: @escaping (WKNavigationActionPolicy) -> Void) {
let urlStr = navigationAction.request.url?.absoluteString
if(urlStr == NIELSEN_URL_OPT_OUT || urlStr == NIELSEN_URL_OPT_IN){
let appApi = self.nielsenApi
appApi?.userOptOut(urlStr)
decisionHandler(.allow)
}else{
decisionHandler(.cancel)
}
}
Retrieve current Opt-Out preference
Whether the user is opted out viaOS-level Opt-out or via App-level Opt-out, the current Opt-Out status as detected by the SDK is available via the optOutStatus property in the Nielsen SDK API
Required Privacy Links
Users must either have access to the "About Nielsen Measurement" page, or have similar text available within the native app. Include "About Nielsen Measurement" and "Your Choices" link in the Privacy Policy / EULA or as a button near the link to the app's Privacy Policy.
In addition, the following text must be included in your app store description.
"Please note: This app features Nielsen’s proprietary measurement software which contributes to market research, like Nielsen’s TV Ratings. Please see http://priv-policy.imrworldwide.com/priv/mobile/us/en/optout.html for more information"
Webview Example
The below code is an example of displaying the Nielsen Privacy page to the user.
import UIKit
import WebKit
import NielsenAppApi
class OptOutVC: UIViewController, NielsenAppApiDelegate, WKNavigationDelegate {
var webView: WKWebView!
var nielsenApi: NielsenAppApi!
override func loadView() {
webView = WKWebView()
webView.navigationDelegate = self
view = webView
}
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
self.view.backgroundColor = UIColor(patternImage: UIImage(named: "new_ios_bg.png")!)
self.nielsenApi = NielsenInit.createNielsenApi(delegate: self)
if let appApi = self.nielsenApi {
//Getting the optPut URL from SDK
if let url = URL(string: appApi.optOutURL) {
webView.load(URLRequest(url: url))
webView.allowsBackForwardNavigationGestures = true
}
}
}
}
App Level Opt Out
This is only used if the Ad Framework is not available. The Opt-Out occurs by opening a Nielsen-defined web page and passing the user choice from the 'WebView'. In order to do this, the application needs to:
- Implement the UIWebView delegate method to open the Nielsen Privacy web page
- Capture user's selection
- Pass the selection back to the SDK via the
userOptOut
.
Capture and forward user selection
-(BOOL)webView:(UIWebView *)webView shouldStartLoadWithRequest:(NSURLRequest *)request navigationType:(UIWebViewNavigationType)navigationType
{
NSString *command = [NSString stringWithFormat:@”%@”,request.URL];
if ([command isEqualToString:kNielsenWebClose]) {
// Close the WebView
[self performSelector:@selector(closeOptOutView) withObject:nil afterDelay:0];
return NO;
}
// Retrieve next URL if it’s not opt-in/out selection
return (![nAppApiObject userOptOut:command]);
}
- The app gets the user selection string via webviews shouldStartLoadWithRequest and invokes
userOptOut
with user selection. The delegate method handles the 'WebView' URL requests, interprets the commands, and calls the SDK accordingly.[nAppApiObject userOptOut:command]
passes the user's selection on Nielsen Privacy page to the SDK to allow the SDK to perform the required functions.
Note: When 'WebView' is closed, pass the status returned from 'WebView' to the SDK within the app. The App SDK manages the user's choice (Opt-Out / Opt-In), the app does not need to manage this status.
Example Code
Putting it all together
The below code was built to show the functionality of the Nielsen Simplified API using a standard no-frills player. An Advanced Player is available with the SDK Bundle.
Swift
Swift Version 4 Code Example
Select the below link to download the sample files
Download Project Files
NielsenInit.swift
// This is sample code of a very basic implementation of the Nielsen 'Simplified API'
// This code is for educational purposes only
//
import Foundation
import NielsenAppApi
class NielsenInit : NSObject {
class func createEventTracker(delegate: NielsenEventTrackerDelegate) -> NielsenEventTracker?{
//Initialising the NielsenEventTracker class by passing app information which returns the instance of NielsenEventTracker.
var nielsenEventTracker: NielsenEventTracker?
let appInformation = [
"appid": "PDA7D5EE6-B1B8-4123-9277-2A788XXXXXXX",
"appversion": "1.0",
"appname": "Amazing app",
"sfcode": "dcr",
"nol_devDebug": "DEBUG"
]
nielsenEventTracker = NielsenEventTracker(appInfo:appInformation, delegate:delegate)
return nielsenEventTracker
}
}
SDKMethods.swift
import Foundation
class SDKMethods : NSObject {
var nielsenApi : NielsenAppApi!
var url = NSURL(string: "")
var content : NSDictionary!
//Loading Static Data
func loadStatic() -> [String : Any] {
let staticObj = [
"type":"static",
"section":"homeSection",
"segA":"CustomSegmentValueA",
"segB":"CustomSegmentValueB",
"segC":"CustomSegmentValueC"]
let metadata = [
"content" : [String:String](),
"ad" : [String:String](),
"static" : staticObj ] as [String : Any]
let data = [
"metadata" : metadata,
"event": "playhead",
"type": "static",
"playheadPosition": "0" ] as [String : Any]
return data
}
//Loading content Data
func loadContent() -> [String : Any] {
url = NSURL(string: "http://www.nielseninternet.com/NielsenConsumer/prog_index.m3u8")
let content = [
"assetName":"ChromeCast1",
"assetid":"C77664",
"length":"3600",
"program":"MyProgram",
"segB":"CustomSegmentValueB",
"segC":"segmentC",
"title":"S2,E3",
"type":"content",
"section":"myApi_app",
"airdate":"20180120 10:00:00",
"isfullepisode":"y",
"adloadtype":"2",
"channelName":"My Channel 1",
"pipMode":"false" ]
//Ad data,static data should be empty in content video dictionary
let metadata = [
"content" : content,
"ad" : [String:String](),
"static" : [String:String]() ] as [String : Any]
let data = [
"metadata" : metadata,
"event": "playhead",
"type":"content",
"playheadPosition": "0" ] as [String : Any]
return data
}
}
ViewController.swift
import UIKit
import AVKit
import CoreLocation
import AdSupport
import AVFoundation
import NielsenAppApi
class ViewController: UIViewController, NielsenEventTrackerDelegate, AVPlayerViewControllerDelegate {
var videoType : Int!
var player : AVPlayer!
var playerController : AVPlayerViewController!
var sdkMethods : SDKMethods!
var nielsenEventTracker : NielsenEventTracker!
var data : [String : Any]!
var timeObserver: Any!
var totalVideosPlayed = 0
var totalVideos : Int!
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
//Mark: In NielsenInit class we are initialising the NielsenEventTracker.
//Getting the instance of NielsenEventTracker
self.nielsenEventTracker = NielsenInit.createEventTracker(delegate: self)
//Mark: In SDKMethods class we wrote methods which creates content,Ad objects
sdkMethods = SDKMethods()
if(videoType == Constants.onlyContent){
//loading video content data
self.data = sdkMethods.loadContent()
}else{
//loading Ad data
self.data = sdkMethods.loadPreRollAd()
}
setPlayer()
setPlayHeadPosition()
//Setting observer to know the completion of video
setVideoFinishObserver()
}
override func viewDidAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
//loading static data
let staticData = sdkMethods.loadStatic()
//sending static data to SDK.
self.nielsenEventTracker.trackEvent(staticData)
}
func setPlayer() {
//creating player
player = AVPlayer.init(url: sdkMethods.url! as URL)
playerController = AVPlayerViewController()
playerController.view.frame = CGRect(x:0 , y:100, width: self.view.frame.width, height: 300)
playerController.player = player;
playerController.showsPlaybackControls = true;
playerController.delegate = self;
//Adding observer to player to track play,pause and reverse
player.addObserver(self, forKeyPath: "rate", options: NSKeyValueObservingOptions.new, context: nil)
player.play()
self.addChildViewController(playerController)
self.view.addSubview(playerController.view)
}
func setPlayHeadPosition() {
//Setting play head position
let timeInterval : CMTime = CMTimeMakeWithSeconds(1.0, 10)
playerController.player?.addPeriodicTimeObserver(forInterval: timeInterval, queue: DispatchQueue.main) {(elapsedTime: CMTime) -> Void in
let time : Float64 = self.playerController.player!.currentTime().seconds;
let pos = Int64(time);
let playHeadPos = String(pos)
//updating playHead position in dictionary.
self.data.updateValue(playHeadPos, forKey: "playheadPosition")
//Sending data dictionary to SDK with updated playHead position.
self.nielsenEventTracker.trackEvent(self.data)
}
}
func setVideoFinishObserver() {
//observer fires on completion of Video
NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(self, selector: #selector(playerDidFinishPlaying), name: NSNotification.Name.AVPlayerItemDidPlayToEndTime, object: playerController.player?.currentItem)
}
//rate 0.0 = Video Pause or stopped
//rate 1.0 = Video played or resumed
override func observeValue(forKeyPath keyPath: String?, of object: Any?, change: [NSKeyValueChangeKey : Any]?, context: UnsafeMutableRawPointer?) {
if keyPath == "rate" {
if let rate = change?[NSKeyValueChangeKey.newKey] as? Float {
if rate == 0.0 {
print("Playback stopped")
//on video pause, updating event as pause in dictionary
self.data.updateValue("pause", forKey: "event")
//sending the dictionary to SDK with "pause" event.
self.nielsenEventTracker.trackEvent(self.data)
}
if rate == 1.0 {
print("normal playback")
//On Play resume setting event as Playhead
self.data.updateValue("playhead", forKey: "event")
}
}
}
}
override func viewDidDisappear(_ animated: Bool) {
//on moving to other screen, updating event as pause in dictionary
self.data.updateValue("pause", forKey: "event")
player.rate = 0
player.pause()
}
@objc func playerDidFinishPlaying(note: NSNotification) {
self.player?.removeObserver(self, forKeyPath: "rate")
//As 1 video completed playing, incrementing the variable value.
totalVideosPlayed += 1
if(videoType == Constants.onlyContent || totalVideosPlayed == totalVideos){
//When content video completes or total videos finishs, let's send complete event to SDK
sendCompleteEventToSDK()
}else{
//On completion of Ad updating "adStop" event to SDK.
self.data.updateValue("adStop", forKey: "event")
//sending "adStop" event to SDK.
self.nielsenEventTracker.trackEvent(data)
}
//Checking if total videos played or not.
if(totalVideosPlayed != totalVideos){
//Checking if videoType is contentWithOneAd, then after completion of Ad, will play the content video.
if(videoType == Constants.contentWithOneAd){
//loading video content data
self.data = sdkMethods.loadContent()
}else if(videoType == Constants.contentWithTwoAds){
if(totalVideosPlayed == 1){
//loading 2nd Ad data
self.data = sdkMethods.loadMidRollAd()
}else{
//loading video content data
self.data = sdkMethods.loadContent()
}
}
setPlayer()
//Adding observer to player to check is buffering finished
self.timeObserver = player.addPeriodicTimeObserver(forInterval: CMTime(value: 1, timescale: 3), queue: DispatchQueue.main) { [weak self] time in
//checking the video player status
self?.handlePlayerStatus(time: time)
self?.setPlayHeadPosition()
//Setting observer to know the completion of video
self?.setVideoFinishObserver()
}
}
}
func handlePlayerStatus(time: CMTime) {
if player.status == .readyToPlay {
// buffering is finished, setting event as Playhead
self.data.updateValue("playhead", forKey: "event")
player.removeTimeObserver(self.timeObserver)
}
if player.status == .unknown{
print("Buffering")
}
}
func sendCompleteEventToSDK(){
//onCompletion of video, updating event as complete in dictionary
self.data.updateValue("complete", forKey: "event")
//sending the dictionary to SDK with "complete" event.
self.nielsenEventTracker.trackEvent(self.data)
}
deinit {
print("Remove NotificationCenter Deinit")
NotificationCenter.default.removeObserver(self)
}
}
Objective C
Objective-C Code Example
Select the below link to download the sample files
Download Project Files
NielsenInit.m
// NielsenInit.m
// VideoPlayerAppObjC
// This is sample code of a very basic implementation of the Nielsen 'Simplified API'
// This code is for educational purposes only
#import "NielsenInit.h"
#import <NielsenAppApi/NielsenEventTracker.h>
@implementation NielsenInit
+ (NielsenEventTracker *)createNielsenEventTrackerWithDelegate:(id<NielsenEventTrackerDelegate>)delegate
{
//Initialising the NielsenEventTracker class by passing app information which returns the instance of NielsenEventTracker.
NSDictionary *appInformation = @{ @"appid": @"PDA7D5EE6-B1B8-4123-9277-2A788BC653CA",
@"appversion": @"1.0",
@"appname": @"Abdul's Objc Test app",
@"sfcode": @"dcr",
@"ccode": @"123",
@"dma":@"456",
@"uoo":@"0",
@"nol_devDebug": @"INFO",
@"containerId": @"1" };
return [[NielsenEventTracker alloc] initWithAppInfo:appInformation delegate:delegate];
}
@end
NielsenInit.h
#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
@class NielsenEventTracker;
@protocol NielsenEventTrackerDelegate;
@interface NielsenInit : NSObject
+ (NielsenEventTracker *)createNielsenEventTrackerWithDelegate:(id<NielsenEventTrackerDelegate>)delegate;
@end
SDKMethods.m
#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
#import "SDKMethods.h"
@implementation SDKMethods
//Loading content Data
- (NSDictionary *)loadContentData
{
self.url = [NSURL URLWithString:@"http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/gtv-videos-bucket/sample/ForBiggerEscapes.mp4"];
NSDictionary *content = @{ @"assetName":@"ChromeCast1",
@"assetid":@"C77664",
@"length":@"3600",
@"program":@"MyProgram",
@"segB":@"CustomSegmentValueB",
@"segC":@"segmentC",
@"title":@"S2,E3",
@"type":@"content",
@"section":@"cloudApi_app",
@"airdate":@"20180120 10:00:00",
@"isfullepisode":@"y",
@"adloadtype":@"2",
@"channelName":@"My Channel 1",
@"pipMode":@"false" };
//Ad data,static data should be empty in content video dictionary
NSDictionary *metadata = @{ @"content" : content,
@"ad" : @{},
@"static" : @{} };
NSDictionary *data = @{ @"metadata" : metadata,
@"event": @"playhead",
@"type": @"content",
@"playheadPosition": @"0" };
return data;
}
//Loading Ad data
- (NSDictionary *)loadPreRollAd
{
self.url = [NSURL URLWithString:@"http://www.nielseninternet.com/NWCC-3002/prog_index.m3u8"];
//We should pass content dictionary also in Ad video.
NSDictionary *content = @{ @"assetName":@"ChromeCast1",
@"assetid":@"C77664",
@"length":@"3600",
@"program":@"MyProgram",
@"segB":@"CustomSegmentValueB",
@"segC":@"segmentC",
@"title":@"S2,E3",
@"type":@"content",
@"section":@"cloudApi_app",
@"airdate":@"20180120 10:00:00",
@"isfullepisode":@"y",
@"adloadtype":@"2",
@"channelName":@"My Channel 1",
@"pipMode":@"false" };
NSDictionary *ad = @{ @"assetid":@"AD12345",
@"title":@"ADTestTitle",
@"type":@"preroll",
@"length":@"20" };
//static data should be empty in Ad video
NSDictionary *metadata = @{ @"content" : content,
@"ad" : ad,
@"static" : @{} };
NSDictionary *data = @{ @"metadata" : metadata,
@"event": @"playhead",
@"type": @"ad",
@"playheadPosition": @"0" };
return data;
}
@end
SDKMethods.h
#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
@interface SDKMethods : NSObject
@property(nonatomic, strong) NSURL *url;
- (NSDictionary *)loadContentData;
- (NSDictionary *)loadPreRollAd;
@end
ViewController.m
#import "ViewController.h"
#import "NielsenInit.h"
#import "SDKMethods.h"
#import <MediaPlayer/MediaPlayer.h>
#import <AVKit/AVKit.h>
#import "Constants.h"
#import <NielsenAppApi/NielsenEventTracker.h>
NSMutableDictionary *mutableData;
NSDictionary *data;
SDKMethods *sdkMethods;
AVPlayer *player;
AVPlayerViewController *playerController;
NielsenEventTracker *nielsenEventTracker;
int totalVideosPlayed = 0;
id timeObserver;
@interface ViewController()<AVPlayerViewControllerDelegate>
@end
@implementation ViewController
- (void)viewDidLoad {
[super viewDidLoad];
//Mark: In NielsenInit class we are initialising the NielsenEventTracker.
//Getting the instance of NielsenEventTracker
nielsenEventTracker = [NielsenInit createNielsenEventTrackerWithDelegate:nil];
//Mark: In SDKMethods class we wrote methods which creates content,Ad objects
sdkMethods = [[SDKMethods alloc] init];
if(self.videoType == onlyContent){
//loading video content data
data = [sdkMethods loadContentData];
}else{
//loading Ad data
data = [sdkMethods loadPreRollAd];
}
//Converting "data" to mutable dictionary as we have to update playhead, event values.
mutableData =[data mutableCopy];
[self setPlayer];
[self setPlayHeadPosition];
//Setting observer to know the completion of video
[self setVideoFinishObserver];
}
-(void) setPlayer {
//creating player
player = [AVPlayer playerWithURL:[sdkMethods url]];
playerController = [[AVPlayerViewController alloc] init];
playerController.view.frame = CGRectMake(0,100,self.view.frame.size.width,300);
playerController.player = player;
playerController.showsPlaybackControls = YES;
playerController.delegate = self;
//Adding observer to player to track play,pause and reverse
[player addObserver:self
forKeyPath:@"rate"
options:(NSKeyValueObservingOptionNew)
context:nil];
[player play];
[self addChildViewController:playerController];
[self.view addSubview:playerController.view];
}
-(void) setPlayHeadPosition {
//Setting play head position
CMTime timeInterval = CMTimeMakeWithSeconds(1, 1);
[player addPeriodicTimeObserverForInterval:(timeInterval) queue:dispatch_get_main_queue() usingBlock:^(CMTime time){
NSTimeInterval seconds = CMTimeGetSeconds(time);
NSInteger intSec = seconds;
NSString* strSec = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%li", intSec];
//updating playHead position in dictionary.
[mutableData setValue:strSec forKey:@"playheadPosition"];
//Sending data dictionary to SDK with updated playHead position.
[nielsenEventTracker trackEvent:mutableData];
}];
}
- (void) setVideoFinishObserver {
//observer fires on completion of Ad
[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] addObserver:self selector:@selector(itemDidFinishPlaying:) name:AVPlayerItemDidPlayToEndTimeNotification object:playerController.player.currentItem];
}
//rate 0.0 = Video Pause or stopped
//rate 1.0 = Video played or resumed
//rate -1.0 = Play reversed/rewind.
- (void)observeValueForKeyPath:(NSString *)keyPath
ofObject:(id)object
change:(NSDictionary *)change
context:(void *)context
{
if (object == player && [keyPath isEqualToString:@"rate"]) {
NSNumber * newValue = [change objectForKey:NSKeyValueChangeNewKey];
int intValue = newValue.intValue;
if(intValue == 0){
NSLog(@"playback paused");
//on video pause, updating event as pause in dictionary
[mutableData setValue:@"pause" forKey:@"event"];
//sending the dictionary to SDK with "pause" event.
[nielsenEventTracker trackEvent:mutableData];
}else if(intValue == 1){
NSLog(@"Normal playback");
//On Play resume setting event as Playhead
[mutableData setValue:@"playhead" forKey:@"event"];
}
}
}
- (void)viewDidDisappear:(BOOL)animated
{
//on moving to other screen, updating event as pause in dictionary
[mutableData setValue:@"pause" forKey:@"event"];
//As it is a pause event setting the playheadPosition to empty.
[mutableData setValue:@"" forKey:@"playheadPosition"];
player.rate = 0;
[player pause];
[super viewDidDisappear:animated];
}
-(void)itemDidFinishPlaying:(NSNotification *) notification {
[player removeObserver:self forKeyPath:@"rate"];
[self sendCompleteEventToSDK];
//As 1 video completed playing, incrementing the variable value.
totalVideosPlayed += 1;
//Checking if total videos played or not.
if(totalVideosPlayed != self.totalVideos){
//Checking if videoType is contentWithAd, then after completion of Ad, will play the content video.
if(self.videoType == contentWithAd){
//loading video content data
data = [sdkMethods loadContentData];
mutableData =[data mutableCopy];
[self setPlayer];
//Adding observer to player to check is buffering finished
CMTime timeInterval = CMTimeMakeWithSeconds(1, 3);
timeObserver = [player addPeriodicTimeObserverForInterval:(timeInterval) queue:dispatch_get_main_queue() usingBlock:^(CMTime time){
//checking the video player status
[self handlePlayerStatus:time];
[self setPlayHeadPosition];
//Setting observer to know the completion of video
[self setVideoFinishObserver];
}];
}
}
}
- (void) handlePlayerStatus : (CMTime) time {
if(player.status == AVPlayerItemStatusReadyToPlay){
// buffering is finished, setting event as Playhead
[mutableData setValue:@"playhead" forKey:@"event"];
[player removeTimeObserver:timeObserver];
}
}
- (void) sendCompleteEventToSDK {
//onCompletion of video, updating event as complete in dictionary
[mutableData setValue:@"complete" forKey:@"event"];
//As it is a complete event setting the playheadPosition to empty.
[mutableData setValue:@"" forKey:@"playheadPosition"];
//sending the dictionary to SDK with "complete" event.
[nielsenEventTracker trackEvent:mutableData];
}
- (void)dealloc {
NSLog(@"Remove NotificationCenter dealloc");
[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] removeObserver:self];
}
@end
ViewController.h
#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
@class NielsenEventTracker;
@protocol NielsenEventTrackerDelegate;
@interface ViewController : UIViewController
@property (nonatomic) int videoType;
@property (nonatomic) int totalVideos;
@end
OptOutVC.m
#import "OptOutVC.h"
#import "NielsenInit.h"
#import <NielsenAppApi/NielsenEventTracker.h>
@interface OptOutVC ()
@property (weak, nonatomic) IBOutlet UIWebView *webView;
@end
@implementation OptOutVC
- (void)viewDidLoad {
[super viewDidLoad];
self.nielsenEventTracker = [NielsenInit createNielsenEventTrackerWithDelegate:nil];
//Getting the optPut URL from eventTracker
[self.webView loadRequest:[NSURLRequest requestWithURL:[NSURL URLWithString:self.nielsenEventTracker.optOutURL]]];
}
@end
OptOutVC.h
#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
@class NielsenEventTracker;
@protocol NielsenEventTrackerDelegate;
@interface OptOutVC : UIViewController
@property (nonatomic, weak) NielsenEventTracker *nielsenEventTracker;
@end