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JUKEBOX.TXT
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1997-05-28
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MaxBase Jukebox!
----------------
What is it?
-----------
This is a MaxBase plugin which implements a
Jukebox for multimedia files, like MIDI, WAV,
videos etc. This program is FREEWARE.
MaxBase, which is required, is not freeware,
though it is cheap and you can download an
uncrippled version of it here:
http://www.bmtmicro.com/catalog/mb-web
or even here:
http://www.ososoft.com/RXDBASE.HTM
The file size is small, but the program is
smart: it uses GUI, multithreading and IPC.
You gotta love Java. <g>
Why should I use it?
--------------------
Because Jukebox is:
1) Simple to use. The interface isn't cluttered!
2) Powerful. You have a database engine working
for you (MaxBase), so you can issue a query
like "author=aerosm* .&. year=1989", order them
on title name and have all of the 1989 Aerosmith
songs searched for and played. Add a 'score' field
and only have Jukebox play songs which are cool!
Also, full NetRexx source code is provided, so you
can improve the plugin at will. If you do that,
let me know. Let's build better products, ok?
3) Consistent. You can use it to play every kind of
multimedia file which has a player. Never suffer
any more from having an under-featured or incredibly
clumsy to use player for some multimedia formats!
4) Portable. What about booting your other operating
system and still being able to use MaxBase and
jukebox? Or give it to a friend which has a different
machine/O.S.? Now you can!
Installation
------------
This zip file has to be unzipped into a MaxBase DB
folder (usually you create one in OS/2 by drag'n'dropping
a "NewDB" from the MaxBase folder into the "db_store"
folder which is also in the MaxBase folder on your WPS).
Preparing a DB for jukebox
--------------------------
To make it work, just be sure that the DB which is in
the directory this plugin is in, has a field whose name
contains the string "tit" (like title, Title, TITOLO, etc),
and put the file names there.
For your convenience I have put here also a NetRexx program
which creates a MaxBase database from a directory listing.
Just type "java dir2dat" from the directory you have stored
your multimedia files and you're set: a new db called NEWDB.DAT
is created in that directory. Open it with MaxBase, add fields
at will (e.g. author, type, quality of the composition, etc.)
and fill them (ok, there is still a lot of work to be done by
the user, but at least you don't have to type in all the file
names!)
Using jukebox
-------------
Double click on the DB, select some records and click on
"jukebox" from the main panel. Customize the string to launch
your favorite player and the drive/directory your files are
stored in (there is an entryfield for that in the plugin GUI),
and then listen to the files / view them by hitting "play".
You have some controls like "next", "prev" and "stop" to control
the flow of execution of the playlist.
When you close the plugin, it saves the execution string so the
next time you won't have to type it again.
Warning: OS/2 wants the file names to be given inside quotes if there
is a space in the file name itself (eg. "this is a file"), so if
the plugin sees that there is an open quote somewhere, it will append
a quote automatically. So, don't worry about having an open quote in
the default execution string.
Execution strings
-----------------
The default string is :
cmd.exe /c play.cmd FILE="DRIVE:\DIRECTORY\
Which will launch the OS/2 default multimedia player.
Use that for any video or audio file which is supported
by OS/2.
When you press "start" or click on an item in the playlist,
Jukebox appends the currently selected file name and closes
the quotes (if, like in the example, quotes are present), then
executes the string.
Other execution strings:
------------------------
I use the following to play my MIDIs, because I have timidity
(the wavetable software emulator) installed:
f:\progs\timidos2\timidity.exe -Od1S -idq -L f:\progs\timidos2 "d:\folders\midi\best\
If you have the mpg123v3 mpeg audio player installed
you can use a string like this:
f:\progs\mpg123v3\mpg123.exe -q -b3 "d:\folders\mp3\
For mod/s3m and other formats, I use muse/2 and this
is the string I use to launch it:
f:\progs\muse2\Muse2Txt.exe -P -o"44k -220% S6" "d:\folders\mod\
Of course you should customize the strings to meet your needs,
eg. change f:\progs\muse2\ to whatever directory you have put
muse/2 in, and change d:\folders\mod\ to whatever directory you
store your .mod/.s3m etc in.
Execution string for programs non listed here
---------------------------------------------
Creating them is pretty easy: you should take in mind that Jukebox
will take your string, append a file name and close any quotes (")
that are open (if any), so you can use your favourite player to
play your songs/videos.
Contact the author in case of questions etc: maxmars@pianeta.it
(Max Marsiglietti, also author of MaxBase).
This program is public domain, and it must stay there!
If you enhance it, just let me have a copy of the modified
enhanced version, and I'll put it up on the official MaxBase
site, with proper credits.