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CD Player Version 1.3 for Windows

Introduction

Hi, I hope you like my CD Player applet. This program is 'cardware', so don't forget to write me a postcard! Apart from that, my player is free for distribution (this current version at least) and I would encourage you to pass it around.

For more information on this utility, please refer to the following:

First time?

CD Player usage

CD Player Setup dialog

Dissecting the cdplay.ini file

Other features

About the author

Credits

I'd like to take this opportunity to openly thank the following people who have helped and encouraged me to see version 1.3 out of the workshop:

Lee Cjin Pheow (Try his appad - a progman replacement, with a NeXT attitude.)

Gerrit Gehnen (My first foreign e-'cardware' user and beta tester. Dankeschön!)

Angi (cow) Yeo (Why no volume? Why mute? Why...? 'Moo. Moo. Mooooo...')

(Dr) Lee Kuo Ann (Wow! You are a Windoze god! But look, it crashed?)

Goh King Hwa (Oh good, do it loh. I'm so deeepressssed...)

John Laidler (Thanx for your magnificent postcard!)

A Happy User 7+ now! (Well thank you, Ill try to keep up the good work.)

MSJ (Lots of good tips and hints on how to do Windows programming.)

Windows Tech Journal (Good stuff, in particular Fred Smullin's Tooltip article.)

Disclaimers

© 1994 Howard Ho, this CD Player applet is my intellectual property! All other trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Specifications, terms and services subject to change without notice. The author assumes no liability for damages resulting directly or indirectly due to the use of this software. It is provided 'as is' without express or implied warranty of any kind.


CD Player usage

Normal state

Unsure about my buttons? Click on the picture above.

You might want to note that TAB will move the focus across the palette of buttons and SHIFT-TAB will move it back. SPACE or RETURN will activate the currently focused button.

Minimized state

Uncertain of the mini-controls? Click on the icon above.


No cdplay.ini file

If this is the first time you are executing this program or you have deleted the cdplay.ini file, the following dialog will appear.

It will prompt you if you want to create the cdplay.ini file. Say yes and the Setup dialog will appear.


CD Player Setup dialog

Click on the above for help on the setup dialog.


Startup options

You may toggle the Loop, Introscan, Random, Mute and/or Autoplay fields for your default start state. Note that Autoplay takes effect only after you restart the program and will cause it to play immediately upon start up or when the CD drive bay has been open and closed.


Introscan time

You can set each track to play for this maximum duration whilst in the introscan mode. The default is 12 seconds. You may choose in this dialog a value from 1 to 60 seconds.


Override software eject detection

Normally the CD player detects if your CD drive can eject via software correctly. However if this should fail and you wish to override the detection, then click here. Please be aware that some drives return misleading information when there is no CD in the bay.


CD volume device (auxdev) ID

This varies from vendor to vendor. If you have a Sound Blaster, the CD volume device ID should be 2 (default). However if you own a Sound Galaxy, the ID should be 0. Different sound cards may have other ID numbers. Nothing catastrophic occurs if you set the wrong ID, you may just end up setting the volume knob to adjust anything else (e.g. MIDI out) to nothing at all. You can tweak around from 0 to 16. You need a sound card to have volume control.


Dissecting the cdplay.ini file

The cdplay.ini file resides in the Windows (usually C:\WINDOWS) directory. If it does not exist, the program will create a default one. Normally, you should use the Setup dialog to access these fields. Once generated, any text editor (like notepad) can be used to edit it. Below is an example of a default cdplay.ini file.

cdplay.ini file:

  [CD Player]
  Loop=On
  Introscan=Off
  Random=Off
  Mute=Off
  Autoplay=On
  Eject=Auto
  Introtime=12
  Volumedev=2

The first five fields, Loop, Introscan, Random, Mute and Autoplay are flags for the default start state. If you wish to have the program start with say, random play, just edit the Random=Off to On.

If your CD drive supports software controlled eject but the program thinks otherwise, you can force it to enable the eject button by changing the Eject field from Auto to Can.

The Introtime field, specifies the number of seconds in which the CD will play each track during introscan.

Finally, the CD device's volume (auxdev) ID is specified by the Volumedev field.


Other features

Fixed the code in V1.2 to work with Adaptec SCSI CD drives, but it broke with this release! Also I've kludged tool tips kind of balloon help. Do you know that if your CD player has eject but the button is greyed out, you can force the program by using the Setup dialog. Apart from these, there are no other new features.

These are still bugs, and documenting it still makes it a feature!

A well known bug is TABing through the buttons don't always work. Minimize first then try again to get around this bug.

Rewind or fast forward pressed in succession doesn't do that, instead it does the first action again or nothing. Get it? No . . . well, never mind.


About the author

Tall male chinese graduate looking for tall, intelligent, talented, beautiful, witty, successful, active and charming asian girl. :-) ;-P :-) I can be reached at:

7 Camborne Road

Singapore 1129

Republic of Singapore

Or if you prefer:

duck@nii.ncb.gov.sg

Hint: Why don't you check out the about button in the real program?


Track calendar

These are the tracks that have been found on the current CD. Tracks that have been played will be dimmed and the unplayed ones will be highlighted. If the CD has more than 20 tracks, an arrow will appear on the 20th track to represent all track activity greater than 20. This player will only support up to 40 tracks, despite the maximum legal number of 74 tracks.

To play a track directly, you may also double click on the track number. However this method will only go as far as track 20.


Track and timer display

The current track and counter display is indicated here. If the CD is not playing, nothing will be displayed.

Clicking with the left mouse button will display the current track length, and the entire CD's play time can be seen by using the right mouse button. The information will stay on for about 2 seconds.


Loop, random, introscan, autoplay and mute indicators

Toggling these modes will highlight their respective display indicators here.


Play and pause button

While the CD is not playing this button will start playing the track. However selecting it while the CD is playing will pause the CD. To continue, simply hit this button again.


Stop button

This will stop the CD. Selecting play after hitting this will cause the CD to play from the beginning of the current track.


Eject button

This will open or close the CD receptor bay. If your CD does not support this function (older CD drives with caddies) this button will not be enabled. You can get around this by using the Setup dialog, but you still can't make an old CD drive eject!


Previous track button

This will skip to the previous track and play it.


Next track button

This will skip to the next track and play it.


Fast forward button

This will jog the CD forwards. Keep the button depressed to repeat the action.


Rewind button

This will jog the CD backwards. Keep the button depressed to repeat the action.


Loop button

Turns on or off the continuous play mode. If it is off, the player will stop once all the tracks have been played.


Introscan button

When this is selected, the beginning of each track is played for a short duration before the player seeks the next track. Deactivating it will resume normal playing behavior. You can adjust the duration of it from the Setup dialog.


Random button

This toggle button shuffles the sequence of tracks in which the CD will play. Hitting it again will turn random play off and the current track will become the starting point for subsequent playing. To get a new randomized sequence, select this button again.


Mute button

This button toggles the volume on and off.


Setup button

This popups up the Setup dialog.


Help button

You know that! This help appears when you hit it.


About button

Tells you more about the author.


Volume control

Turn the dial left or right to make it softer or louder. Alternatively, you may just click at the volume level you wish. You need a soundcard for this to work! If you do and turning it doesn't change the volume, then you may not have setup the player correctly.


Monitor

This displays the current track while the CD Player is minimized. The track number will be dimmed if the CD is paused.