Play an audio file.

Syntax

PLAY audio-file-spec

Qualifiers	Defaults
/AUDIO_DEVICE=device	See text
/SPEAKER=speaker	See text
/SOUND_LEVEL=level	See text

Parameters

audio-file-spec

Required parameter specifying the name of the input file to play.

Description

Audio files can be played with the PLAY command. Either HP DIVA or raw 8 bit ISDN µ-law files can be played. The former format is that produced by the Motif DECsound tool while the latter format is used by most UNIX platforms and is that specified by the MIME audio/basic content type. The play command requires that you be running PMDF MAIL on a workstation with an output audio device such as a VAXstation 4000 or an Alpha with _SOA0: devices. For DIVA files, a subprocess is spawned to run the CDA viewer; play the file by pressing the speaker button in the upper left corner of the viewer window; exit the viewer through the FILE menu in the menu bar of the viewer window. For µ files, the raw data from the file is written directly to the SOA0: device. You can abort the playback by typing CTRL/C.

Qualifiers

/AUDIO_DEVICE=device

Specify which output audio device to use. If not specified, then the device specification from the user's profile is used. If no profile setting has been made, then the _SOA0: device is used.

/SPEAKER=speaker

Specify which speaker to use, INTERNAL or EXTERNAL. If you do not specify a speaker, then the speaker selected with the SET SPEAKER command will be used. If you have never used the SET SPEAKER command, then the internal speaker will be used.⁴ This qualifier has no effect when a HP DIVA file is played.

/SOUND_LEVEL=level

Specify the playback sound level, an integer percentage ranging from 0 to 100. If you do not specify a sound level, then the level selected with the SET SOUND_LEVEL command will be used. If you have never used that command, then a sound level of 60% will be used. This qualifier has no effect when a HP DIVA file is played.

Examples

EMAIL> PLAY DECW$EXAMPLES:AUTO-SQUEAL.AUD 
[Playing the audio file with the CDA Viewer.]
 
EMAIL>
      

In this example, the HP supplied sample DIVA file AUTO-SQUEAL.AUD is played on the external speaker.

EMAIL> RECORD JOKE.AU
Press any key to begin recording. Press CTRL/Z when done, CTRL/C to cancel:
 
Recording...
[CTRL/Z]
%EMAIL-I-RECORDED, 96256 bytes recorded (11.75 seconds) to D1:[BOB]JOKE.AU;1
EMAIL> PLAY/SPEAKER=EXTERNAL JOKE.AU
Playing the file D1:[BOB]JOKE.AU;1
Press CTRL/C to cancel playback
 
EMAIL> SEND/INSERT JOKE.AU
To: MROCHEK
Subject: A funny joke
Enter your message below. Press CTRL/Z when complete, CTRL/C to quit:
Mrocheck,
 
Here's a joke I heard from Beckett.
[CTRL/Z]
EMAIL> SPAWN DELETE JOKE.AU
%DELETE-I-FILDEL, D1:[BOB]JOKE.AU;1 deleted (188 blocks)
EMAIL>
      

In this example, the RECORD command is used to record an audio file which is then played back through the external speaker. After playing the file back, it is sent as an attachment to a mail message. Finally, the audio file is deleted.