Random MIDI Player for Windows95 & WindowsNT
Version 2.0
Created by Martin Lukasek
Copyright (c) 1996 CAFF Software Ltd.

***************   S H A R E W A R E   *****************
*                                                     *
*   This program is shareware so if you plan to use   *
*   it, please, send me $10 or equivalent  in  your   *
*   currency  to  my  addres  written  below.   The   *
*   programm cost me a lot of effort and  I keep to   *
*   make it  even better.  So do not heasitate with   *
*   any comments or suggestions. Uppon registration   *
*   I will  send  you  by  E-mail,  or  I  give you   *
*   access to our ftp site, version  of RMP without   *
*   that  annoying  shareware  notice  and  without   *
*   any limitations  -  the Save song,  Delete song   *
*   buttons will work and you will be able to start   *
*   RMP as hidden in taskbar  and  use  taglist  to   *
*   protect yourself  to listen files twice even if   *
*   you leave and re-enter Random MIDI Player.        *
*                                                     *
***************   S H A R E W A R E   *****************

***************   S H A R E W A R E   *****************
*                                                     *
*   T H A N K   Y O U   F O R   S U P P O R T I N G   *
*         S H A R E W A R E   C O N C E P T S         *
*                                                     *
***************   S H A R E W A R E   *****************


Contents
--------

1. Programm description
2  New features and changes for version 2.0 since 2.0 Beta
3  New features and changes for version 2.0 Beta since 1.1
4. New features and changes for version 1.1 since 1.0
5. Windows NT limitations
6. Tips for Random MIDI Player use
7. Shareware notice
8. About author


R A N D O M   M I D I   P L A Y E R   v e r s i o n   2 . 0


1. Programm description

Random MIDI Player (RMP)  is useful utility for playing MIDI
files  (.MID, .RMI).  It is very easy to use. You don't have
to create  any MIDI collection.  Just select  directory tree
with your  MIDI files,  RMP then searches  through directory 
tree and loads  all available MIDI files.  Then it starts to 
play  them either randomly or  in sequence according to your
configuration.

You can choose  if you want to search through subdirectories
and if you want to start  playing  immediately  after end of
search procedure.

You can easily select  out good  MIDI files.  Just configure
"Save directory"  option  to  your  favorite MIDI  directory
and if you listen to good MIDI file press button "Save file"
and currently playing  MIDI file will be copied to your MIDI
directory.  You can fasten this operation by selecting "Play
just intro." feature in predefined intro length.

What more?  If you  are bored  with repeating  the same MIDI
files again and again you can disable "Allow song repetition"
feature and you will not here any song twice.  After playing
all available  MIDI files  in predefined  order RMP will ask
you either  select another directory  or play all MIDI files
again.  It is up to you.  With this feature I'm able to play
my  collection  of  almost 10000 MIDI  files  (500 hours) in 
almost 500 subdirectories  without getting bored of repeated
songs.



2. New features and changes for version 2.0 since 2.0 Beta

a) Save song feature was changed so it runs under NT 4.0
b) Delete song feature was changed so it runs under NT 4.0
c) Resize item in RMP application system menu deleted
d) Mazimize item in RMP application system menu disabled
e) Notification  routine  corrected.  After  pause  of  some
   songs and resume,  RMP  stopped  at  its end  and did not
   continue to play next song.



3. New features and changes for version 2.0 Beta since 1.1

a) Icon in Window 95 notification tray.  After program start
   a small icon appears in taskbar.  Left click  on the icon
   will pause  and resume playing song. Right click  on  the
   icon will unhide RMP if hidden.
b) Path and song name were separated so there is more space
   display complete song name.
c) Delete song feature added. As you can select out and copy
   you favourite song to  save  directory  with  "Save song"
   button,  now you have  similar "Delete song" button which
   will move currently  playing song  to predefined  "trash"
   folder.  Later you can delete songs  from trash folder or 
   do with it whatever you want. Trash folder can be defined
   in configuration dialog as "Deleted MIDI folder".
d) Another button  "Hide"  will  hide  the  application  and
   remove it from taskbar. RMP can be accessed  through  the 
   icon on the icon tray of taskbar. Left click  on the icon
   will pause  and resume playing song. Right click  on  the
   icon will unhide RMP if hidden.
e) Start hidden checkbox was added  to  configuration dialog
   box. If checked RMP will  after start of application hide
   itself as if "Hide" button was pressed.
f) "Use MIDI tag list" option was added  to  config  dialog.
   This feature if  on  will, when  leaving  application  or
   changing folder, save file "MIDITAGS.RMP" to  the  folder
   from which MIDI files were  loaded.  This  file  contains 
   information about songs which have been and have not been
   played. Uppon restart application or reload of directory
   tree containing "MIDITAGS.RMP" RMP will change attributes
   of all loaded files according to information from the
   file. This feature will ensure (together with "Allow song
   repetition" feature disabled) that no song will be played
   twice even if you leave and enter application.
g) Soundcard initialization feature added.  Many  songs  are
   modifying sound  card  parameters.  With this feature you
   can  initialize sound card  after start of application or
   before  each  song.  Just  choose  appropriate   function 
   through radio buttons in configuration  dialog and if you
   selected    some    kind    of   initialization,   choose
   initialization file.
h) Pause  function  now  releases  multimedia  system  while 
   pausing.  It is slower to resume then if MMC would not be
   released but some users  wanted  this.  The  slowdown  of
   resume function is not too significant.  If someone  will
   find the delay too  long just  let me know and I will add
   option  "Release  MMC  while  pausing"  to  configuration
   dialog.
i) Files with extension .KAR are now accepted together  with
   files with extensions .MID and .RMI during search process.
j) Major graphic changes.



4. New features and changes for version 1.1 since 1.0

a) Windows progress bar  was replaced with slider control so
   user can change current song  position  like  in  windows
   media player. Ticks are set up each 10 seconds.
b) Displaying of song filename and path was  changed  to  be
   able always display song filename even if whole path does
   not fit in line length.
   For example song path
   "C:\Windows\Media\Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3.rmi"
   is shorten to path
   "C:\...\Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3.rmi"
c) Corrected bug  in  random  generator  setup.  Songs  were
   played  always  in  the  same   "random"   order.  Random
   generator is now intialized with  time  in  seconds  from
   1. 1. 1980 and time from  windows  startup.  This  should
   result in correct random song generation. (I hope.)
d) Corrected  problems with "Resume" function in Windows NT.
   For some unknown reason Windows NT does  not  accept  MCI
   command MCI_RESUME. I resolved this  problem  by  calling 
   MCI_PLAY instead of MCI_RESUME.
e) Double click on any song in the list will play  this song
   even if this song  was  already  played  and you have not
   checked "Allow song repetition" check box.
f) Litlle bit changed hidden feature in about box.



5. Windows NT 3.51 and 4.0 limitations

Application works OK in  Windows 95,  but if you want to use
Windows NT,  you have  to start  RMP with starting directory
set  to  your  MIDI  files  directory  tree,  because during
programm  execution  you are  not able  to use Browse folder
function  which  is  implemented  in  Windows 95 only. Other
possibility is  to use  Windows NT 4.0  or  Windows NT  with
Shell technology preview from Microsoft.  Some  features  of
version 2.0 are not supported under Windows NT 3.5 so  think
about upgrade your old NT.  Some  bugs may occur  in  NT 4.0
because Microsoft is changing it  and releasing upgrades and
service packs faster then I am able repair my program.



6. Tips for Random MIDI Player use

a) Create a shortcut for  Random MIDI Player  with  start-up
   folder  ("Start in" property)  set  to  your  MIDI  files 
   directory tree.  Then put this shortcut to  your  Windows
   StartUp folder (group). Remember to check "Search folders
   recursively" option. All songs in directory tree  will be
   played after Windows start.
b) Have you tried to press CTRL+SHIFT  and  double-click  on
   THE BIG ICON in about dialog box? Not? Try it!!!
c) This is very nic if you have  very  large  collection  of 
   MIDI  files  on  your harddrive and you want to sort them 
   out. Just create shortcut of RMP with starting  directory 
   poiniting to your  MIDI  directory  structure  and  check 
   option "Use MIDI tag list" and uncheck option "Allow song
   repetition". Then fill  "Save MIDI folder"  and  "Deleted 
   MIDI folder"  with  apropriate  paths  and  everything is 
   done. No song will play twice  and  you  can  store  good 
   songs  easily  by  press of "Save song" button and delete
   the bad ones with single click on "Delete song" button.



7. Shareware notice

This software  is provided  as shareware.  If you  find this
program useful,  please send me $10 US (or equivalent in any
other currency).  I  will  send you  the  newest  version of
Random  MIDI  Player  without   annoying  shareware  notice.
Shareware notice appears each 20 minutes.  If you want me to 
send you RMP by post please add  $5 - $10  for  postage  and 
packing. Remember to provide your E-mail  address.  If  your
mailbox is unable to accept large  mail  (approx. 200 kB)  I
will give you access to our ftp site where you can  download
latest version of RMP without any limitations.  You can send
International Money Orders, American Express  or  cash,  but
remember sending cash is the most hazardeous, even it is the
best and quickest for me.

This software  is provided  "AS IS"  without warranty of any
kind.  CAFF and  Martin Lukasek  disclaims  all  warranties,
either  expressed or implied,  including  but not limited to
implied  warranties   of  merchantability  and  fitness  for
a  particular  purpose.  In  no  event  shall  CAFF,  Martin 
Lukasek  or  its  suppliers  be  liable  for   any   damages
whatsoever  (including,  without limitation, damage for loss
of   business   profits,   business  interruption,  loss  of
business  information  or  other pecuinary loss) arising out
of the possibility of such damages.



8. About author

Martin Lukasek
CAFF Software Ltd.
Zabovreska 16
616 00   Brno
Czech Republic
lukasek@caff.cz
lukasek@vertigo.fme.vutbr.cz

Visit our Web sites: http://www.caff.cz (http://194.196.119.3)
                     http://www.swamberk.cz (http://194.196.119.33)
		     These sites are in Czech for now but
		     we are going to change it to English.
		     
Web site contents:   a lot of music files (MIDI, WAW)
                     Image Management System
                     pre-press applications, DTP, graphics
                     demo programs
