Updated MIDI embedding method on DVD pages.

Posted on December 2, 2009 by MarkRH

I’ve updated the method I’m using to embed MIDI files in my DVD pages that had them. A couple of example pages are The Best of Benny Hill and Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace. I am using the JavaScript method that is described at MIDIStudio.com. It’s basically the same thing I was doing before directly within the page’s code without JavaScript; however, this script now adjusts the code based upon the browser it detects which should make it more compatible.  I did modify their code slightly by adding an optional autostart parameter with a default value of 0 if no value is given so that it does not automatically start playing.  Here’s my modified code:

// This script determines correct code required to embed MEDIA files 
// for a large number of browsers, including AOL and WebTV
// Windows Media Player is required and always used, except for WebTV
// Written by Les Gorven, http://midistudio.com/ 
// Ver. 4.0 (simple) auto-start parameter is true - Created: February 2, 2008
// autostart parameter added by Mark Headrick December 2, 2009
 
function playMedia(mediaURL,rpt,height,width,autostart) {
var mediaURL,rpt,height,width,autostart;
 
if (typeof autostart == "undefined") {
	autostart = 0;
}
 
if (GetBrowser() == "IE")
	playAll(mediaURL,rpt,height,width,autostart) ;  
else if (GetBrowser() == "unknown")
	embedSource(mediaURL,rpt,height,width,autostart) ;
else if (navigator.appName.substring(0,5) == "WebTV")
	embedSource(mediaURL,rpt,height,width,autostart) ;
else
	playAll(mediaURL,rpt,height,width,autostart) ;
}
 
function embedSource(mediaURL,rpt,height,width,autostart) {
 
	var CodeGen = "";
	var mediaURL,rpt,height,width,autostart;
 
	CodeGen = '<embed src="' + mediaURL + '"' + '\n' ;
	if (autostart == 0) {
	 	CodeGen += ' height=' + height + ' width=' + width + ' autostart="false"' + '\n';
	} else {
		CodeGen += ' height=' + height + ' width=' + width + ' autostart="true"' + '\n';	
	}
	CodeGen += ' LOOP=' + rpt + '>';
	document.write(CodeGen);
}
 
function playAll(mediaURL,rpt,height,width,autostart) {
	var CodeGen = ""; 
 
	CodeGen = '<embed type="application/x-mplayer2" ' + '\n' ;
	CodeGen += ' pluginspage="http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/MediaPlayer/" ' + '\n' ;
	CodeGen += 'Name="Player" ' + 'src="' + mediaURL + '" ' + '\n' ;
	CodeGen += 'autoStart=' + autostart + ' ' ;
	if ((height == 24) && (width == 299)) 
		CodeGen = CodeGen + 'ShowStatusBar=1 '; 
	if ((height >= 50) && (height <= 75) && (width >= 200)) 
		CodeGen = CodeGen + 'ShowStatusBar=1 '; 
	if ((height > 75) && (width >= 200)) 
		CodeGen = CodeGen + 'ShowStatusBar=0 '; 
	if ((height <= 49) && (width != 299))
		CodeGen += 'ShowStatusBar=0 '; 
	CodeGen += 'enableContextMenu=1 cache=0' + '\n' ;
	CodeGen += 'playCount=' + rpt + ' ' ;
	CodeGen += 'volume=-1 ' ;
	CodeGen += 'HEIGHT=' + height + ' WIDTH=' + width + '>' ;
	document.write(CodeGen);
}
 
function GetBrowser()
{
   var agt=navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase();
   if( ((agt.indexOf("msie") != -1) && (agt.indexOf("opera") == -1)) )
       return "IE";
   else if( ((agt.indexOf('mozilla')!=-1) && (agt.indexOf('spoofer')==-1)
         && (agt.indexOf('compatible') == -1) && (agt.indexOf('opera')==-1)
         && (agt.indexOf('webtv')==-1) && (agt.indexOf('hotjava')==-1)) )
       return "Netscape";
   else
       return "unknown";
}

Within the page itself, I just put the following where I want the player to appear:

	<script type="text/javascript"> 
	playMedia("/midi/SomeFileToPlay.mid",3,65,300)
	</script>

If I want the song to automatically start playing, then I would change the code to:

	<script type="text/javascript"> 
	playMedia("/midi/SomeFileToPlay.mid",3,65,300,1)
	</script>

Seems to work well in both Firefox 3.5.5 and Internet Explorer 8. :)

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